The Sixteenth Moon: A Rejected Mates Romance

Chapter 18: A Massive Disappointment

Tense but excited, Kana checked her reflection one last time, curling a wayward tendril of dark hair behind her ear. She was nervous and yet determined. Tonight was the night. And no...that wasn't a curl of apprehension swirling in her guts. That wasn't a slow rolling boulder of guilt tumbling around in her chest. She had no reason to be apprehensive—Cole had proven to be a good man, a thoughtful and caring boyfriend. She wanted to have this night with him. She earned this night—godsdammit! And no, she had no reason to feel guilty. The man she was supposed to give her virginity to threw her away into the cold and dark like a used-up cigarette butt.

So what if her heart beat faster thinking about him even though she was with Cole? So what if she still woke up wet and aching for the fated mate she still dreamt about, even though she told herself—every damn time—that they were nightmares? So what if she still wondered what her life would have been like if he hadn't rejected her, if instead of glaring down at her and rejecting her, he'd jumped from the dais, wrapped his arms around her, and claimed her, heart and soul?

None of that mattered because he hadn't done those things. Instead, he had chosen a better, prettier, richer she-wolf to mate over the female Ailune had gifted to him. He'd spat in the goddess's face, and turned his back on his true mate, choosing sex and power over her.

And she would never forgive him for that.

Blinking up into the ceiling, Kana attempted to catch her breath, her body thrumming with...well, she had no idea what she was feeling...other than...off. The last time she'd felt this trepidation...this listless, restless bone deep...something, she'd been walking toward the Pack den with Jill, unknowingly skipping toward her hideous future. A future where she was an orphan and a rejected mate and an outcast and a human. But she was also a survivor. A victor over her circumstances. A woman who was finally taking charge of her life and making decisions about herself that had nothing to do with the legendary fated mate she would one day meet and claim. Because that asshole no longer had any say in her life.

A twisting in her stomach made her breath catch. She coughed to regain her composure, pressing a suddenly shaking hand to her belly and sucking in a lungful of air.

What the hell was that?

Nerves. It's nerves. She was freaking out about tonight and what was going to happen. Did Cole know she was going to throw herself at him? Probably, it wasn't like she'd hidden her interest in going the next step in their relationship. More than likely, the "surprise" part of their date was a night in a swank hotel downtown. Cole made good money, so he wouldn't take her to a seedy rat hole down by the airport, it would be a four-star hotel with a concierge, a bellhop, 24-hour room service, and probably complementary cotton robes.

A grin broke over her face. She was really going to do it. She was really going to give her virginity to Cole. A man who wasn't her fated mate.

Dammit! Stop thinking about him. He is no one to us!

Us. She and the wolf spirit that was no longer there.

She sighed, glancing into the mirror once more.

The knock on the front door startled her, and her heart picked up the pace in her chest.

It was time.

Planting a smile on her face, she took a long, slow, steadying breath, and went to the door. Opening it on her new path. A new future. One without Rueger Laarsen.

****

So this is what sex is like....

After her date with Cole where he'd taken her to the new and highly-rated Mexican restaurant she'd talked about during a date weeks ago, she'd been blown away when Cole had taken her to a supposedly sold out showing of "Annie" at the performing arts theater downtown. She'd had such an amazing time that even when he'd suggested going back to his place, she'd barely hesitated. She knew, deep down, what going home with him would mean. No, it wasn't the swank four-star hotel she had thought he'd suggest, but it was better. In the months they'd been dating, she'd never been to his place. The first month, he was under construction with renovations after a pipe burst in his upstairs guest bathroom. The second month, he'd been traveling, so when he was home and they spent time together, he'd wanted to hang out at her place to "catch up on all his time without her". She'd never thought anything of them being at her place or out on the town whenever they were together, but once he'd invited her to his place tonight, she'd realized she had no idea where he lived, what his house looked like, and if she'd even be comfortable there.

When they pulled up to a sprawling two-story ranch house smack in the middle of twenty acres of land ten miles outside of town, she'd felt her first inkling of unease. When she did have moments of wondering what his house would look like, she always thought it might be "business man, condo chic", never "rancher man, shiplap vogue". But what did that matter? They were there, and they had some business to get down to.

Two hours, a bottle of wine, and some awkward fondling and grunting later, she was no longer a virgin...and she didn't know how to feel about it.

Beside her on the bed, Cole was laying on his back, his arm over her, and his other arm thrown over his eyes as he panted. He'd been attentive if a little...uncertain about his seduction. And there were a few times where the tension on his face deepened, like he was holding back.

From what? Why? She had no idea. She only knew that she was naked, in bed with her boyfriend, and he hadn't said anything since he'd nutted into the condom and pulled out.

Come on, Kana, put on your big girl panties and find out what the hell is going on.

She opened her mouth to say something stupid like "So, was it good for you?" when his cellphone rang from somewhere on the floor on his side of the bed. HE tensed, then practically rolled off the bed to get to his pants, where his phone was stashed. He didn't even look at her when he answered.

"Yeah?" he rasped into the phone, his gaze finally flickering over to where she was laying, clutching the sheet to her naked chest. "Yes," he replied to the caller, his voice hard. "Give me two minutes."

Two minutes? For what?

He ended the call and tossed his cell to the bed.

He turned to her, offering her a smile that didn't even reach his cheeks let alone his eyes. "Sorry about that, Kay. I'm going to the kitchen to grab us some water. Do you want a snack or anything?"

A snack? He's thirsty and he wants to leave me naked to go get a glass of water? Where's the cuddling and nuzzling and soft, affectionate murmuring? This was definitely not the experience she'd built it up to in her head.

Suddenly overwhelmed with feelings that she knew for a fact weren't post-coital, she sat up, glared at him, and snapped, "Are you serious right now?"

He scowled at her and snapped back, "Forget it," as he turned and stomped to the door, threw it open, and stomped out. "Fucking...breed...paid...."

As Kana listened to his ranting as he stomped further from her, she couldn't quite make out all he was saying...she just knew that something was seriously fucking wrong.

She hadn't even finished that thought, when the glass from the window beside her exploded inward, scattering sharp shards over the bed, and cutting her naked flesh. It was the men, dressed in black, wielding assault rifles that blew in after the shattered glass that solidified the fact that Kana was in deep shit.

****

Author's Note: <evil cackle> Didn't end up like you thought it would...did it?