After Rejection (2023 Edition)

"Luna, the King has entered the territory."

The kitchen was one of the busiest places in the house. All types of meats were being cooked, the smell making my mouth water. On the other side of the kitchen, pastries were made, their aroma sweet. About 40 of my pack members were bustling back and forward from the fridge to the stove to the pantry and back to the stove.

The day had come for the King's visit and he was due to arrive in just a few short hours. Beyond the kitchen, other pack members were busy cleaning the pack house. The scent of the lemon cleaner filled the rest of the house. I walked outside to more cleaning. Some of the members were mowing the lawn surrounding our buildings.

The day was bright, the sun greeting us with bright beams. While cleaning may not have been the most enjoyable activity, my pack members took it in stride. The atmosphere was light as they worked together, cracking jokes and sharing conversation.

I looked left as Sharon and Angie approached me. They were the head of household and organized the members for cooking and cleaning. "Good morning, Luna"

Good morning, Ladies" I responded. "How is everything going?"

Sharon looked at her watch. "We should be finished in the next hour. Then, everyone will be dismissed to get ready."

I nodded at them. "Thank you for the hard work."

Soon, the pack house was empty as everyone left to get ready. I looked out the window to the neatly trimmed grass and clean surfaces. I felt a warm pride for my pack. I looked down at my outfit, a nice pair of slacks and a blouse. I turned to Isa who wore a similar outfit. Zach and Andre each were in a pair of slacks and a button up. I grabbed my blazer and threw it on before slipping into my heels.

"Luna, the King has entered the territory."

"Malcom linked me. The king is here," I said, getting up and heading for the door. The trio followed me.

We stood in a line: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and head warrior. Feet together and hands at our sides. A black truck appeared from the line of trees and my heart rate spiked. I took a deep calming breath as the truck got closer followed by their warriors in wolf form. "We got this," I muttered.

The passenger side door opened and out stepped a man. He had short trimmed black hair mixed with strands of grey. Dark eyes and lips set in a straight line, he looked menacing. His outfit matched his attitude with black dress pants and a crisp, white collared dress shirt. He turned in our direction and I kept my eyes on his chin. Never look at the king in the eyes. It is seen as a challenge and that was certainly not my intention.

He stepped in front of me, and I lowered my gaze to the floor, bowing. "King Matthews," I said in way of greeting.

A slightly wrinkled hand stuck out in my line of vision. "Luna Rodriguez." I shook his hand and lifted my gaze. He moved to shake the hands of my members after they bowed to him.

"Shall we go inside?" He asked with a raised brow. I nodded and opened the door, letting him and a couple of his guards go in first. My members followed and I entered last. The king was sat on one of the couches. His posture was rigid, and his gaze was wondering about the room, taking everything in. I sat in the couch opposite with Zach next to me. Drew and Isa sat in another. His warriors stood around the room.

The King looked at my leadership, requesting that we all introduce ourselves with our names, age, and position. We took turns with our responses, doing our best to hide all signs of our nerves.

"How long have you held the Alpha position, Luna Rodriguez?" He inquired, getting straight to business.

I took in a breath and straightened my posture. "Next week marks the third month, my king."