Reject Me Again, My Alpha
Chapter 20

Nerves vibrated threw my body. I was walking behind my family with Peter to the meeting grounds for the pack run. He kept looking at me from the corner of his eye. Not wanting to make it obvious, he was worried. I had made him promise not to say anything about me and Enzo to anyone. And to respect the decision that I made. He wasn’t the best of pleased , but I knew he would do it for me. Mum kept glancing back at us, a disapproving look on her face. We hadn’t spoken since the kitchen incident. I think she would have proffered Peter walk up front with them and I walk behind them alone. Not that she had made me walk here , I had chosen to. We were not exactly a family united, so why portray that?

People were already looking at me , and we weren’t even in the opening yet. Everyone was just walking to it. I kept my head straight forward or down mostly to avoid them. It didn’t help that most were already naked. My skin was crawling with nerves as it was without them. When we finally got there , my nerves went into nearly sheer panic. There were loads of people all milling around. All talking excitedly , you could feel the buzz around us. I had decided to still go , but I still chose to stay back here with Peter. He said he would stay with me. It dawned on me that if I ran with the Alpha family , literally everyone would be bound to see me.

They would all be looking at them if I stayed back here with Peter. Hardly anyone would look my way. Hopefully. How I had not thought of that before was beyond me. I mean , how I had been wrapped in it to not realize that. I got what the Alpha wanted , me to be seen and accepted by them. But that would definitely spotlight me. I found myself getting closer to Peter , almost hiding behind his arm so people wouldn’t spot me.

My breathing was heavy and I felt my heart beating like crazy. ” Hey, are you OK ? I’ll take you back home if you want to “, Peter whispered to me. I shook my head. ” No, I mean, yea I’m OK . I’m fine. Just not used to all these people “, it was half the truth. I wasn’t OK, but I wanted to be. I was tired of the hiding , and I knew he meant his promise. So it was either come willingly or be sought out and be dragged here anyway.

Peter wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to his chest. “I’ll stay with you the whole time. If it gets too much hightail, go back to the house and I’ll follow you back. The alpha will be watching, he won’t let anything happen. OK ” I nodded my head against his chest and waited , trying to calm my breathing down. It was five minutes later, all the hair stood up on my arms and neck. I peaked out from my hiding place against my brother and saw Enzo standing at the side of me staring down at me. Looking past him, everyone was looking. One in particular stood out. Tiffany , I don’t know why she caught my eye. But she was standing watching us just over Enzo’s shoulder.

” My father wants you at the front, with us ” he said , his tone dead with no emotion. ” I’m OK, here thank you ” I told him, not looking at him. ” Anthea , if you don’t walk up there with me. My father will just come down here. He wants you with us “, Enzo tried again. I heard Peter growl , it rumbled against my body. “She said she is OK here ” he said lowly , but I heard the anger in his voice. I heard a few gasps around us and my eyes shot back up again. This time my mother was looking on at us horrified and terrified. Peter had just spoken back to the future alpha , and I had decided a request. I am surprised she wasn’t on the floor clutching at her heart right now.

Enzo’s hand grabbed my arm lightly and I gasped. His head came down to my level and he looked into my eyes. He didn’t say a thing. But I felt a wave of emotions cross over me; protectiveness , understanding and remorse. He was trying to tell me without voicing it for people to hear. That he understood my nerves , he would protect me. He understands why I was freacking out right now. And remorse was that for what was about to come when people saw me ? Or about what happened this morning back at the cave ?

I pushed out my fear , hoping he got my message. He nodded his head slightly. “I’m assigned to keep you safe tonight. ” He said the words slowly. ” We need to go up front , people are eager to get started ” he whispered. I looked up at Peter , he was tense. ” He could come too ” he said, and I looked back at him. He didn’t seem pleased by it. But he was willing to let him be there for me. ” Damn right I’m coming “, Peter said. “That is if she wants to go up there , if she doesn’t, then that is her choice. “

My eyes studied Enzo , people would see me anyway, right ? Who was I kidding: hiding? Hiding would only prolong the inevitable. Like Chinese whispers, it would spread through the pack of what a few of them had seen. Didn’t I say I was done hiding ? Taking a deep breath, I looked around the audience we had acquired. It was either bolt or just do this thing. Tiffany was watching us with a funny expression , with the girl at the side of her that had rubbed my face in the mud. I stared at them , not knowing what had come over me. I held my hand out to Enzo and when he took it I smiled at them.

” Lets go then ” I said and he smiled at me , taking hold of my hand . I stepped out of my brother’s protective arms and stepped closer to Enzo. He nodded and turned, leading us through the crowd , all of them parting for us as we went. They all stared , of course they did. This was a huge statement the alpha family was making. I could feel Peters’ presence behind me , but my bravado didn’t hold up long. The panic started setting back in. The closer we got to the front , to where I could see the Alpha , his Luna. Enzo’s sister . The alpha beta , and his family. Confused, I looked behind me. Why was Tiffany back there ? But she wasn’t there anymore , she was behind Peter following us up.

The alpha was smiling at me. ” Nice to see you here Anthea. It pleases me immensely. ” I nodded my head. ” Thank you Alpha “. He claps his hands and steps forward , Enzo looks at me. ” Stand with Peter ” he said, dropping my hand. As soon as he did , I felt small. No longer proud and tall. I looked out at the crowd all looking this way. Quickly, I stepped into Peters’ body and his arm was wrapped back around my shoulders, pulling me into his body without hesitation.

” Wolves, it is that time of the month again when we all gather and take on our animal form that we were graciously gifted. Tonight I will keep my speech short and sweet , because your soon to be Alpha will step forward and honor the moon goddess for us tonight. We all know my time as your alpha has been dwindling and I will give a more formal farewell speech then. But for now I shall be proud to pass you over to my son ” he looked back at Enzo.

I saw the switch in Enzo , it was immediate. His shoulders went back and broadened. All his aura changed and he let out power. One that everyone here could honestly feel , the alpha power washing over all of us. It made me gasp and I even felt Peter tense. I was in awe of seeing him. It took away all of my nerves , my whole attention to him. ” My pack , my family. My father gave me the great honor of leading our pack run tonight. As he said , we are blessed. Each and every one of us. The moon goddess blesses us all with a wolf spirit that matches us and who we are. She creates a path for us with our wolves and then the fates bless us with our mates ” I felt myself snap out of my awe. And feel a sting of pain.

How can he say that when he does not believe it ? He couldn’t do it .He said it himself. That the fates have gotten it wrong with us. He pauses in his speech and looks back at me. His eyes narrowed , his head tilting. Then he clears his throat and looks back at the pack. ” Tonight we honor them and dance under the moonlight for them. We my family should make promises to them that we will accept the gift they give to all of us , each and everyone. Let the run begin “, then he shifts , his clothes ripping and hitting the floor in tatters.

His big wolf stands there , then, one by one, the pack members start to shift. Following in his lead. ” We still have a chance to leave “, Peter whispered. Enzo’s wolf looked back. He heard Peter. My wolf started clawing at me from inside. ” He wants us to shift , he wants us to stay by his side, Anthea. My wolf will not let harm come to me , even if his human is an i***t “, my wolf whispered to me. ” If this goes wrong, I blame you “. I tell her back and she laughs. Stepping away from Peter , I closed my eyes. I let the change come over me , I felt my body changing and myself step back into my wolves sub-consiounce. The next I saw was through the yellow haze of my wolf eyes. And what I saw was the pack all looking at me , some with disgust, others with curiosity. All of them chattering and gasping. Then my view was blocked , Enzo’s big wolf stood there. The big wolf nodded its head. Then angled it towards the trees. He wanted me to follow him. Then he moved and the last face I saw was my mother looking ashamed. This was the first time my own mother had laid eyes on my wolf.

Looking back, Peter had shifted , but he was not looking at me. A wolf was standing in the place where Enzo’s sister was stood before and that wolf stared right back at him. I felt something nudge my wolf , Enzo’s. He lifted his head and howled at the moon. The night sky echoed around us with hundreds more. Enzo took off and I followed him.