Rejected Mates

Chapter 1

A/N - Hello Everyone! I'm really excited to be writing again, after a pretty long break. I hope you enjoy this story. As with all of my Werewolf stories, there is some violence and sexual content, but I try not to go overboard.

"What about this one?" Joan asked her daughter as she pulled a dress out of the closet for inspection.

"Gross!" Melinda said as she took the garment and tossed it into the growing pile on the bed as she considered what to wear, nothing seeming to satisfy her.

"I don't see what's wrong with any of these," her mother sighed in defeat. "It's getting late, and you need to pick something and get dressed."

"What I want, is that dress I saw yesterday at the store," Melinda said angrily. "But Daddy said I didn't need a new dress and wouldn't let me get it."

"Your father is right, you don't need another dress. You've barely worn any of these," her mother said without any of the sympathy her daughter was hoping for.

"But the Alpha of the Desert Rain Pack is coming, and he's bringing his son," Melinda whined. "What if he's my mate?"

"He's actually bringing the whole family, which includes the Luna, a daughter, and two sons," Joan replied as she began sorting through the pile of dresses.

"Whatever," Melinda said dismissively, with a wave of her hand. "Everyone knows that Eloise is stuck-up, and Arthur's twin is the runt. The only one who really matters is Arthur. He's going to be Alpha, when is dad gets too old."

"For a Beta's daughter, you're being awfully disrespectful," Joan said with disgust. "They are all guests of honor, and I expect you to treat them accordingly."

"Yeah, I know," was Melinda's sheepish reply. She would play nice for her mother's sake, but she wasn't interested in anyone but Arthur.

They had met on a few occasions in the past, at various pack gatherings, as they were children of high-ranking wolves, but she hadn't seen him for a few years, in which time they'd both turned eighteen and come of age. Melinda had always been attracted to Arthur and was desperately hoping that he was her fated mate.

True fated mates were chosen by the Moon Goddess. Stories passed down through the generations told that everyone had a mate, and each would be drawn to their fated mate by the mate bond. Once they found each other, the bond would continue interconnecting and strengthening them once each accepted the other as their mate and they marked each other.

More often than not, bloodlines were a factor among mates. Alpha bloodlines were mated to others who came from alpha or beta bloodlines. Alphas were the rightful leaders of packs because of their strength and power, so their mates were also typically from powerful bloodlines, in order for the dominant lineage to continue. Likewise, the general population of wolves routinely found their mates among others within a similar caste of bloodline.

On rare occasions, the Moon Goddess would see fit to cross those lines and match an alpha or beta to an omega wolf from the general population. Melinda wasn't worried about this and was sure that she would be mated to Arthur, a strong wolf of Alpha lineage, destined to become the alpha of his own pack. She had always expected to be mated to an alpha and become a Luna.

"You have fifteen minutes, and then I expect to see you downstairs," Joan demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "Pick something to wear!"

Joan left the room, closing the door firmly behind her. Melinda looked at the pile of dresses on the bed and began to dig through them once again, finally stumbling upon one she thought would make do. It was long, silver, and slinky, with strategically placed sequins that accented her shapely curves.

After getting dressed and adding the finishing touches to her hair and make-up, Melinda finally made her way out of her room and downstairs where everyone was gathered, including the alpha of her own pack John and his Luna Meredith. They had recently taken on the roles of Alpha and Luna, as John's father was getting old, and had passed the mantle to his son. As yet, they had no offspring.

"Finally," Melinda's mother said with an exasperated sigh. "They're already in pack territory, they'll be at the front door any second."

Melinda's heart began to race, and she fidgeted nervously, trying to even out her breathing. This could possibly be the moment she'd been looking forward to since she was a little girl. She had convinced herself that Arthur was her mate and she could barely contain her excitement at the anticipation of his arrival. She quelled the inner fears that kept trying to allow doubt to fill her mind.

Finally, the moment arrived, and the car could be seen out the front window, slowly coming to a soft stop outside, the crunch of the gravel under the tires, echoing in Melinda's ears. The sound of her own heartbeat threatened to drown out all other sounds.

Within moments, the family had exited the vehicle and were at the front door, which had already been opened to them. Melinda's heartbeat skipped a beat, and she could feel a pull as they approached. She knew this was her moment and she couldn't wait.

She kept moving around, trying to get a line of sight on Arthur, but it seemed that everyone kept standing in her way. She was deaf to the pleasantries and formalities of greeting, as Alpha Mitchell and Luna Desiree of the Desert Rain Pack stepped into the pack house. She could feel that her mate was there, but she couldn't see him yet.

She rose onto the tips of her toes, looking over the shoulders of all those who stood in her way, and caught sight of Eloise, the sister, and grunted that she wasn't moving out of the doorway. Finally, Arthur stepped forward through the doorway, his hand outstretched in greeting to Alpha John. He was incredibly handsome, his blonde hair and chiseled features resembling that of a Greek god. But there was no pull toward him, and he didn't seem to be searching for her in the same manner that she searched for him. She felt no bond pull at seeing him and looked around in confusion.

It was then that her heart began to beat wildly, and her wolf leaped within her. She could smell her mate, like warm bread, comforting and inviting. Melinda could feel that her mate was near, and then she turned to see him already standing next to her.

"Mate," she heard him say as he shyly gazed at her, reaching out timidly, unsure what else to do.

Everyone turned to look when they heard him speak, and they watched expectantly as Melinda locked eyes with him.

"No, no, this isn't right?" she shrieked in a panic. She moved toward him involuntarily, as her body wanted to join her mate, but she resisted the pull of her wolf, wobbling as she tried to stand her ground.