Rejected Little Secret Novel – Secrets “You looking forward to tomorrow?” I ask the same question, but he’s not saying anything. Zeke doesn’t even look at me as he pulls up his jeans and zips them. Once he takes charge as the Alpha, he’ll let the whole pack know about us. Being his mate, it’s only natural that we become familiar with each other’s bodies as soon as possible, he tells me. I nestle into bed, rolling to my side and pulling the covers up to my chin, feeling cocooned in warmth. I lie still, feeling the warmth of our mixed fluids between my thighs, naked under the blankets. Zeke never uses a condom, tells me that it’s uncomfortable. It’s the raw, unprotected sex that makes me feel closer to him, so I really don’t want him to use condoms, either. Pregnancy isn’t a concern for me, so I don’t need to take any precautions. I was scared at first when we had sex without any protection.
The old folks always say only your mate can get you pregnant – but Zeke made it clear that his mark was required. Thankfully, I don’t bear his mark, which means that even after almost seven years, I’m not pregnant, which is great news for both of us. “Zeke.” I frown and scoot closer to him, smelling his scent and resting my head on his lap. He might not be looking at me, but his fingers are running through my hair so gently. When our skins touch, I feel sparks and purr happily. “Are you ready? The big day is tomorrow.” Zeke’s on the edge of his bed, laughing and scrolling through his phone with the screen illuminating his face. The rules within the pack are strict: nothing crafted by human hands is allowed in our pack, not even a phone. But Zeke’s gonna be the Alpha, so he ain’t scared of getting in trouble. He knows he’ll have total control over the pack soon, anyway. No matter how much I joke with him about not being above the law, he just growls and tells me to keep my mouth shut, my legs open, and to mind my own business. I usually do it anyways, us wolves without a family don’t really have a say. Zeke’s the only family I got in the pack, along with my best friend Nadia.
There’s Sammy, but I think she considers me more of a roommate than her family. Nadia’s the Beta’s daughter. We were childhood friends, me, Zeke, and her. The three of us have always been inseparable, going through life side by side. “Looking forward to it doesn’t even begin to describe how excited I am, Maya.” I can’t help but smile as I grab the back of his neck and pull him in for a kiss. Zeke’s scowl vanishes in a flash as he kisses me back, giving me a good laugh. He wipes his mouth with his hand, and I pout, trying to hide my disappointment. “It’s gonna be awesome when you announce we’re mates.” Being an unmated and unprotected she-wolf means I’m always at the bottom, nobody gives me any respect. If I’m being honest, nobody in the pack thinks much of me. They value strength and dominance, and I don’t possess either. My parents dumped me at the pack’s border, like they were hoping I’d get killed. The current Alpha, Zeke’s uncle, showed me kindness and opened his arms to embrace me as part of the pack. Even so, everyone in the pack believes I’m just another mouth to feed. But I have Nadia, so I know everything will be alright. Even though Zeke’s got a ton going on with becoming the Alpha, I never feel alone because she’s always there. Nadia and I have been inseparable since the day I was welcomed into the pack, our friendship growing stronger with each passing day.
Her dad isn’t a big fan of mine, since he’s not into adopting strays, but Nadia is different. Nadia’s different from the rest. She genuinely likes me, treating me with respect and showing care. She gives me clothes she doesn’t have any use for. She feeds me with the food she receives from her many suitors. Being with me and Zeke is something she genuinely cherishes and finds great delight in. I see Zeke quickly scan through his phone again, and when his eyes meet mine, I know what’s about to happen. He pushes me aside gently and I groan in disappointment. “Maya, you know how it goes. Don’t be that way, come on.” I hear him sigh behind me, and before I can react, his hands are under my arms, lifting me up to a standing position. Zeke sees I’m being quiet and puts my hoodie on, a gift I got from Nadia, zipping it up, breaking the silence with the sound of the zipper. “Maya. Mayaaaa. Don’t be so quiet. Talk to me.” I keep my mouth shut and don’t respond. “Wanna fuck you.” I can feel his hot breath on my neck as he groans and traces his tongue along the spot where my mark should be.
His canines nip at my skin, and I feel a shiver run down my spine as my eyes roll back in ecstasy. “Can’t get enough of making you mine.” Without uttering a single word, Zeke effortlessly hoists me over his shoulder, and a resigned sigh escapes my lips. I can feel the wind rushing past me as Zeke jumps out of his window with me on his back. It’s so embarrassing when we have to crawl through the window, the only way I can get in or out of the house. Zeke quickly heads towards the woods in his backyard, making sure no one sees him. Once we’re at a safe distance, he sets me down, and I let out a dramatic sigh. I can see Zeke’s worry lines getting more pronounced as he leans in to kiss me. “I’m sorry, I know you hate this, but I can’t do anything about it, baby.” I groan and rub my face, feeling embarrassed that I’m acting so childish. “Shit. It’s just my upcoming heat making me act up, sorry. This thing is seriously messing with my mood.” He playfully tousles my hair and kisses me again. “Text me when it starts, I’ll help you through it. Three days from now, yeah?” Phones aren’t really my thing. I have to keep replacing my screen protector because my claws keep puncturing it every time I tap on the screen.
I can only purchase them from the nearest human village, and humans really get on my nerves. The scent of humans is overwhelming, and their constant noise is painful to my sensitive nose and ears. I reluctantly agree with a nod. Zeke has this big smile on his face, and he plants a sweet kiss on my cheek before running back to his house. I glance at the sky and figure it’s almost five in the morning, so I shake my head in annoyance. I can already imagine the lecture Sammy will give me if she finds out I’m not in bed. As I yawn and scratch my side, my stomach starts growling, but I’m relieved when I see the house in the distance. I reach for my key, and my hand brushes against the rough denim of my jeans. My breath catches in my throat, and I am rooted to the spot. I left my key at Zeke’s. “Shit!” I turn back, groaning in frustration, and sprint towards Zeke’s, my breaths coming in short gasps. Getting my key sooner rather than later is ideal. If I throw a rock at his window, I could ask him to toss the key down to me. I struggle to make my way through the branches, my face getting scratches in the process.
Finally, I break through to the open air and see Zeke opening his door just in time from a distance. I feel my heart melt, and my mind immediately races with the possibility that he senses our connection and knows I need his help. With a smile on my face, I take a step forward. And then I just stop in my tracks. I’m so focused on Zeke that I don’t even see him leaning against the door, pulling a woman close to him. The woman is wearing a hoodie, specifically his hoodie. My hands automatically clutch the hoodie I’m wearing, something Sammy bought me years ago, Zeke never lets me borrow any of his. I won’t take my eyes off them, not even for a second. I grab the phone Zeke gave me, the one I hardly ever touch, from my jeans, and my thumb navigates to Zeke’s contact to ring him up. I can see him from far away, looking all annoyed as he stares at the screen. He answers after a few more seconds. “Hey, Maya.” My body’s shaking like crazy as I keep staring at them, not saying a thing. “Maya?” My words come out forced and stilted. “I forgot my keys on your dresser. Could you do me a favor and bring them to me?” “Uh, sure.” Zeke lies and breaks my heart. His voice stays the same, sounding just like always.
I can’t wrap my head around how he acts all normal while cheating on me. “Is it cool if I do it later? I’m on my way to council hall, they said they needed me there. Something about tomorrow, I think.” He’s lying. He’s not moving. He’s just there standing, him and the woman. “How long?” How long have you been doing this shit to me? “Hm?” “How long do you need?” I can hear the woman giggling, can see her lick Zeke’s cheek. Just seeing it makes my stomach turn, I wanna barf so bad. And then I step back, my foot lands on a branch. The woman suddenly stiffens, turns around, and stares right at me. I stare at her too. My heart breaks all over again. Nadia’s unapologetic stare pierces through me, leaving me unsettled. I can tell she sees me, I can tell she sees my hands shaking. But she’s not telling Zeke to let her go, she’s not pushing him away. She’s just staring at me, tilting her head, like she’s expecting something from me. It’s like she’s trying to say, ‘I have my hands on him, what are you going to do about it?’ I hear Zeke’s voice on the other end of the line. “You know I can’t rush this, Maya. I need as long as it takes.” Encounter It’s odd, but I am surprisingly calm instead of crying.
A part of me inexplicably anticipates this, though I can’t say why. Nadia has always been drawn to beautiful things, and Zeke is no exception. The fact that Nadia already has a family and everything she wants seems slightly unfair. Zeke is the only thing I can call mine, and now she has to come and snatch him away, leaving me with nothing. I mean, it hurts like a bitch, but I have a feeling it will happen. It’s partly because of Sammy. She takes care of me, but we’re not actually family. We have no other choice but to live together in the same cabin, as we are both unwanted and have nowhere else to go. Although Sammy has a mate, there’s a significant age gap between them, and when she presented, he is already married. My mate is not yet an Alpha, and with both my parents gone, I have no other place to call home. As I trudge back to Sammy’s, my head feels like it’s packed with cotton, making it hard to think clearly. For three hours, I stand in the forest taking in the sights and sounds around me. I watch as Nadia leaves his place, taking note of her clothing and appearance as she walks away.
I don’t wait for Zeke to give me my key; I just go home. I take a deep breath and brace myself for the inevitable, the pain in my chest making it hard to focus. Sammy’s going to bitch at me, my mate’s fucking someone else. This isn’t how I think my life would be. Wait, scratch that. There is a sense of inevitability about the way my life turns out. My home is a cabin in a distant location, where I live with another outcast, far from the rest of the pack. I am Zeke’s mate, yet most pack members remain unaware of our bond. He tells me it’s because he doesn’t want to give the impression that he’s not focused on his responsibilities, but is that the whole story? Every time he avoids introducing me to his friends, he assures me it’s not because he’s ashamed of me.