Page 1 of Rejected Alpha Mate

Chapter 1 - Donna

I must be crazy.

Or maybe I’m just highly ambitious.

My brother always said that being so ambitious would get me into trouble one day. So far, it’s gotten me through the Lunaris uprising, when like-minded werewolves protested to the higher-ups in the pack to be allowed to mix with the humans and attend college. It allowed me to venture into the human world to accomplish my dream of becoming a psychologist.

My ambitious tendencies also helped me reach graduation, which was earlier today. My brother has nothing to worry about.

Even if I’m crossing uncharted territory tonight.

“Hey, is something wrong?” the man I’m clinging to asks, and I clutch his arm tighter, taking a deep breath before throwing him a smile.

“No,” I dismiss as I meet his blue eyes, feeling a wave of calm wash over me.

That’s what Tobias Peck has been through the stormiest days—a breath of fresh air, a friend who never probed or pried during the nights I cried, or the nights I spent cramming for the next day’s exam. Come hell or high water, Tobias has been a constant grounding force in my life, and he’s my closest friend, second only to Cecelia.

The only problem?

I keep my biggest secret from Tobias.

He has no idea that I’m a werewolf, and he’s about to walk into the lion’s den. Obliviously, but it’s about time he met my family and those important to me. He’s a dear friend, too, and I don’t think I’d have survived four years of college without him.

Especially this last year….

“I’m just…I don’t know,” I shrug, shivering into his side. Tobias keeps his arm firm, where I have mine slinked in, showing a strength beyond what his lanky form suggests. “I guess I just can’t believe that it’s over.”

Tobias chuckles. “Oh, so does this mean you’re gonna miss me? Is that what you’re admitting now?”

Playfully sticking out my tongue, I jab him in the ribs with a fist. He groans and whimpers, keeling over to mime the extent of his injury.

“I’m not gonna miss you, dummy!” I tease, rolling my eyes. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“No, of course not,” Tobias snickers, his eyes twinkling like the ocean as he stares out ahead of us, his spine straightening and his arm firming up again. “And neither are you. I’m really glad you decided to stick to your plans and stay in the city.”

“Yeah, me too,” I sigh, my chest filling with an ache that feels almost ancient. I shudder discontentedly, not welcoming the feeling.

I’ve been putting off facing what I’ve felt since I found out about the party my brother is throwing for me to celebrate graduation. And as we enter the Terramor Resort, a wisp of warm, smoke-filled air hits my nose like a signal of danger lurking behind the glamorous tents.

Gulping hard, I tighten my hand around Tobias’s arm, clinging to him as if I need to siphon strength from a human. As a professional, I know this isn’t healthy. As a werewolf, my inner wolf is sneering. I’m no vampire sucking life force from an unsuspecting human, but I’m hardly a brave werewolf when it comes to uncharted territory.

Dominic promised that his friends would behave tonight in the company of a human, and I don’t doubt it.

I mean…I shouldn’t. So this inexplicable dread that coils in the pit of my belly isn’t there because I don’t trust my brother and his friends around my human friend.

It’s because I don’t trust myself around him.

I can only hope and pray that he doesn’t make it tonight.

“Hm…it seems they already have the barbecue going,” Tobias chirps with a nervous half-smile. “Are you sure it’s okay that I’m here tonight?”

“Of course, Toby!” I assure him with a gentle squeeze to his arm. “My sister-in-law is dying to meet you. Besides, I’m not letting you spend graduation night alone.”

Tobias stops, throwing me a brilliant smile that flashes his perfect set of teeth, glinting under the moonlight. “I’m really lucky to have you as a friend, Donna. Thank you.”

I shake my head slowly. “No, thank you, Toby. I would not have survived college without you.”

“Eh—” Tobias hums in contemplation. “I think you woulda been just fine, Donna. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”