Grace - POV
As the party ended, I was fortunate to be left alone and not bothered by my mates any longer. Unfortunately, Lily was occupied with her guest for most of the day, and she forgot my punishment for not being available the entire time. So as Hailey sat on the bed, listening to Rosie talk about her date with Derrick, I munched on leftovers before heading out for a walk at night.
I stepped outside for a walk and enjoyed the pleasant night air in the woods. While I stripped naked and changed into my wolf persona, I kept checking to see if anyone was nearby. In the end, I made my way across the lake, where my wolf prefers to spend most of her time. As I scanned the glistening waters of the lake to see the moon and its reflection on the surface, an earthy smell filled my nose.
While in wolf form, I rested next to the lake, enjoying a cool drink. I took a short nap to recharge my batteries.
It was extraordinary to return to human form a few hours later and put on my clothes from my backpack, so close to the comfort of my own home. On the walk back, I began to feel calm and relaxed as the overwhelming feelings of mating with the two Alphas faded away. If I accept Alpha Jacob's rejection, then choosing Alpha Grayson as my mate would be a better match for me. Alpha Grayson exhibited the kindness I most needed when he was around.
The sound of branches snapping drew my attention, and I felt like someone was lurking in the shadows. After turning around to see who it was, I recognized Alpha Jacob standing in the shadows next to me.
As I shivered because of how close he was, I couldn't speak due to the effect of his proximity. The sight of the cold eyes that stared back at me filled me with dread, and I averted my gaze from them.
After a brief pause, I spoke, "I'm sorry for bothering you, Alpha Jacob; I'll leave now," daring not to look him in the eyes again.
My attempts to flee were thwarted by Alpha Jacob, who pinned me against the tree trunk, preventing me from escaping.
"Where do you plan to go, my Luna?" Alpha Jacob spoke. I shrieked, gasping, and stared into his eyes, feeling as though I was looking into the night sky. I was deeply drawn to his gaze.
I took a moment to look into those eyes as I replied, "Alpha Jacob, I accept your rejection. It would have been foolish of me not to have accepted your offer sooner."
"It's difficult for me to accept your rejection now because I know you're going to run with Grayson, my foe whom you've dated for a long time." Then, with an undertone of jealousy, Alpha Jacob continued, "At the party, I noticed your intense gaze on Grayson. Earlier, I rejected you, Grace, and you didn't acknowledge my rejection. But now you are willing to accept it."
"Alpha Jacob, there seems to be a misunderstanding here," I replied. Then, as a way to calm me down, Alpha Jacob placed his finger on my lips.
The howl of a wolf came from far away, alerting us to danger near the border. However, it wasn't until I saw Alpha Jacob shift back into wolf form that I saw the wolf's golden eyes and black fur. Alpha Jacob rushed into the territory in his wolf form, and I followed him in my white wolf form.
As I approached the border, my eyes squinted, spotting wounded guards and rogues slipping into the pack. Alpha Jacob killed the rogues quickly, and as I fought the rogues trying to invade the clan, I also killed them. I was controlled by Cindy, and she ended up taking down the rogues, even though it was her first time battling them. Even though the backup guards had not yet arrived, I continued to fight.
A rogue wolf bit our leg as Cindy misjudged the attack, and she hissed in pain. Jacob Wolf snapped his eyes in anger toward the rogue who had wounded us. It took him just a couple of seconds to eliminate the rogues from the battlefield. All the rogues had been killed, and I had taken on human form behind the tree. My clothes were shredded as I turned into a wolf. Since I had an extra backpack full of clothes in my possession, I put them on before walking into Alpha Jacob's sight.
As Alpha Jacob, now wearing clothes he had taken from the injured guards, asked, "Are you okay?"
"My leg just ended up with a small injury, so it's almost healed." I answered, but I began feeling lightheaded, and my vision turned black as someone held me back from falling over.