The Unforgettable Rejection (Book One)

Chapter Twenty Two

"Nicole!" He booms out in response.

            I turn to go and give my dad a hug, but before I could get anywhere Jarred snatches my arm and pulls me back against his chest. A gentle vibration pulsates through my back, through my spine, having felt this sensation I look up towards Jarred. That's when I notice, realize that he's growling profusely, keeping me close to him.

"Let go of my daughter, this instant!"

"No!"

"Dad, it's fine." I say looking back at dad.

"No, it's not, I want you back, you're my daughter!"

"You have to trust me."

"I do trust you, it's him I don't trust."

"It's alright, you can let go Jarred."

"No. if I do, once you cross that line, they'll keep you from me." He says, fretfully.

"That's not going to happen."

            Jake moved across the boundary as soon as we arrived, entering our pack's domain.

"Why not?" He stated, angrily from the other side of the border.

"Nicole," Jet says sternly.

"Yes?"

"What is it that you wanted to negotiate with me?"

"Them." I say, pointing towards all the people behind Jarred and I.

"Them?" He responds back, furrowing his brows skeptically.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"Why? They attacked us, killed a few of our people, and kidnapped you!" Jake interrupts.

"We killed some of their people as well!"

"In self defense!"

"Doesn't everybody deserve a second chance!"

"Yes but... They..."

"Them... Us. Look at them... They are us. What differences do you see?" Jet and Jake look out towards the rogue's, glancing over every single one of them. They then brings his gaze back to me, unsure of what to say, think, or do next. I continued, "So what is the verdict?" I ask, waiting, anticipating what he will say. Sincerely hoping he thinks this to be a worthwhile endeavor, something with trying, I am aware that many packs are reluctant to accept them into their territory due to the negative perception that they were exiled for being unique, for being different.

"They must demonstrate that they can abide by the pack's rules before they can come and join us."

"They most certainly can, I've seen the way they listen to jarred. Are there any other people who know?"

"So far only the people who stand here."

            As he responds the sound of a twig breaks, everyone jerks their heads in the direction of the echoing noise. I delicately inhale the air and detect some faint aromas; behind a nearby tree, I recognize the scents and utter the following...

"You guys can come out now."

            As soon as they realize they're being discovered, they emerge from behind the tree and charge toward me, running up into my arms while screaming...

"Nicole!"

"Hey guys, were you behaving yourself while I was gone?"

"Yeah we were."

"Soo, how are you little pups doing?"

"Good, missing you mostly though. Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I'm fine."

"Nicole, what are those?"

"What do you mean?"

"Those." Hunter said, poking my neck. He then continued, "Did someone hit you?"

"Did you burn yourself? I didn't know you did your hair. It must have been your first time."

"It was definitely her first time." Jarred said, raising one brow, mouth slightly upturned more on one side, with his eyes pointed. I glare in his general direction quickly changing my facial expression before the kids notice it.

"Who's he?"

"Him, oh my god you can see him too! I thought I was seeing things."

"Yeah." They both say giggling with me.

"Alright, you two should get back to your moms, while we adults talk."

"Awe do we have too?"

"Yeah, sorry it's just for a little while."

"Okay, it better be."

"It will, I promise."

"Okay." They say, running back to the pack house.

"Seriously!" I shout, trying to strike Jarred upside the head, but he's just too tall for me to physically reach, so I improvise and smack him across the chest, glaring harder than I've ever had to in my entire life.

"Ow, what?" He says, slightly surprised at my reaction.

"You know exactly what!" I growl angrily.

"Alright enough chit chat! Now back to what we were discussing."

"Yes, of course, I apologize. If we decide to welcome them into our pack, how will we tell the other members of the pack?"

"We'll hold a meeting of course, but first," he pauses, naturally he looks towards Jarred, and continues, "I need your assurance that nobody will do anything."

"You have my word." He responds coldly, a bit skeptical of what's going on.

"Alright then. You will have to wait here until I come back to the barrier."

"Okay, thank you." I say nudging Jarred in the side, signaling for him to say something too.

"Sure, thanks." He calmly mumbled under his breath.

"Why are you doing this Nicole? They don't belong here!"

"They're no different from you and me! They merely have a poor reputation for who their packs made them into, not because they are bad people! Can't you see that! Why are you unable to see that! They aren't lost causes, they're people and wolves just like you and me! It's always gotta be negative emotions from you, you don't have a single positive emotion in your body! There is no one who is more hopeless than you right now! I still find it hard to comprehend all these feelings inside of me!. After all, I let you in after you rejected me the first time you laid your eyes on me!

"We're back on that now, are we!"

"Yes! We are!"

"Why can't you just let it go!?"

"How can I let it go when you, your face, reminds me of that day every time I fucking look at you!"

"They killed your mother!"

"Yes, I know but-"

"That should be reason enough!"

"Jake, this has to stop. My mom once told me that 'we are one' I didn't understand what she meant... Now I do."

"Who says it's going to stop once we let them into our pack!"

"Stop it! Stop hur-" Jake cuts Jarred off.

"Stay out of this!"

"You really think we're that bad huh!?"

"Stop!" In desperation, I yell out. Everybody turns to face me, and as tears well up in my eyes, my eyesight becomes blurry. Before I hear Jet's voice growing closer, there are a few moments of total silence.

"So, I informed everyone of the situation. There are some individuals who are unhappy, but I have an answer for them."

"Yeah, what does that mean then?"

"They are welcome to settle on the land, but for the time being they must use your house as their own pack house. Until both packs become accustomed to one another, we should gradually come together to form a new kind of pack. The first to acknowledge them."

"Let's go home... All of us."