Once Rejected, Twice Denied.

Chapter Nine

TESSA POV:

"You girls look great! You have a good bath?"

Taz nods at Lili, who is walking through the packhouse with us now, as we make our way to the dining room where the Alpha is waiting for us with his family. Apparently, it is protocol for all new people in the pack territory to introduce themselves. This makes sense, but what makes more sense is that the Alpha needs to meet the two women he just bought. My palms become sweaty at this thought and I flatten the dress at my side. I hate the fact that the belt is digging into my side. When I was in the bath, I remembered once more how bruised I am. To be honest, I have been so occupied with all that is going on that I hardly had a chance to think about what my body has endured these past few days. I gulp down at the thought. Will I still be wanted here if I am physically this beaten up and healing so slowly? I thought it would be best to not breathe a word of this to anyone.

"Tessa, you have the most beautiful hair I have ever seen."

Lili is now looking down at my hair, which Taz kindly offered to straighten just like Aimee used to. The reminder of Aimee sends a jolt through me, but I shake it off by thanking Lili and not wanting to be rude.

"Now, don't be worried about meeting the Alpha. He really is lovely and the Luna is..."

Confusion starts to course through me. Luna? Then why the hell did he need to buy Taz and I?

"Luna?"

Lili looks at me weirdly and then giggles.

"As in the Alpha's mate and mother to the future alpha? She is awesome. You guys will love her!"

I see some guys walk through the front door now. One of them is that guy, Nick, and his whole face lights up when he sees Lili.

"Goddess, Lili-bean, you look ravishing today in that dress!"

Lili turns all sorts of shades of pink as Nick twirls her around in circles. I "almost" smile, notice it in inverted comma's, because their sweet display of affection is only a bitter reminder of what I will never have. I know I sound like a proper jealous-joe, but I just cannot get over things so quickly and, besides, there are a bunch of people who are walking around with smiles on their faces after I was just bought like a slave for their pack! Nick and Lili walk just ahead of us and I can hear her telling him all about going to introduce us.

"Seriously, though? Couldn't Brett just come and at least introduce himself? These recruits were HIS idea."

Lili tries to keep it in a hushed tone and I perk up my ears. Brett? The name makes my stomach jolt with an odd feeling.

"I know bean, but he is busy. You know he doesn't do the whole sentimental thing, not since..."

They look at each other and bump shoulders. There is a weird energy surrounding the last part, so clearly that topic was a no-no zone. I frown again. Why does that make me feel weird?

"READY?"

Lili beams and before myself or Taz can say anything, the doors to the dining room open and it feels like the entire room stills. Around five pairs of eyes stare at me and Taz now and I cannot help but look down with all the strong auras floating around. Meeting high-ranked wolves and speaking to them is not something I am accustomed to. It was always me in my little room under the staircase. I feel my feet propelling me forward, but I don't know how many steps I have taken before. I feel Taz pulling me back a little and clearing her throat. Based on the perfectly manicured, pink toenails that have come into view, I took a few too many steps forward to someone important. s**t!

"Alpha Henderson, Luna Alice, these ladies are your new recruits from down South. They arrived not too long ago from the merchant."

"Ah, great. Thank you for bringing them, Lili. I am sorry about how rushed I was before. You know how top secret it all needs to be and it would have looked weird if I hovered around too much. Hope it wasn't too much trouble, Nick?"

A female says from the table, but I don't look up and I don't want to either. It is rude to look at high-ranked wolves as a nothing. I was always taught to be a ghost.

"Well, Lili did you explain anything to them?"

"No, not yet, you said you wanted to."

There is a hum before the girl at the table continues. I start fidgeting with my thumb again.

"I know you girls must be so confused right now. Bought by a pack and delivered to us like a herd of cattle. I want you to know first and foremost that you are safe here in this pack and that we do not believe in slavery."

I am so confused. What is she saying? I want to ask her why she bought me.

"Wolves live a happy life in this pack and if you follow Lili's orientation over the next month, then I am certain you will find your place and be able to live a happy life here."

A happy life. What is that? A pin could drop right now and I would hear it. That's how silent the room is. Finally, someone speaks, but it is more of a frustrated growl.

"Names?"

Great. The Alpha sounds pissed. Maybe me and Taz aren't exactly what he was looking for? Maybe we aren't pretty enough? I frown now as I remember he has a luna.

"My name is Taz, Alpha Henderson. I come from the Red Canine Pack."

Another small growl.

"The same pack that murdered half its population because it couldn't afford food anymore?"

Taz becomes stiff and I can feel her nerves acting up. The Alpha's aura has picked up in intensity.

"My family..."

Taz doesn't finish her sentence before her voice breaks and she starts to cry. I want to console her, but what do I say? We all heard about the Red Canine tragedy that hit a few months back. An alpha went mad after losing his mate and started killing off his pack members, claiming there wasn't enough money to feed everyone. Turns out it was his drinking money. Only a few people managed to escape the pack and Taz must have been one of them.

"It is okay, child. You are safe now with us."

The Luna speaks now and she stands to comfort Taz. I look up for the first time, noticing how absolutely elegant and ethereal she looks with her toned figure, wavy brunette locks and hazel eyes. She is tall and her smile is comforting. A true luna. My eyes hover over to the rest of the table. I see another tall man, the Alpha and then the same girl that was there to collect us from the merchant, except she is now dressed up more appropriately for the table. My eyes snap down when the Alpha's dark ones land on me.

"And you?"

I say nothing until Lili bumps my shoulder.

"M-My name..."

"Look at me."

Slowly, I lift my head and I see now that everyone is staring at me and waiting for an answer. My eyes well up and I see this annoys the alpha.

"I need to know your name, child. I cannot..."

"Honey, calm down. You are scaring the girl!"

Luna places her hand on Alpha Henderson's shoulder and he relaxes at her touch. Imagine that? Imagine your mate loving you so much that they react to your touch alone? My mate didn't even want to give me two minutes of his time before banishing me and now look where I am. I wonder what Keith would say right now if he knew I was standing in the middle of the frikkin Moon Shadow Pack as a slave? I shake away the thought. He would say nothing, because him and I are nothing. I am nothing. Taz pokes my side and I wince and look at her with irritated eyes. She is giving me that "say something" look and I realize I have missed whatever the Alpha or Luna said to me. I really am an i***t.

"I am an omega."

Silence again. Now the one guy from his seat starts to snicker and I know I have truly messed up. He stands and this is the first time I can see how much he resembles the Luna. They have the same lean physique, medium brown hair and lighter brown eyes. He looks like a friendly guy, but I know better about Alpha families. Great, this must be the future Alpha or something. His snicker turns into a full laugh and all I can do is stare at how his hazel eyes seem to be laughing too. Laughing AT me. I cringe and look down again.

"Damon?"

Damon. I frown. I have heard that name too. This is the guy that Xanthi wanted to see.

"Oh, relax, mother. I just want to get a closer look at the new meat in our pack. I won't bite!"

His words make me feel repulsed considering I was bought. I wonder how much they paid for me? I wonder what my worth it. He stands in front of me now.

"Do you really think that we care that you are an omega wolf?"

I know he is asking me and I find all the courage inside me to look up, meeting his humored gaze with my confused one. This makes him smile again.

"In this pack, we worry very little about ranks, little wolf."

Little wolf. I was called that in the rogue territory.

"In fact, we don't believe in that nonsense. In Moon Shadown, we allow everybody to pursue their dreams and apply for positions based on their interests. We recruit based on skill and talent alone, giving everybody a fair chance. Even an alpha position can be challenged if someone else in the pack feels they will make a better one, but that is a little more serious than lets say, the pack chef."

He smiles again at me. Apply for positions? Recruit? Skills and talent? The guy, Damon, leans a little closer to me and then his smile fades.

"You don't have an allegiance to a pack."

I am not sure if he is asking or if he told me. Everyone frowns now and looks at me weirdly.

"Are you a rogue?"

The alpha asks now and his eyes darken.

"No, Alpha."

"You have no pack. Why?"

The Luna asks now. I look at her.

"I..."

I look at the Alpha and then Damon and then Taz and then Lili before looking down.

"I was b-banished."

My lip wobbles and the tension increases in the room. Being banished can only mean you have committed a serious, serious crime in a pack and that you are deemed dangerous to the pack. It is murderers mostly that get banished.

"Damn, why is it always the pretty ones who need to be dangerous? Here I was thinking..."

Damon leans in closer to me, his words barely a whisper against my cheek and his breath fanning against my skin before an earth-shattering, deep and desirably dark growl causes everybody to stiffen. Every piece of logical brain is telling me to fall to my knees as Taz has done, but instead I feel my body shaking with an energy I cannot explain as my nose lifts to smell my most favorite fragrance. Musky earth mixed with organic rain. It is the smell of natural desire, raw temptation and deep promise all in one and the trail of scent leads my eyes straight to the door where there is two very dark ones staring back at me. They belong to a man who is impossibly tall, his dark hair waving in slight curls against the defined ruggedness of his stubble and his beige shirt hanging loosely off of his perfect muscles. He looks like he just got out of the shower, but then perhaps it is just the illusion of the sun rays hitting his skin and making him glow. His lips...

Another growl and Damon has snapped his hand away from me. I wince as I realize he was holding my broken rib. The dark eyes are watching his hands. Everyone looks shocked. My eyes snap back to the ones at the door and I feel myself melting into them. This cannot be so. This cannot be happening. The man walks closer. His steps are large and dominant. Who is this? I mean, my soul knows who he is, but what is his name?

"Brett!"

Brett. My breathing intensifies and so does the pounding of my heart as Brett walks until he is right in front of me. Then he says the words I never thought possible.

"MATE!"

His hands grab onto me pocessively. Damon puts his hands up and takes submissive steps back, causing Brett to squeeze harder and me to wince. The tingles, the pain, the, the, the...

Everything becomes black.