Rejected

Chapter One

SAGE

The bell rang signalling the end of class and my teacher motioned for me to join him at the front of the classroom. I waited until the room cleared, taking my time packing up my things.

"Sage, Mrs. Winters has informed me that she requires some help in the library where you will spend detention this afternoon. I expect you to be on your best behaviour." He stared me down and I rolled my eyes.

If only he weren't human, if only he knew he was speaking to an Alpha. I could rip his throat out or banish him for the disrespect he is showing me but I keep my wolf in check and nod, moving out the door and down the hall to my locker.

"Sage!" My best friend, and pack member, Jonas calls, coming down the hall towards me, his mate Maria under his arm. She's typing enthusiastically on her phone.

I stuff my books into my bag and close my locker as they finally reach me. Maria locks her phone and stuffs it in her back pocket.

"What the hell happened today?" Jonas asks leaning against a locker and pulling Maria to his chest. I stare at the area where their bodies meet in longing. I haven't found my mate and the thought of her kills me even though I've never seen her face.

"Fucking disobedient fucks, that's what." I growl thinking of the event that landed me in detention, so much for a spotless high school record.

"What do you mean?" Jonas raises an eyebrow and Maria twists in his arm, resting her head against his shoulder.

"That fucking rogue I allowed in last week. He's been nothing but trouble and pushed me over the edge today." I sigh and start walking, Jonas and Maria falling into step behind me.

"Cane?" Jonas asks surprised. I nod.

"He was harrassing Katie, you know Marks mate?" Mark is the pack beta. "Anyway, Mark was on the verge of shifting when I showed up. I managed to calm him down and Katie took him away. Before they were even out of earshot, Cane starts talking smack about Katie, how she's disloyal, how he fucked her in the janitor's closet." We turn the corner and stop in front of the library doors.

"No way." Maria gasps. "It can't be true can it?"

"Of course not." Jonas snorts. "They're mated, she wouldn't even be able to take her top off for Cane."

"It's not true. Katie made that clear. But just the thought was enough to push Mark over and he started pounding Cane's face in. I'll admit I watched for a moment, the prick deserved it. Though I eventually had to step in." I adjusted the watch on my wrist, glancing at the time. I wasn't due for detention for another five minutes.

"I took Cane outside and he started lipping me off, telling me I was a terrible leader, calling me weak for not having a mate. Anything he could think of to try and piss me off. He wanted me to shift and I knew it so I ignored him." I paused and squeezed my eyes shut, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Until he mentioned my mom."

Jonas growled and Maria hissed. "He didn't." She groaned, sounding like one of those drama girls from a gossip television show.

"Anyway, yeah I shifted and I kicked the kids ass. Kicked him out of the pack too. But Mr. Roberts came out right after I'd shifted back and managed to make myself decent. He saw Cane on the ground and sent me to the office. Now I have detention!" I waved my hands in mock excitement.

"That's rough. What a prick!" Maria growled. I noticed Jonas hadn't said a word. When I looked at him, his eyes had gone black, the pupil swallowing the iris. His hands were shaking a little.

"It's alright Jonas, I took care of him." It made me feel better knowing how much Jonas cared for the pack that even though the threat was gone, he still felt the need to protect his own. I patted him on the back and pressed my fist to his chest, right over his heart; a sign of respect. His pupils retracted a little and he managed a smile.

I glanced down at my watch and moved toward the door. "I'm gonna be late, I'll catch you guys later."

When I walked into the library, the smell of wood and ink assaulted my nose. I'd never been much of a fan of libraries. Books yes, I loved a good book every once in a while but I couldn't stand libraries or bookstores.

Mrs. Winters was reading a book behind her desk and looked up as I approached.

"Mr. Michaels I presume." She eyed me over her glasses. "You can start over there. I need all of the books on those carts returned to their correct places. Are you familiar with the Dewey Decimal System?"

"Yes." I walked over and grabbed the first cart not bothering with niceties. This was punishment after all.

"All finished?" I heard Mrs. Winters' voice behind me. She was speaking sweetly, as though to her own child so I knew she wasn't talking to me.

"Yes, it was excellent. Do you have any more by him?" A soft voice replied: a girl. She sounded pretty.

"I think I have a few more of his works. Let me look." I heard her typing, the keys clicking and her manicure clapping against them. "Yes, one other one: Insomnia." There was a shuffling before the girl said thank you. I listened as her footsteps moved away, deeper into the library. I focused my attention back to the book in my hand and the label taped to its spine.

An hour later I had finished two carts and clearly impressed Mrs. Winters. She smiled and signed my detention slip.

"Mr. Thompson has given me permission to keep you for the next two days so just come straight here after your last class." She smiled again. "Thank you for your help Mr. Michaels, I will see you tomorrow."

Great, two more days of this and I don't think I'll ever be able to walk into a library again.

I made my way to the parking lot. I'd never seen the school so dead before. The halls were darkened, lights shining out of the odd classroom. I walked past what must have been a chess club meeting and chuckled at the angered voices within. How do you cheat at chess?

When I reached my car, Kelly was leaning against it. She was wearing a mini skirt and crop top so her long, tanned legs and full cleavage were on display. I licked my lips and felt my body respond to her appearance. Not having a mate had some negative effects; girls like Kelly were the perfect outlets.

"Want a ride?" I offered, knowing why she was here. Her smile was slow and languid, like a cat.

"Love one." She said sweetly. I grinned and hopped in. Before I'd even started the engine, Kelly was leaning across the stick shift, unclasping my pants.

I shifted the chair back and twisted the key, resting my head back on the headrest as her head lowered to my groin.

There were six missed messages on the answering machine when I walked into my office at the pack house. I pressed play and rifled through the papers on my desk until I found my laptop.

"Good afternoon Mr. Michaels..." I sighed as the first message started and settled back for a long night of Alpha duties.

A knock at the door interrupted the email I was currently typing and I looked up at the clock while simultaneously inviting the intruder in. It was already eight.

"Alpha? We're about to leave for the station. Are you coming?" One of my pack members peeked his head in. By station, he meant the local volunteer fire department. I had my wolves volunteer there to involve them in the community. It utilized our abilities in a positive way while keeping the pack active.

"No, not tonight, thank you Eli." He nodded and left.

My stomach growled and I stood, making my way to the kitchen.