Rejection

Chapter 31 - Consequences

---Kyle's POV---

My fingers tapped on the wood of the worn floor, barely mindful not to get myself a literal handful of splinters. Still, I couldn't stop the nervous gesture, hell, even my leg was twitching nervously.

It had been several days since my call with Drake and still no sign of him. At least it had given me plenty of time to inform Ellie of his possible arrival.

The poor pup's reaction was understandable. The second I had told her that a, for her strange, Alpha was coming to pick us up, I could see the growing fear in her eyes.

Before I could've said anything more, her body morphed to her little wolf, who instantly clawed her way under her bed. I hadn't even tried to reach under to pull her out, that would've only made her more fearful and would break the trust between us.

So I had plopped myself down beside the bed and simply...talked. I told Ellie about my life, how I had once been a nomad, born to two nomadic wolves. That I had parents roaming around... somewhere.

Probably.

Ellie huffed, placing her little head on her paws as her golden eyes gleamed in the darkness. Her ears twitched as I slowly recounted most of my life.

What was the use of trying to lie to this little pup? It would only hurt in the long run.

"And then..." I swallowed convulsively, blinking at the ceiling to stop the sudden onslaught of tears that threatened to overflow. "I... I got... got rejected."

A little whine mirrored the one that escaped from my chest before a soft lick was felt over my hand. Without looking at Ellie, I scratched at her head fur, keeping my eyes averted.

"It... It wasn't pretty. I won't go into details but... it was hard." I rubbed over my wrist on instinct, yanking my hand back when I realized what I was doing.

"Well... I avoided packs after that... like the plague." I shook my head, rubbing over my arms as a shiver ran over my back. Not from the incoming night but more so from the dark memories that announced themselves.

Nights of shivering in the cold, being unable to dig myself a burrow to hide from the frost. Where I was grateful for being a wolf, as my double coat kept me from developing frostbite.

But the wounds didn't allow me to curl up completely, to tuck my nose under my tail, allowing the warm air to get stuck in my fur.

"What changed?"

I jolted upright, startled as I glanced to the side. Ellie had changed back, dressed herself and tucked the blanket around her. Eyes teary as they flitted from scar to scar.

A smile slid on my face, fingers reaching down to my hip. "Got kicked by a deer. It got me real good, breaking old fractures to the point where I needed surgery or I would've died."

I moved in a better position so I could look at Ellie and sighed. "I had to go to a pack in order to survive. And though they helped, they didn't understand me. All they saw was a potential threat, someone they needed to subjugate or kick out."

A look of understanding came over Ellie, eyes flitting to the window. "Like my pack... No. Their pack." She realized, swallowing as her wolf whimpered.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for your inner wolf, to realize that, even though you wanted a pack, longed for a pack... they didn't want you.

She inhaled shakily before pausing, nostrils flaring as she took in my scent. "But, you don't smell like a rogue, or nomadic. You smell like a pack, kinda... Not really but, almost?"