Rejected His Miracle Luna (Dorothy and Ignatius)

Chapter 28

-Dorothy-

I trudged out into the garden and took a look around for Geranium. I spotted him a little distance away,

leaving on one of the pillars at the front. gate. He raised a hand to me in greeting and I sheepishly

waved back before going on the hunt for this so-called garden path.

I had rounded the entire cottage twice and pondered the fact that the big, beefy security guard of this

estate was named after a sweet-smelling little. flower and I still hadn’t found the pathway.

I was contemplating just giving up and going back inside when the wind turned and I caught the sudden

whiff of a strange scent. I whirled around to face Angie who had been following directly behind me.

She stood uncomfortably close and her wide blue eyes were fixated on unblinking. Her stillness was

disconcerting. I hadn’t heard so much as a twig cr ack and yet she had to have been following me all

along.

“What the f u ck!”

My voice was a high-pitched mewling as I scrambled a few steps away from her.

Angie blinked a few times in quick succession like she was coming out of a trance. Most likely she had

shifted to a predatorial mode as she followed behind me. She had been stalking me like prey.

I regarded her with caution, wishing that Ignatius hadn’t left so qui He seemed to trust this long-limbed

goddess more or less, but with t she had been looking at me, I had my reservations.

I had dealt with more than my fair share of beautiful heathens back my old pack, I had prepared myself

for many more to come.

“Why are you back?” I asked her and attempted to quell the shaking in my knees. “Ignatius isn’t going

to like this.”

Angie curled her lip and sighed like she was exasperated at conversing

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with a child. “I came to talk to you. Ignatius, it would seem, has lost his mind. He’s thrown all reason

and responsibility out the window, bringing you here.”

“What did I ever do to any of you?” I spat, my anger overtaking my

wariness. “Is it because I’ve been rejected? Who cares that my mate doesn’t

want me.

“Your mate does want you,” Angie said blankly.

I had been balling my fists and preparing for a brutal beatdown but her words halted me,

“What did you say? How would you even know that? Actually, on second thought, how does everyone

know that Johan rejected me in the first place?”

Angie retained a stony silence, glaring at me. When she finally spoke, she chose her words carefully.

“There are things that have been set in motion by your arrival here. Bad things. If you really loved

Ignatius, you’d do what was best and go back to your own pack!”

I refused to back down. I had not gone through everything that I had only to be denied by yet another

pack – another potential family before they even knew me.

I would make them love me..

I lifted my chin. “This is my pack now. I’m not leaving Ignatius’s side. I’m going to be his Luna. And I will

prove to all of the Bielke people that I am worthy of that title.”

Angie looked like she wanted to cut me down right then and there but she restrained herself and

allowed an unfriendly but polite mask to slip back. down over her flawless features.

“We’ll have to see about that, won’t we? Good luck, runt. I won’t make this. easy for you.”

She paused while slinking away. “If Ignatius had any loyalty to his people. he’d kick you to the curb in a

heartbeat. He’s with his father as we speak

10:43 FR, Jan 26

He still might.

With that, she melted into the forest at the edge of the garden. Both her scent and the sound of her

steps disappeared like she was never there to begin with.

I was beginning to fear that Angie would make for a far more insidious foe than Mavis and her dogs

had ever been. Her words, try as I might to dismiss them, ricocheted around my head long after she

had left.

Groaning in sheer frustration at the hostility of my new home, I kicked at the grass. I was about to get to

work pounding my fists into an unsuspecting tree when I finally noticed the garden path Ignatius had

spoken of. Carved onto a large stone embedded in the dirt was the symbol.

of a wolf.

After a few minutes of traipsing through the overgrown pathway and stumbling over more concealed

slabs of stone along the way, I finally made it to the hot springs. My stormy mood which had soured.

exponentially since Angie’s first appearance was suddenly forgotten entirely.

The scene before me was so ethereally gorgeous I gasped out loud and dropped the towel I’d been

twisting in my hands.

The hot springs were not just the mere holes of hot water in the dirt I had been imagining. They were

dozens of jewel-encrusted rockpools clustered beneath a rushing waterfall that sent a steaming spray

of mist over the small clearing.

Some pools were shallow and tiny and others were the size of small swimming pools. Steam rose from

the crystal clear water and the air itself was moist and warm. Lush green foliage encapsulated the

tranquil haven.

Upon closer inspection, someone had stacked massive seashells along the lining of some of the pools

– Swirls and cornucopias, conches and sand. dollars, all lined neatly around the hot bodies of water.

I approached the closest pool and turned slowly in a circle, scoping out the surrounding forest and

sniffing for any unfamiliar scents. When I was sure I was alone, I peeled off my clothes and gingerly

stepped into the pool.

G.

The water felt like bathwater, and pri ckles of warmth set off goosebumps up my legs as I lowered

myself into the silky pool. I dipped my head underwater and shook my hair out while holding my breath.

Red wispy locks floated around me as I kept my head under, stilling my mind.

I wondered how far the mind-link with Ignatius could reach. Holding my breath and emptying my head

of all thoughts, I focussed on seeking out Ignatius, probing with my mind to detect his energy. Like

wading through water, I gradually came to feel Ignatius. He was tense, angry, and… a little afraid?

I struggled to keep my mind clear, I didn’t want to drop the link now that I’d managed it. I wondered if he

could hear me.

“I found the hot springs,” I whispered with my thoughts. “It’s beautiful here.”

Ignatius’s voice, so clear in my mind he could have been right there next to me, responded, “I’m glad

you like it” His light tone shifted as he continued, “I’m almost done here. I’ll be back soon. Do you think

you’ll be okay until then?”

I blew bubbles out under the water, letting myself sink until my knees hit the sand below.

“I’ll be fine.”

And just like that, Ignatius pulled a curtain across his mind and I was unable to hear any more from

him.

Only when my chest began to burn and my lungs were screaming f did I break the surface once again.

Around me the forest was silent. the continuous gushing flow of the waterfall could be heard. I floate

my back, allowing my muscles to relax one by one in the tepid water.

There were countless unanswered questions and even more concerns th I had to consider. But I

allowed myself one small moment of self- indulgence as I floated there. I closed my eyes without

intending to and before long I was drifting.

A small sound in the woods had me bolting upright, making a splash as I

Fri, Jan 26 ❤

The water felt like bathwater, and pr ickles of warmth set off goosebumps. up my legs as I lowered

myself into the silky pool. I dipped my head underwater and shook my hair out while holding my breath.

Red wispy locks floated around me as I kept my head under, stilling my mind.

I wondered how far the mind-link with Ignatius could reach. Holding my breath and emptying my head

of all thoughts, I focussed on seeking out Ignatius, probing with my mind to detect his energy. Like

wading through water, I gradually came to feel Ignatius. He was tense, angry, and… a little afraid?

I struggled to keep my mind clear, I didn’t want to drop the link now that I’d managed it. I wondered if he

could hear me.

“I found the hot springs,” I whispered with my thoughts. “It’s beautiful. here.”

Ignatius’s voice, so clear in my mind he could have been right there next to me, responded, “I’m glad

you like it.” His light tone shifted as he continued, “I’m almost done here. I’ll be back soon. Do you think

you’ll be okay until then?”

I blew bubbles out under the water, letting myself sink until my knees hit the sand below.

“I’ll be fine.”

And just like that, Ignatius pulled a curtain across his mind and I was unable to hear any more from

him.

Only

Only when my chest began to burn and my lungs were screaming for air did I break the surface once

again. Around me the forest wa the continuous gushing flow of the waterfall could be hear my back,

allowing my muscles to relax one by one in the te

There were countless unanswered questions and even more ce I had to consider. But I allowed myself

one small moment of sel indulgence as I floated there. I closed my eyes without intending t before long

I was drifting.

A small sound in the woods had me bolting upright, making a splash as I

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did so that sent water cascading out of the pool in ripples. I wrapped my arms around myself under the

water – suddenly freezing despite the hot steam coming off the pool.

I looked around me in all directions like a frightened rabbit. At the sound. of more shuffling, of sticks

cracking and breaking underfoot, I squinted into the shadows of the forest. Something was moving out

there something big.

I cowered into a crevice in the pool, praying to both the moon go d and every other deity I had ever

conjured up as a child, to please let it pass by without seeing me. I waited there, with my nose barely

peeking out of the water, for what felt like forever.

I thought maybe the creature had gone. Nothing could be heard but the shush…shush… of the

waterfall and the slow drip of water falling rhythmically. After a little more waiting, I realized that it was

not the dripping of water that I was hearing It was the slow and steady ticking of a clock.

Just then I felt something hot and sticky drip onto my head, it ran down my face and turned the water

around me red. I looked up just in time to see the creature standing above me, bloodied jaws open

wide enough to swallow me whole.

With a jolt I opened my eyes, thrashing in the water as I awoke from an accidental slumber.

Water poured into my nose and burned my sinuses as I fought a monster that wasn’t there. After I

finally surfaced and coughed up water from my lungs, I looked around me again. There was nothing out

there, I was al

I forced myself to calm down, huffing deep breaths and grounding mys in reality. I hurried out of the

pool and wrapped the discarded towel around me, securing it in place under my arm and gathering up

the rest of my clothes.

I tried my best to keep up a natural pace as I headed back for the cottage,

but my fear got the better of me my night terrors leaking into my waking

–

hours and I hurried back home as fast as I possibly could manage

without tripping on hidden shrubs and stones.

I would have to tell Ignatius about the dreams. I didn’t know what to make of them but I also knew I

could no longer face them alone.

-Angie-

I was more than a little confused to see the runt thrashing around in the hot springs like she was being

attacked, I thought maybe she might be drowning – It would sure as hell make my job easier if she did.

e was

I had bid farewell to Ignatius only a week before when he told me he headed to Khall territory to see an

old friend. Little did I know he would be bringing home an unwanted guest.

I couldn’t understand what he saw in that minuscule slip of a girl. She was pretty enough sure but she

was about as intimidating as a daisy and not to mention the product of a rejected mate.

I had thought little of the stigma around rejected shifters before Ignatius had showed up with his new

toy.

But seeing Dorothy in person I couldn’t help but feel like there was something inherently wrong with

her. Surely, certain people were rejected. for a reason. What could possibly cause a soulmate to break

that sacred bond and choose another?

While it’s pretty uncommon for shifters to never feel the mating call at all, it can happen. Most people

tend to find their mates within their own pack – it would seem soulmates stay close together, even after

death.

But sometimes one’s true mate could be miles away. Sometimes they could already be dead.

I was pretty sure that that was the case for me. I had felt the call once, after my own eighteenth

birthday. But it wasn’t very strong, and, by the next. day, those feelings of longing had disappeared

entirely.

I wasn’t too bothered by this. After all, I had greater matters to concern myself with than that of finding

myself a lover. I had made it that far without one after all. With that being said though, there had always

been

that n ig gling thought that one day Ignatius would be an option.

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I had forced myself to banish this idea from my head. My friend had been grieving after the loss of his

own mate. He had needed a friend, not a replacement partner.

I thought I had reserved myself to the understanding that we were loyal friends and that was all we

would ever be. But upon hearing of Dorothy, and how quickly he had fallen for her, a seed of jealousy

sprouted in my chest.

And try as I might, I was unable to contain it. By the time Ignatius arrived back home, it had bloomed

inside of me, taking root and spreading like a disease.

I didn’t want to fight Ignatius, I didn’t even want to be as crude and antagonizing as I had been when I

approached him on his own property. But this new love he had found felt like a betrayal.

Aside from my own feelings towards the unbelievably odd union between the two, Dorothy’s presence

with the Bielke people – my people – posed a greater threat than neither she nor Ignatius understood.

I had respect for Elliot as the leader of our pack – much less respect for him as a father – but when he

had called upon me that morning to tell me of the news I had no choice but to take his side in the

matter.

Dorothy’s previous mate had gone rogue, maddened by his own rejection. of his mate as well as losing

his partner, and even killed his own father.

The Khall, upon discovering that it was Ignatius who had claimed Dorothy and taken her away, blamed

the Bielke for conspiring against them and attempting to take them down from the inside.

Furthermore, a few Khall girls had come forward saying that Ignatius had threatened them when they

tried to plead for him to leave Dorothy alone.

That last bit of intel I was inclined to take with a grain of salt, considering Ignatius would only resort to

threats when absolutely necessary. Then again, after the stunt he pulled, I wondered if I truly knew

Ignatius at all.

G

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, it was clear that he did truly care for this redheaded girl, no matter

how far-fetched the concept seemed.

Why else would he have thrown the entire peace treaty between their packs into jeopardy by taking her

from them? By taking her from her true mate his own former best friend.

It didn’t make any sense to me.

I was shaken from my musings when Dorothy stopped her thrashing and climbed out of the hot springs.

I shifted my positioning behind a thick cluster of foliage and swallowed a sigh.

Unfortunately, the runt didn’t drown. No matter though, I had my own plans for getting rid of the

problem at hand. I pulled out my phone, making sure it was set to silent, and snapped picture after

picture of the slim, pale figure as she reached for her towel.

Dorothy was convinced she would make a good first impression on our people. I was determined to foil

those plans.

I doubted she would be able to speak to anyone, let alone show her face in public when her n*ked b*dy

and laughably small rack – was passed from one young shifter to the next throughout the pack.

She would be unable to gain the respect she wanted, and Ignatius would have no choice but to deny

association with her. It was a childish plan, yes – and fueled by my own jealousy and resentment – but

it would be an effective one nonetheless.

I stared at Dorothy for a moment longer as she scanned the area. I kne she wouldn’t detect me. Of all

the shifters of our clan, I had always be the best at tracking at hiding, at concealing my presence

entirely.

Her face relaxed slightly when she concluded that she was alone and I watched as she quickly headed

back through the overgrown pathway to the cottage.

I waited for a few minutes, listening to her shuffling footsteps fading into obscurity, before heading back

myself. I made sure to mask my scent again, rubbing Physalis leaves all over my b*dy.

XVID

Every Bielke soldier was required to carry them for tracking and spying purposes. Once covered in the

thin film given off by the leaves, a shifter’s scent would be masked entirely, and no trace of them would

be found. afterward no matter how strong your nose was.

It was how we managed to keep track of the neighboring packs so effectively. None of them were

aware of our spies invading their lands every so often. It was better that way, we would always be one

step ahead of our enemics.

I glided back

up i

pathway, stewing in my own tumultuous thoughts. Only when I had made it back to the garden and

began slinking my way around the house to leave, did I pick up on an odd scent. Turning sharply to

look behind me I scanned the forest. Nothing.

It was not often that I felt like prey myself. Although the scent had disappeared as quickly as it had

arrived, and not a sound could be heard. other than the occasional chirping of birds, I couldn’t shake

the feeling of

eyes on me.

I was distracted from my growing alarm by a new scent.

“Angela.” I whirled around to face the woman who stood before me in the garden. “What are you doing

here?”

I exhaled loudly and calmed my sudden nerves at the sight of Rita. “Your sp ooked me.”

Rita raised a dark eyebrow and eyed me suspiciously. “You’re not one to be easily sp ooked. Why are

you skulking around the property while Master Armoundt is out?”

S hit. Rita was the caretaker of the cottage when Ignatius was away. While she was mostly passive and

pleasant, she was also too sharply aware of liars. than I was comfortable with.

I shrugged. “Just making sure everything’s safe for the new Luna. Who knows who might want to get to

her, you know?”

Rita narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing more. She turned and strode back towards the cottage

and I hurriedly slipped down to the front Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

gate, hightailing it out of there in a hurry.

Ignatius might be angry at me for what I was about to do of course he would be, this was the apparent

new love of his life after all. But surely he would thank me later for helping him avoid such an obvious

miss-step?

I told myself that this was for the good of the pack. Sending Dorothy back to them would not fix

everything – Johan would still be on the loose after all, but surely it would help. It had to.