Once Upon A Rejection

Prologue

Ray’s POV

"Bye, Baby," I said, then waved at my three-year-old son as I dropped him off with his teacher. I had no car, so we had taken the bus and walked the rest of the way, which meant I was ten minutes behind schedule.

My best friend Anah and her mate were picking me up at nine thirty am from the front of our office and it was nine forty am already. Yes, the three of us worked in the same company. Anah was one of the lucky few who met their mates easily.

Mitch had transferred to our pack from another one and got a job at the company Anah and I were at, and just like that, they met. Mitch had been a rock. He and Anah held my hand all through my son's pregnancy and made it look like a walk in the park, and they had been there all through. They were like a second parent to him.

That day was going to be different. Our Alpha, the Alpha of Brown Wolf Pack was finally stepping down as the Alpha of the pack and handing over to his son. Which means, he will also be taking over Brownie and Son, the company where Anah, Mitch, and I worked, so we had to be there at the installation of the new Alpha.

Anah and Mitch would have picked me up from my house, dropped my son off at daycare, and then we would head for the venue of the event but Mitch had some errands to run for the company that morning before the event started so we decided that it was better that I met them in front of the office. Since it was a work-free day, everyone who worked in the office would be there.

I hissed when I checked the time again before I got a cab. I ought to have woken up earlier. Neither Anah nor Mitch would complain about the delay but I still would feel bad about it.

Luckily for me, Mitch was just parking the car as I got out of the cab and rushed down to the front of the office. I got into the back of the car breathless.

"Have you been waiting for long? I am sorry we got delayed," Mitch said smiling at me as I got into the back seat. He had turned to look at me, so he frowned at my breathless state.

"Hey, what is wrong with you?" Anah asked as they both were now turned in their seats looking at me worriedly.

"I woke up late and I had to practically rush everything. I didn't even follow Bay into his class, I had to leave him with the receiving teacher at the gate and I practically ran out of the cab," I explained in a rush to make them calm down.

Mitch sighed before he said, "What is the rush about Ray? Even if we had got here before you, we would have waited for you."

"I know but I don't like that," I said.

"We were even delayed. If only you had called,"Anah said rolling her eyes.

"Calling either of you didn't for once cross my mind. Besides, I know that Mitch is a very punctual person, he doesn't joke with time," I said defensively.

"If you noticed, since I unfortunately fell in love, I stopped minding time because I know how time-wasting you women can be," Mitch said, and I laughed lightly while Anah glared at him.

"Is that you shading me Mitch?" Anah asked just as Mitch started the car.

"How dare a lowly servant like me shade you, your highness. Far from me that I do that. I wouldn't want to be thrown in the dungeon," Mitch said so dramatically that both Anah and I started laughing.

After a few back and forths between the lovers, we settled into a companionable silence as we enjoyed the ride to the venue.

I wondered if I had given Bay's father a chance, maybe we would have been in love just as Anah and Mitch. I only allowed the thought to linger for a minute before I discarded it. I was sure by now he would be wrapped in another woman’s arms. There was probably something wrong with me that made me lose relationships. I had heard how painful a mate's betrayal could be and I wasn't ready for that. I was just going to live my life the best way I could.

Mitch found a good spot to park the car as we got to the venue. Luckily enough, the organisers had put necessary measures in place to maintain sanity.

At the door, we presented our office identity cards and we were allowed in. Mitch found us a very good spot, which was close to the podium, to my excitement. That way, we got to see everything.

The event started barely five minutes after we got there. The whole place was filled with people from different walks of life. Perfumes polluted the air, both cheap and expensive. Above the pollution, a particular smell seemed to get my wolf antsy and I had to calm her down several times until it became annoying.

We paid attention and stopped talking when the entrance of the outgoing Alpha and his Luna were announced. As I watched the Alpha and Luna step onto the podium, and I beheld the beautiful Luna, I began to daydream again. The Luna had always been an enigma to me. I wished I could be like her, untouched, rich, and influential.

"I heard that the new Alpha is so handsome. More like a beautiful man," Anah said, giggling and bringing me out of my daydream.

"Keep quiet Anah. Mitch can hear you," I whispered back to her.

"No, he can't. He is too wrapped up looking at the Alpha and Luna," Anah whispered back.

"I can hear you, actually, but I am just ignoring you because I know you are just trying to get a rise out of me," Mitch said, taking his eyes off the scene and then winked playfully at Anah.

"Where did you get your hearing from?" Anah asked pouting.

"I am a wolf, what do you expect?" Mitch said.

"I am a wolf too but I don't hear everything that flies by," Anah hissed.

"Let's keep the argument till later babe," Mitch said as the Alpha took the microphone.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming out here today. My retirement is not because I am old or sick. It is an effort to enjoy some level of freedom away from the pack and also give way for new innovations that I am sure my son will bring to the pack. So, ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you my son, Baker Ratson"

There was a round of applause as a door on the side of the podium opened and a man in a black shirt and trousers stepped out of the door and walked to the Alpha's side.

"Wow. Your son shares the same name as the new Alpha? We should introduce them", Anah joked unknowingly to her that I was melting inside.

I was suddenly feeling all sorts of emotions. I felt like fainting, I felt like crying, I felt like laughing, I felt like going mad as I looked up at the podium with my hands shaking as I saw who stood up there beside the Alpha.

"And the same face if you ask me?" Mitch said with a question in his eyes as he stared at me unblinking.

"What do you mean…oh my God?" Anah said as the realization of what Mitch meant dawned on her "Ray, are you okay?" She asked because I was visibly shaking.

I had to get out of there, I couldn't let him see me. My wolf was howling in my head to go meet him, or at least sit down there so that he would see us, but I ignored her. He lied to me, I didn't even want a mate but now a lying one?

I stood up and let my hair fall down the sides of my face as I rushed out of the venue. I heard Anah calling me but I refused to answer or look back. My target was to get out of the venue as fast as possible.

Just as I got out and thought I was free, a black booth came into view. I looked up to see that I was surrounded by hefty-looking security men.

"I am sorry ma'am, I think you have to follow us" One of the men said

"Why would she follow you? She has done nothing wrong," Anah, who had eventually caught up with me, said defensively.

I didn't have to be told who sent them. How he did it was totally beyond me, but I knew he was the one behind the sudden appearance of the hefty-looking men.

I turned around and hugged Anah, then whispered in her ear "Take Bay from the day care and don't let him know about my son. I will explain everything to you later. I promise. Tell Mitch, I love him and I am sorry," I said then stepped back from her.

"Lead the way," I said to one of the men, and he nodded and led the way while the others followed.

I was made to stay in a room for hours. Until the door opened and Baker Ratson walked in like he owned the place

"So we meet again, mate?. Will it be wicked of me to keep you here for a very long time or just maybe I could charge you with treason? Take your pick, mate," he asked, grinning wickedly. He might have been unsmiling the last time I saw him, but the man standing before me looked bitter, he looked dangerous, as if he was out for blood.

I just stood there and stared at him. I was in a deep mess. A very deep one because those eyes were the most unfriendly ones I had ever seen. How did I get into all of that? I think I had better start this from the beginning.

Ray's POV

"Racheal, you should pick yourself up and shake off this depression," my best friend Anah said as she stood over me looking as unhappy as I felt.

I had just transferred to Brown Wolf Pack which actually was my mother's pack. My father's pack was the Blue Daisy Pack. I had left Blue Daisy because of a heartbreak that shook me to the core.

Although my mum had been totally against my transferring to another pack but my Dad had wanted my happiness and consented under the condition that I moved to Brown Wolf Pack. Remembering that I had a friend there, I had taken the condition without saying anything against the idea.

After the Alpha had accepted my request to transfer, I had called Anah and she had been so delighted to have me. She was using a two-bedroom apartment and had not met her mate yet. She was delighted to share her house with me since she wasn't using the other room anyway. Anah even got me a job at the company she wor