Marked By Rejection by Avery Stone
Reject Leads To Salvation
~GWENIVERE~
I really need to pee.
The idea of getting out of this very comfortable bed was both agonizing and saddening to me - agonizing because the thought of facing whatever was ahead of me was frightening and saddening due to how amazing it felt to sleep in a bed that was actually soft.
I'd gotten so accustomed to my living arrangements even when I saved enough to upgrade my bed. After everything I'd been through, I really began to accept how worthless life had been the last few years.
Existing without a real true purpose.
I survived on the same routine: basic breakfast, long hours at work, the same usual soup dinner during my evening break, and then home to sleep. On the nights I was forced to be with Travis, I may have been lucky to have better options of food choices for dinner.
He always had a way of convincing my boss to let me off early, but the longer I thought about it, the easier it was to assume they had something going on that held benefits for letting me clock out a few hours ahead of schedule.
The thought left an odd taste in my mouth.
I was beyond thirsty, and the realization only emphasized how dry my throat felt. Reluctantly, I finally got out of bed, but I paused because of how grand this space was.
Jaw-dropping grand.
This had to be one of those luxury hotels because this space was absolutely marvelous. It held a classy, antique nature to the furniture, and the themes of matte black accented with enriched hues of gold, orange, and red really made the whole aesthetic dark and delicious.
I wasn't necessarily into gothic fashion, but I'd always been fond of the overall aesthetic that brought out the true beauty in such colors that when combined, almost gave off a forbidden feeling.
Everyone always partnered "black" with evil, just like how they partnered "white" with good, but I never really believed such a way of judging colors. There was hope in the realms of darkness, just as there could be brinks of desolation in the midst of light.
We were the decision makers of how we perceived the world, down to the very colors that heightened our view of the universe, and I was willing to enjoy every aspect of their various shades.
The ones I took immense pleasure in seeing and the ones that weren't my favorite but unique in their own way.
With haste, I managed to navigate myself to the bathroom. It wasn't like it was hard, but I was still in a state of shock about being privileged to rest in such a beautiful estate.
Taking the moment to relieve myself, I noticed the set of clothes on the counter of the sink with a small note resting on top of the folded attire. After washing and drying my hands, I picked the note up and opened it to watch golden butterflies flutter out of the enclosed paper and fly around me.
I was giggling before I knew it, lifting my left hand up and offering my index finger so the three tiny golden butterflies could rest. Their touch was warm and they began to fade away - their energy seeping into my body and immediately inviting a sense of calm and hope within me.
"Wow," I whispered before reading the note.
The forest wished to bestow healing warmth into your new life.
If I'm away, do not be afraid. This estate is protected.
Shower, relax, and if you’re hungry, make your way downstairs to the kitchen.
Athena will sense you.
- Yael.
The wayI smiled at the note encouraged me to look into the mirror to acknowledge the sight of such joy upon my face. Even with the dark circles under my eyes, the blemishes, and the pure lines of tiredness that screamed back at me, I couldn't ignore the way my ice blue orbs shone brightly with happiness.
Why did that make tears sprout at the sight?
This all really felt like a new life, like awakening after years of war - half of the fight against myself and the rest a journey against all those who wished for my path in life to end.
I took a troubled breath and tried not to be so emotional, but it was tricky now that I’d accepted this new reality. I hadn't gotten a glimpse of it yet, but the mere taste was overwhelmingly satisfying, and I couldn't be more humbled by this chance to start right.
To open the doors to horizons I’d been far too frightened to face this entire time.
A tiny part of my mind told me I shouldn't celebrate yet. That I should have learned by now that not everything that glitters was gold, but my instincts told me otherwise. That in this newfound environment, I was safe.
It felt a tad contradicting after my mini face-off with that creature, but surely there was an explanation as to what happened - or why I'd triggered it.
Monarch. What's so special about a Monarch?
Trying to figure it out only made my head hurt, so I shook it off and hopped into the shower. I tried to be quick, using very little of the products provided on the side in hopes that I wasn't wasting such amazingly scented goods, but as the warm water drenched my flesh, I couldn't help but stand there with my hands feeling the steaming heat.
When was the last time I'd enjoyed a shower?
The studio I stayed at all this while wasn't in the nicest neighborhood or anything special. Half the time, the water was freezing, and I always tried to take a swift shower so I wouldn't get caught naked when Travis unexpectedly came over.
The fact that I had this rectangular space to myself with working hot water and not a single fear someone would barge in and touch me against my will kicked me right in my emotions.
Instead of fighting to submerge them, I allowed the emotions to swarm through me. I'd forgotten what it was like to cry because you needed to release those pent-up emotions and how good it felt to let my sobs echo in the steam-covered walls of glass.
There were so many things to mourn, and for the first time in a very long time, I allowed myself to feel them all out. I really needed to take a moment to process all that had happened to me in whatever time span had passed since that fateful evening that resulted in my kidnapping.
If I tried to process it now, I'd lose myself entirely, so I allowed tiny pieces to come out before I rounded them up once more and tucked them away.
After crying for what surely was half an hour, I worked on washing myself up properly. I could only imagine how I smelled when I'd woken up, but then again, I realized as I cleaned myself up that I wasn't super dirty.
I had dried blood from my wounds and only a few noticeable spots in hard-to-reach places, but the majority of my body was cleaner than what I surely should have been cloaked with after the muddy journey of a fight I'd endured before arriving here.
Someone must have wiped me down from the recent confrontation with that creature, but I didn't feel very vulnerable at the idea in comparison to bathing amongst all the filthy, mean women in Kolt's pack.
Kolton...
I couldn't even try to think into that. It made my heart clench, but instead of the emptiness I'd felt at the root of his rejection, it was replaced with a fit of brittle anger that could easily grow horns and be the perfect weapon to stab him with if I ever got to see him again.
A bit violent for my nature, but hey, it was a lot better progress than allowing everyone to walk over me.
Finishing up, I found the blow dryer and took my time getting all the knots out of my hair. The two-toned silky strands had gotten a bit too long for my liking but going to a hairstylist to get my hair trimmed was a luxury I never felt like I deserved. Finding some elastic bands, I managed to gather them up and place them into two buns while leaving a few strands loose along the sides of my face.
This hairstyle seemed a tad childish when I looked at my tatted top half in the mirror, but the style resonated with an anime I used to watch when I was a child. It was one of the few classics I still recalled watching while Mother would attend to feeding Kyle.
It was about an ordinary schoolgirl, but what made it distinct in nature was how she fought crime and evil in the midst of the night. There was something empowering about a show that showed how someone as normal as a girl in pigtails could be such a powerful being no matter the challenges that came her way.
I sometimes envied how she easily made friends, but I hoped one day I'd find my set of individuals who'd have my back when I needed it the most. The first step was being able to protect myself, and I really did hope I'd learn how to do that in this new place.
Outcast Hollows Pack.
The name made me recall those scorching eyes of commanding glory and how they pierced into mine. The waves of calm that encouraged me to surrender into the exhausting darkness made me secretly hope to meet Alpha sooner rather than later.
I wasn't sure how any of this worked - if there was some sort of hierarchy that needed to be followed until I climbed up to get my rare one-on-one confrontation with the ultimate boss of this pack.
That was the impression I got in the last Hollow pack, and the only reason why I'd met Kolt was due to passing the fuck out in the washroom, and I was probably dragged there to be raped and killed.
I shivered at the thought and immediately shook it out of my mind.
As I dressed up in the provided clothes, I was impressed with how the clothes fit. They weren't anything crazy: simple black jeggings which were the first I'd ever worn before with a simple black V-neck.
I'd never really invested in clothes, but it wasn't like I didn't admire them from afar. The prices for pretty clothes were astonishingly expensive in town, and we all knew that those with a closet full of them were far too rich to be living in the small space.
But then again, maybe they were running away from their past like I had.
With a sigh and shrug, I took a few deep inhales to try to strengthen myself up before I exited the washroom and noticed a big white teddy bear sitting on the bed.
I had to pause in my stride because it was the cutest and yet most random thing I could see in such a sophisticated space. What topped it off was the bouquet of daisies next to it with a gold ribbon wrapped around the bottom.
The entire thing intrigued the wolf within my mind, and her eyes opened up as she lifted her head as if to ensure we were seeing the same thing. Glancing around the room, I decided to slowly approach the bed - my eyes catching onto the metallic white envelope tucked nicely beneath the stems of the bouquet.
With a slight smile, I opened it up to see a letter, photograph, and key.
Gwenivere,
I wished to greet you formally but arrived at a time where you were attending to yourself. Know that the clothes left for you are yours to keep, and this room shall be yours to use until your stationed space in the private quarters is set.
Once complete, Athena will guide you there with Yael's company.
There is a lot to discuss, but my duty as an Alpha claims my attention elsewhere. Do not be alarmed by my absence. It will not be long, and I will attempt to promptly return so we can discuss and finalize the pack bond.
Let me be the first to welcome you to Outcast Hollows.
I'm aware of your situation and lack of insight into our world. I've already constructed a schedule and plan for you to dive into with Yael, and he has offered to ease you into our world and answer any burning questions you have until we can speak.
Until then, accept this teddy bear. As to why I'm giving it to you, I'll admit I'm unsure. Ask Athena.
I hadto pause to snicker because it was actually funny that he had no clue why he was giving me a teddy bear. With a wide grin on my face, I finished the last part of the hand-written letter.
This transition is probably the scariest thing you can experience, especially with what you dealt with at the other Hollows Pack. If you give me the opportunity, I will ensure you understand both sides of the coin and accept that, unlike many who've disappointed you, it's my mission to make you feel safe.
I'll ask you to promise me one thing, and this is something I'll ask again when we meet.
My eyes stilledon the sentence that felt like it was written in bold.
"You will never be a submissive wolf from this day forward."
"Submissive,"I whispered, and it seemed to click in as to what I now was. "I'm...a wolf?"
That felt slightly true, but at the same time, I didn't feel that was solely the truth of the matter. It would explain the wolf within my mind - would I have to name her? - and maybe that was the creature that was after me earlier.
Until then, the Pack House and the property of Outcast Hollows is your domain to explore. I'd advise you to go with Yael or Zen if you wish to explore before my return and inform Beta Lilith if need be.
She's rather "troublesome" if you do not communicate properly with her.
Rest and head to the kitchen for a meal. Athena should sense your arrival.
Until we meet again, Little Bird.
- Killian.
I'd be lyingif I didn't confess how impressed I was with the effort he put in the letter, but what caught my attention was the P.S. at the very bottom.
P.S.
The picture attached is a glimpse of your room.
I figured it would give you peace of mind knowing
you'll have a space of your own very shortly.
If it's not to your liking or if you wish to share a room out of personal comfort,
don't hesitate to let Athena know.
She'll change the accommodations.
The key is yours to ensure no one enters your space unless you request it.
Peering at the picture,I took in the wonderful aesthetic that was similar to this room, only something immediately caught my eye, sitting perfectly on the fireplace with a few other precious trinkets I'd thought I'd lost forever.
My tears fell before I could acknowledge them, and now I felt like the tedder bear was a good thing to have as my tears fell.
"Kyle," I whimpered. "You're safe."
Kyle had loved teddy bears when he was small, and I'd promised him that I'd get him one the next time a carnival came to town. It was one of those journal entry letters I'd kept hanging on the wall of my vision board, and it simply remained there the last few years because it was a vision I always wished to accomplish but knew could not come true.
Except it did.
Next to his urn was a teddy slightly bigger than the navy-blue structure, and it triggered the waterworks that left my eyes uncontrollably. The kindness Killian had shown was beyond my imagination.
Yael had told me to trust Alpha, and he'd not only proved what a different person he was to Alpha Kolton but that my best interest was actually important to him.
He had to have come in when I was in the shower, and he left this here instead of intruding - even though he had every right to do so as the owner of this place.
Placing the letter, photo, and key lightly onto the mattress, I moved to hug the massive teddy bear tightly as I sobbed into its soft embrace.
I didn't know how this had happened, but somehow being marked with rejection had opened a new world entirely.
When rejection leads to the rare taste of salvation.