Reject Me Baby One More Time - E-Book

Cory

I ran away from home when the son of the pack Alpha tried to have me killed. After one night in one another’s arms I find myself chased halfway across the state and nearly murdered in the process. But I made it to Shifter Grove alive and I built a new life for myself. And I’m content to never think of it again.

But when I find a half-dead wolf on the side of the road I can’t help but take him in. Although I didn’t recognize him at first, I quickly realized he’s the son of the Alpha. And he still thinks I’m his mate. The rejection was easy and I sent him away.

So why won’t my heart listen to me? Why do I want this man so badly when I know I can never trust him?

Liam

I never tried to have Cory killed. I know he doesn’t believe me, but that’s the truth. When I told my father that I’d found my mate and he was male, all hell broke loose. After that moment, Cory was out of my life seemingly forever.

But I got away. It took me two years, but I did it. When I finally wandered into Shifter Grove at last, I was nearly starved to death. And who should find me but Cory. He doesn’t recognize me at first but the truth always finds a way of working its way to the surface.

How do I convince the man of my dreams that I would never hurt him when he won’t even talk to me?

Tropes: standalone, second chance, fated mate, rejected mate, small town, soft boys, alpha bottom, alpha wolf, found family, strict roles, and HEA.

Chapter One: Liam
The pads of my paws were raw as I walked down the shoulder of the road, heading in a generally southern direction. I knew Shifter Grove was out there somewhere. An hour ago, I’d run into the shore of Lake Huron, and I knew the small werewolf sanctuary existed on its shores. I just had to keep going until I found it. Despite the hunger and the pain, there was only one thing that spurred me on.
Love.
I hadn’t stopped thinking about him since that night two years ago. He was always on my mind, asleep and awake. We’d planned on mating that night to seal the mate bond between us. But we were interrupted and before we could find one another again, he was gone before the sun came up the next morning.
There were so many things I wanted to say to him. So many things I wanted to apologize for. But I’d been trapped after he left without a way to contact him or any freedom of my own. And now, after two long years, I’d finally escaped, and I was never going back. The only person in the entire world that mattered was him. I didn’t care if I died trying to find him. I just had to see his beautiful face one last time. My love for him had already cost me everything, so what was a little bit more?
Anxiety gripped my chest as I wondered if he was even alive anymore. Had my father taken care of him like he claimed? No. That couldn’t be right, and I refused to believe it. Somewhere deep in my gut, I knew he was still alive. I’d know if something had happened to him. We might not have been mated, but there was still a bond there. I was sure of it.
I just had to keep going south. If I could make it to Shifter Grove, I knew I could get it all figured out. I had to.
Desperation and sheer stubbornness kept my paws below me as I padded down the road. My tail didn’t wag, but hung limply behind me. I barely even had the energy to keep my ears erect. I wasn’t paying attention to much else besides the road in front of me and that’s why I didn’t smell the bear until I was almost on top of it.
I froze as the scent hit me. Lifting my head, I scanned the darkness clinging to the edge of the road. It was a full moon, but despite it being early October, the foliage was still dense enough to block out the light inside the trees. I was keenly aware that while I couldn’t see the bear, he could definitely see me.
Bears were not something I knew a lot about. However, I was keenly aware from a few National Geographic specials that this was the time of year that they were at their biggest and strongest as they prepared to head into winter. That also meant that they were probably very hungry and searching for any food they could get before the cold set in. I just hoped that I was too big to be on the menu.
Ducking low, I moved to the opposite side of the road, keeping low in an attempt to stay out of sight. However, I’d gone no further than ten yards before I saw something shift at the edge of the woods. My blood turned cold as the biggest black bear I’d ever seen stepped out of the woods. And he was staring right at me, his teeth bared.
As far as I knew, black bears weren’t known for attacking people. But I wasn’t a ‘people’, I was an exhausted wolf on the brink of starvation. To that massive beast, I probably looked like a Slim Jim just waiting to be snacked on. The only thing between me and becoming a pile of bear shit was my strength as a werewolf. And right now, I didn’t have any. As such, there was only one logical choice.
Run.
Without waiting for the bear to make the first move, I summoned up what little energy I had left and took off at a spring, my paw pads tearing against the concrete. Wounds opened up and I could feel the sticky warmth of bloody paw prints left behind me. But it didn’t matter. If I didn’t get out of there as fast as I could, I was gonna be bear chow.
I sprinted down the road, knowing that I could outrun the creature if I tried. Not only that, but I doubted he wanted to work too hard for his food. If I made myself difficult to catch, he’d just give up and go back to eat berries or something.
For one brief, wonderful moment, I thought I’d given him the slip. But when I slowed for a moment to glance back, I found him close behind, his lumbering form galloping over the pavement with much more ease than I had. The bear growled and sprang forward, ready to chomp down on me the moment he got close enough. He was gaining quickly, and in a moment, my tail was gonna be his midnight snack.
With a yelp, I took off again, sprinting as hard as I could. But despite my best efforts, I was going slower than before. My limbs felt heavy and my heart strained to keep up. I was at the end of my energy reserves and already I could see my vision tunneling at the edges. It wouldn’t be long before I went down. And then there would be nothing to stop the bear from eating me alive.
For a moment, I thought about shifting back into a human, but I knew I didn’t have the energy to do it. Not only that, but I’d been in wolf form for over two weeks, working my way across the country to find Shifter Grove. Even if I was in peak condition, it would still take me at least a couple of minutes to shift back after being stuck in wolf form for so long. Not to mention I was half-starved. I’d probably look even less threatening as a person than a wolf.
As far as I could tell, I was fucked.
Jaws snapped near my hindquarters, and with a yelp, I sprinted a few feet ahead. But I couldn’t keep up the speed for long and soon the bear was right on my tail again. There seemed to be no outrunning it.
Suddenly, a clawed paw caught me in the back leg and I went rolling into the ditch. Weirdly, it was to my benefit. If I’d just fallen on the road, I would’ve been a quick snack for the bear. However, tumbling down into the ditch meant he had to skid to a halt.
I rolled through the tall grass with a yelp and splashed down into the mucky water stagnating there. But I didn’t wait for the bear to figure out what had happened. Instead, I got my paws underneath me and took off again, this time heading the opposite direction.
The bear had clambered down into the ditch and was sniffing the grass before he caught sight of me again. By then I was back up on the road and running. But I was slow and wet and caked in mud. If I was lucky, I had maybe a good thirty seconds before he caught up to me.
Glancing up at the full moon, I whispered a prayer to the moon gods in my mind. That if they had seen it fit to make me a werewolf, one of their chosen children, that they should do something to save me. I didn’t care what it was just as long as I didn’t have to live through being eaten alive.
And as much as I didn’t believe in gods, moon or otherwise, my prayers were answered.
Bright lights came around the far curve of the road, flashing through the autumn trees. Just for a moment, their gold and reds were illuminated, giving the car a somewhat foreboding look. But I saw it for what it was.
That car could save me.
So, I ran out in front of it, knowing the bear wouldn’t follow.
And I was right.
Tires screeched as the vehicle fishtailed dangerously. The horn blared, filling the quiet of the night with its ear-piercing shriek. But I held my ground, staring directly into the headlights that nearly blinded me.
At the last moment, I realized it wasn’t going to stop in time. So, clenching my eyes shut, I braced for impact. It wasn’t the way I wanted to go, and I still had so much to do. But at least it wasn’t getting eaten alive by a bear.
I just wished I’d gotten one last chance to see my love again.
There was a sudden flash of light, a rush of pain, and the world around me went dark and quiet for probably the last time.