Page 1 of The Alpha’s Forced Rejected Mate (Silverlight Valley Alphas #1)
Luna Mitchell walked barefoot through the Silverlight Valley Pack grounds, feeling the cool, damp grass tickle her toes. The soft wool of her enormous cardigan did its best to protect her from the icy cold as she wrapped it tightly around her voluptuous body.
But instead of the gentle embrace of an autumn morning, this air felt harsh and icy, as if it were grabbing at her heart.
Three days.
It had only been three days since they buried Mom. The rumors had caught like wildfire.
She glanced up as two pack members walked by. Their eyes fell on her before turning away.
Then they resumed their hushed conversation, not caring if she could hear them.
“She didn’t even cry at her mother’s funeral.”
“What a miserable girl.”
“Elder Gregory acknowledged that her mother’s passing appeared questionable.”
“Although I always believed she had no value, I thought she’d change my mind at her own mother’s funeral.”
Luna’s fingernails sank into her palm, creating half-moons as she barely suppressed her rage.
She ignored them, walking on. Her frayed jeans caught on a thorn, which she angrily yanked out.
She was not here to make an impression, so she wouldn’t care what people thought.
She wandered toward the eastern edge of the forest, avoiding the busy pack, where women hung their laundry to dry and kids played around.
She looked at the men who were hard at work carrying wood for the community hall, which was almost finished.
Each and every pack member had the ability to shift and communicate with their wolves. Each one of them had a place.
Aside from her.
Luna’s lips quivered as she remembered how her mother had consoled her just days before her tragic death.
Her mother, whose brilliant silver hair nearly mirrored Luna’s, was sitting at their kitchen table with a half-eaten blueberry pie between them, enjoying the warm light from the window.
“Power doesn’t come from shifting, my star,” her mother had remarked, wiping pie crumbs from her lap.
Luna had once clung to her faith, but now that her mother was gone, that hope was gone. She was now by herself with these wolves who viewed her as a failure.
What was she even doing here?
She pulled at her clothes as they hugged her curves, feeling uncomfortable as she stepped off the main path. As if her body were just another imperfection, something the pack women could gossip about.
Luna followed the sound of trickling water to the creek that was tucked away behind the main pack grounds.
It was a quiet place, and it offered her a moment of respite.
She stepped on the big flat stone that was across the water, blocking out everything but the calming sound of the creek by closing her eyes.
“You woke up early today.” The deep voice that broke the silence made her heart skip a beat.
She knew who it was without even turning around. Dominic Blackwood. The pack’s future alpha.
He was standing a few inches away, his arms folded across his broad chest, when she gently turned. He was only wearing dark pants and a black T-shirt, but it didn’t hide the raw, dangerous beauty underneath.
At six foot six, he was taller than the other pack members. She felt a chill run down her spine when she held his gaze.
He was even more menacing with those steel-gray eyes seeming to see right through her, giving no clue what was going through his mind, if it was possible at all.
“Are you not aware that the pack is already awake?” she shot back, not caring that she was talking to an alpha wolf.
Dominic’s mouth curved into a little smile. “You left the east cabin, and I wanted to check in with you—”
“I’m fine,” she cut him off. “All I wanted was some fresh air.”
Instead of leaving her, as she’d intended, he sat down beside her on the rock.
Her heart began to pound, because she could smell him now, a mix of smoke and pine with a hint of something wild.
With his eyes fixed on the water, he softly muttered, “I’m sorry for your loss. Your mother was always a good woman, in my opinion.”
Luna swallowed hard. “Thank you,” she managed.
An awkward silence settled between them. Luna glanced at him again and wondered why he wasted his valuable time talking to someone as worthless as she was.
Somewhere in the bush, a twig broke, and Dominic jerked, his stance changing as he looked around. As Luna observed him, his behavior made her realize how different they were and how quickly he could change from a man to a predator. She, on the however, was unable to even detect her wolf.
When he was certain there was no threat, he declared, “We’re fine.”
Luna nodded, suddenly aware of their isolated surroundings.
“You should leave,” she said. “You and I are aware that the pack would disapprove of their future alpha hanging out with me. If someone sees us together…” she trailed off.
Dominic shrugged. “I don’t care. Like everyone else, you are a part of the pack, Luna, and I will treat you as such.”
Luna looked at his face, expecting to see him burst out in laughter, but all she saw was sincerity.
“Why?” she asked. “I mean, why are you this nice to me?”
For a brief moment, Dominic’s eyes shifted to her lips before swiftly returning to her eyes. “You really don’t know why?”
Luna shook her head and Dominic moved closer.
Her breath hitched in her throat, catching the silver flecks in his gray eyes now that they were close enough.
With a low rumble that left her knees weak, he said, “I’ve always seen you, Luna. Even if you desired to remain invisible.”
A sob erupted from deep within her before she could comprehend what he had just said. She was crying and gasping for air as the grief she had been suppressing since her mother’s funeral exploded.
She gasped in between sobs, embarrassed that she had broken down in front of him. “I’m so-sorry,” she said. “I can’t—I don’t—”
Dominic drew her to his chest without saying anything. Luna tried to pull away from him right away, but the firm warmth of his body overcame her last bit of resistance, and she allowed him to hold her.
“I just miss her so much.” Her shoulders shook with more heart-wrenching sobs. On her back, Dominic’s hand made calming circles. “The only person who ever had faith in me was her.”
“Not anymore.”
Luna drew back a little to look up at him. She imagined how messy she must look with her tear-streaked cheeks and puffy eyes.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice scratchy from her tears.
Instead of answering, he raised a hand to her face, his thumb gently wiping a tear from her cheek.
He abruptly stood up and held out his hand to her, saying, “Come with me.”
After a moment of hesitation and eye contact, Luna put her hand in his.
He pulled her to her feet as his fingers closed around hers. As he guided her farther into the forest and away from the pack grounds, he held onto her hand. Despite the sounds of the forest all around them, they walked in silence.
The trees thinned out, and they emerged into a clearing with a waterfall cascading into a crystal-clear pool. The early sun caught the mist rising from the churning water, creating rainbows that swirled in the air.
“Wow,” Luna inhaled sharply. “It’s beautiful.”
It made her temporarily forget her pain, but she was also painfully aware of his hand around hers and the way he guided her over fallen logs and into deep underbrush.
Dominic let go of her hand. “I come here when I need to think.” He walked over to the pool’s edge. “Or when I have to get away.”
His admission caught Luna off guard. “I didn’t think the future alpha would have something to get away from.”
His lips formed a wry smile. “Everyone needs a place to just be.”
He patted the area next to him after taking a seat on a big, flat stone close to the water’s edge. Luna leaned down beside him until their shoulders almost touched.
She apologized for her breakdown earlier, feeling ashamed. “I wouldn’t usually break down like that. It’s just—I’ve been trying to be strong all day, and it just came crashing down on me.”
“You don’t have to be strong all the time. Not with me, at least.”
Luna gave him a serious look as she attempted to make sense of this kind, compassionate man, as opposed to the usual brooding man she knew. “You’re a walking contradiction.”
“How so?” He sounded almost amused.
“Why are you being nice to me? Why did you bring me here? Why are you acting as though you care?
Dominic faced her. “Luna, because I do care.”
Luna’s heart raced, her mind unable to grasp his words.
“This is harder than I anticipated,” he added. “Luna, I like you. That’s the reason I constantly watch you and make an effort to catch you alone.”
Oh, moon.
“When the pack harms you, it hurts me, because I really like you.”
“That’s not possible,” she whispered, ignoring the flutter in her stomach. “I’m the mistake everyone wants in the shadows. You’re the future alpha.”
Dominic’s hand cupped her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. “You’re not a mistake. Not to me.”
Then he started leaning forward, his intentions evident in the heated look in his eyes. Luna’s breath caught in her throat as his lips touched hers, gently at first, as if requesting permission.
He kissed her more deeply when she didn’t pull away. Luna’s hands hovered awkwardly before falling on his shoulders, as if she were scared he would disappear if she touched him, then closed her eyes and gave in to the pleasure.
Dominic groaned into her mouth, the sound sending a flood of desire through her body. He pulled her into his lap, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in.
Luna placed her hands on his chest, feeling his muscles flex.
When at last they parted, Dominic pressed his forehead to hers. “I wanted to touch you for years, but I wasn’t going to,” he growled.
Luna blinked at him, her heart thumping loudly. “What changed?”
His eyes darkened. “It felt like cowardice to wait. Especially now, after your mother’s death.”
Luna pulled back slightly, doubt clouding her thoughts. “Is this pity because of my mom? If it is—"