THE AGONY OF REJECTION

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pack life as well as for school. To get to this point, I had to train, labor, and shed blood. On a night like this, my pack had a custom

significance for me. I w

on, the spark that ignites when two wolves first lay eyes on one other, that I had been picturing for as long as I could remembe

led by my pack in the huge forest that surrounded our little town. What if everything went wrong? What

keep your optimism up. I tightened the straps on the white dress my mother h

ticipated that I would become the next Luna in our pack. But I was unable to plan that

wolves gathered in groups, drinking and chatting while the blaze crackled and lit up the area where

iend, was dancing with her. As I saw them together, I couldn't help but grin. Samantha, with her vibrant re

tured for me to come closer. "Carr

toward the edge of the crowd, I yelled

giggled. "You know, waiting for your

rned as I shrugged, but my

arrie, you'll locate him th

ire evening, but as the hours went by, that sensation gradually gave way to disappointment. All night long, wol

Was my request unreasonable?

when I

sm

time. Everything about me froze. "Oh, d

to locate the source of that scent, and my

le

e was just standing there, grinning at Samantha. **A

he shock I was experiencing was reflected back in his eyes. He h

d back. Samantha's boyfriend, Tyl

ntended outcome. N

nd his voice became quiet, but I s

muttered, "No." "No,

she glanced between us. "What is happening?" With a look of p

describe the destruction that overcame me. The mate bond, the one th

y knew what was coming. I saw it in

hispered quietly. "I can'

were completely knocked out, like a punch to the gut. My

y about. I didn't want him to feel bad, even though my trembling voice revealed

saying another word, I turned and ran, running from

r, and the aroma of friends, I didn't stop. The weight of it all

dn't ever be. Now, though...

than I had ever felt in my life. All that remained to me was

on the ground. I could feel the night getting colder, as though the heartbreak that was still

told myself.

left for me here. My pack, my friend

But for now, I was simply a girl in the woods, escaping