Once Rejected, Thrice Accepted
Chapter 44

"Hey...Hey..." I whispered into Brittney's ear shaking her slightly. "Wake up. Let's go for a run." I shook her again only to get a groan.

"She is not a morning person." Jackson whispered behind me making me jump in the air.

"Shit, I need to put a bell on all the males in my life." I shook my head and smiled at him. "How do you suggest I wake her up? Ice water? Throwing her outside?"

"We could draw on her forehead." He suggested sitting down beside me and shaking Britts leg. "What do you think, sis? Ice water bath while in bed or being thrown outside in your skimpy outfit to freeze your booty off?" "Can both of you shut up! I have shit to do." She shoved our hands off of her.

"And what is that?" Jackson snickered.

"Sleep and dream of hot wolfy hunks." She pulled the cover over her head and went back to sleep.

I grabbed the cover and ripped it off her. "Get your butt out of bed before I let Moonlight out to play. She has a thing for slobber, licking, and nibbling hard when she wants things."

"Ughhhhhh!" Britt groaned, slowly sitting up. "I better get a damn good breakfast and coffee for this."

"Language!" Jackson waved his finger at her. "And I will search the kitchen and see what I can make you while you are out."

I gave him a hug before telling Britt I was leaving without her. I ran outside, passing by Duncan, who refused to sleep in. He was going to help keep an eye on us while we ran along with a few different warriors and guards that we knew could be trusted with Britts secret. He also made Britt a temporary member of the pack so we could mind link.

I shifted into Moonlight after tossing my clothes to the side in a hurry. I still had a problem with others seeing me naked even if it was normal. After shifting several times a week, we were doing better. Britt didn't seem to mind. She did it like a champ, which made me a bit jealous. She was used to shifting in front of others and being able to trust them. One day I will get there.

'Ready?' Moonlight asked Sundance once she was fully shifted. Sundance looked just like us but had darker grey on her tail and paws. We could instantly feel our connection.

'Let's see if your old butt can keep up! Sundance taunted, taking off running into the forest.

Moonlight huffed and smiled before chasing after her. She wasn't far ahead of us. We were keeping on her heels even as she dodged logs and branches. We didn't see them until they were right in front of us. Moonlight radiated her happiness, and I could feel Sundance felt the same. The people with us to protect and watch us made sure to stay out of sight, which helped because I could feel Moonlights' protection of her sister-wolf coming out.

'Hunt?' Sundance asked, coming to a stop.

We had to jump over her, so we didn't run right into her butt. We barely landed on our feet but were able to correct. Moonlight was going to get her back for that stunt.

'Yea. What sounds good?' Moonlight started sniffing around. 'There is a deer or two over to the right a bit but a cougar deeper into the forest.

'Cougar. I have some feelings to sort out.

We nodded and took off, making sure to stay in front of her. Moonlight wasn't the following kind and it helped humble Sundance a bit. It wasn't long before we were in hearing distance and had to resort to hunching down while walking lightly and slowly. 'I call dibs on him. She nodded her head toward the cougar that had just came into sight. He looked like he was eating his breakfast.

Something smelled off. 'Wait...'

But she was off before she could hear me. She leapt over a big log and pounced on the back of the cougar, taking him down off his low branch. He snarled and hissed, fighting back with his claws and teeth. Sundance avoided most of it but he got ahold of her back leg and I heard a snap.

'Have to help her!' Moonlight snarled wanting to push forward but I was holding her back.

'No, don't you smell that? Something isn't right and replaceing him this easy with his meal isn't right either.' I scolded her. She knew better but her loyalty was overriding her senses.

I prowled closer, sniffing around, watching Britt get her footing. 'Duncan. something isn't right here!

No response. I tried the warriors from our pack. Nothing. Either something was blocking our link, or someone took them out but I couldn't think of the latter. They just had to be blocked.

Keep your shit together, Gemma. I scolded myself as I felt torn between checking on Duncan and keeping my eyes on Britt.

'Sundance, I need you to keep fighting but pay attention. Let me know you hear and understand me.' I saw a glint of something behind where the fight was happening, like the sun glancing off it making a brighter light. Something shiny.

'Here.' She responded as she nearly avoided getting her throat ripped out.

'Something is wrong here. I can't explain it all but not only is this feeling like a trap but the guys who are supposed to be watching us are either blocked or killed. That means we are on our own. Moonlight gulped before putting on her big girl britches. 'Finish him off so we can get the hell out of here but don't do it with a bite. He could be poisoned. I had seen my old pack use that technique before.

I crawled around the rest of the brush, getting closer to the shiny object as Britt clawed out the Cougars stomach. The off smell was getting stronger and making my stomach want to hurl. It was like a feral rogue met with a rotting corpse and something else. It was gross but also familiar.

"I knew you would come this way sooner or later." A voice said, sounding cocky and familiar. "Now tell that other wolf to beat it or I'll kill you both. I would prefer them alive so they can tell the pack who took you."

I turned around slowly and saw Dennis standing there in camo holding a rifle in his arms, smirking. My fake brother who beat me almost to death weekly was standing in front of me. All I saw was red.

"Try anything and the other wolves I have with me will have their way with that wolf before killing them slowly." He pointed to a few spots around us including in the trees. "Do what I said, sister."

I shifted back ignoring my nakedness. "I'm not your sister, your pathetic waste of space. Thank God or I might have actually killed myself.

I linked Britt to run. She refused, but I told her she needed to replace Duncan and warn the pack. Too many wolves out here for them not to try to take other wolves as prisoners or kill them. I needed them safe, and I needed everyone to know who it was so they could save my ass. There was no way I was getting out of this without help. Sundance made her leave running faster than she had when we were racing and promised to save me.