Once Rejected, Twice Desired (Book 1 of Blue Moon Series)
Once Rejected, Twice Desired Chapter 22

Xander POV

f**k!

"FRANCESCA!"

Her name ripped through me with such force it almost knocked her off her feet.

My eyes were blazing with fury, my mate was hurting, and this b***h had a part in it.

"If you ever lay a finger on me again, you will be banished from the Blue Moon pack. And if you ever even think of pulling a stunt like that again, you will pray for death as it will be much gentler than what I will do to you. Do I make myself clear?"

I could see in her eyes that she wanted to fight me, but she couldn't disobey a command from her Alpha.

She bowed her head and said, "Yes, Alpha."

"Now, get the f**k out of my sight before I have you thrown out."

She spun around in her ridiculous outfit and ran out of the clearing.

I took a moment to calm myself before I turned and walked in the direction Alaia had taken.

I could smell her sweet caramel scent, and it brought me right to her.

She was sitting on a log overlooking a small pond.

I watched as she tossed small pebbles into the water and waited for the ripple to die down before tossing another in after it.

I silently sat beside her, unsure of what to say.

"I met Francesca back at the house; I don't think we'll be having any slumber parties anytime soon."

"I'm so sorry, Little One. I didn't even think about her when I brought you home. I haven't shown her the slightest bit of interest in over three years; I promise you this." "How many?"

"How many what, baby?"

"How many 'Francesca's' will I have to have compete with? How many more women will I have to hear tell me that I'm not enough for you? That I'll never be able to satisfy you?"

I could hear the pain in her words. Alaia was strong, but the thought of not being good enough was tearing her apart.

"I promised myself when I found you that I would never keep anything from you, no matter if it would hurt you or not. Francesca was a one-time mistake. She showed up when I was frustrated with my search for my mate; I couldn't handle not being able to replace you. I was weak, and I let my urges cloud my better judgment."

We sat in silence for a few more minutes, just watching the ripples on the pond before she finally spoke.

"I'd never had a boyfriend growing up. My first 'relationship' ended two minutes after it started with me being rejected. I'm scared Xander, I'm afraid that I'm unlovable and I'm destined to be alone."

I gently cupped Alaia's face and turned her, so we were looking into each other's eyes.

"You're the most lovable person I've ever met, baby. I can't believe I was lucky enough to be your mate. And if you're going to be alone, we'll just have to be alone together. I can't make promises for anyone else, but what I can do is promise that I will do everything in my power to ensure this will never happen again. You are more than enough for me; I will never want anything or anyone else. Alaia, you're my beginning and my end, please trust in that and trust in us."

When she suddenly stood to her feet, I held my breath, terrified that she may have been too hurt to see what we had the potential to become.

"Alpha, I believe our pack is waiting for us to join them at the bonfire."

She reached down, took my hand, and once I was standing, she wrapped her arms around my waist, and rested her head on my chest.

"Xander, you reek of 'skank. I'm going to need you to shower as soon as this is all over. Got it?"

I roared with laughter before scooping her up in a hug.

I captured her juicy lips in a quick kiss before I said, "Yes, ma'am. I'll take care of that ASAP!"

She flashed me that million-dollar smile of hers; then, we made our way back to the clearing and the pack.

"You called them 'our pack' back there. Does that mean what I hope it means?" I asked.

"Xander, you are mine, and I am yours. That makes me their Luna. Although it's not official yet, this pack is just as much mine as it is yours. So, let's go and celebrate with them."

***

Alaia POV

When Xander told me that I was his beginning and his end, everything finally clicked for me.

He was speaking the words of my heart. That was precisely how I felt about him.

I wouldn't let anyone deter me from my destiny, and being Luna of the Blue Moon pack was my destiny.

As soon as we stepped into the clearing, I saw that the entire pack had gathered. There had to be over five-hundred wolves here, all looking at Xander and me.

I felt a surge of power flow through me as I took another step forward, bringing me to stand right in front of them.

"Good Evening, Blue Moon pack. My name is Alaia Miller, daughter of Alpha Jonathan Miller of the Opal Moon pack. I am beyond honored to be here with you all tonight."

I could see smiles on some of their faces, looks of confusion on some, and looks of excitement on others.

Xander then stepped up beside me and announced. "I present to you, my mate, and your Luna. Let's all welcome her home!"

Howls erupted from the pack, filling the night sky. This was now my pack, and I would risk my life to keep them safe. It was what I was born to do.

A group of six walked up to us, and the one whom I assumed was the leader got down on one knee before he spoke.

"Luna. My name is Henry, and I, along with my companions, you see here before you were given the honor of escorting you home today. As our Luna, you are the most important member of this pack, even more so that the Alpha. Without you, our Alpha cannot function, he cannot lead, and therefore he cannot exist. This pack is nothing without you to lead us. I vow my life to you here tonight. I always promise to put your safety and wellbeing above my own. I vow to protect you until my last breath and beyond. On my honor."

The other five then kneeled, and in unison, said, "On my honor."

Before I could absorb what was happening, the entire pack had taken a knee.

"On my honor," rang through the night.

Xander pulled me into a hug and whispered, "I guess this means that you are theirs as well."

***

The hours passed by in a blur of new and happy faces and conversation.

They were such a kind and welcoming group of people, and I was truly honored to have been chosen to lead them.

I was sitting on a log, watching the flames flick up into the air when an adorable little girl ran over to me. She had chubby cheeks, huge blue eyes, and curly golden hair.

"Hi Luna, this is for you," she said before passing me a tiny yellow dandelion.

"Thank you; it's so beautiful. What's your name cutie?"

"Sophie."

"What a pretty name. How old are you, Sophie?"

"I'm this many," she said, showing me four tiny fingers.

"Ohh, you're such a big girl. Where's your mommy?"

"Umm, I ran away from mommy. She wanted me to go night-night, but I wanted to give you your present."

My lips formed an "O" in understanding before I stood and said, "I appreciate your gift so much, Sophie. But I've got to get you back to your mommy, okay? She's probably worried looking for you." "Yes, Luna," Sophie said, looking down at her feet.

I reached down to take her hand and asked, "What's your mommy's name? Can you show me where she was?"

"Mommy's name is Cassandra, but people like to call her Cassie. Come on; I'll take to you her!"

We walked around for a little bit before I saw a frantic looking blonde-haired woman sprint past us.

"Cassie?" I asked, causing her to stop in her tracks.

When she turned and saw Sophie, she grabbed her chest in relief. "Thank the Goddess I found you!"

She then noticed me holding Sophie's hand and quickly walked over.

When she stood before us, she bowed her head and said, "Luna, I sincerely apologize for Sophie interrupting your evening. I'll make sure this never happens again."

"Cassie, it's alright, really. Little Ms. Sophie here just wanted to bring me this beautiful flower. I'm happy that I was able to get her back to you before you had a heart attack, though," I said with a laugh, making her relax a bit more. "Thank you again, Luna. I almost lost it when I noticed that she was gone, she's never done something like this before."

Cassie then leaned down to her daughter and looked her in the eyes.

"Sophie, tell the Luna goodnight. It's time for bed."

"Goodnight Luna, would you like to play with me tomorrow?"

"Sophie, the Luna is busy, baby. She won't have time to play."

When Sophie frowned that adorable face little face of hers, I kneeled and said, "I'd love to play with you tomorrow, sweetie, as long as it's okay with your mommy."

Sophie turned and put on her cutest pout possible before she said, "Please, mommy? Luna is so nice!"

Cassie finally let out a deep sigh and said, "Fine, it's okay with me."

I stood up and smiled at her. "Could you guys stop by the packhouse around 1:30 tomorrow? I'll make sure I have plenty of fun activities for us to do."

"Sure, we'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Luna."

"Good night Cassie, and please call me Alaia."

I watched the two of them walk away before I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist.

"You were amazing with her," Xander said to me.

"I love kids, and Sophie is adorable. I can't wait to have pups of my own."

"Really? Well, you know, I'm more than happy to help you out with that."

Before I could respond, Xander had tossed me over his shoulder and wrapped one arm over the back of my thighs, holding me in place. From my upside-down vantage point, I could see that he was heading towards the packhouse. "Xander! Put me down; I can walk, you know!"

I felt a sharp slap on my a*s, which made me squeal out loud.

"If you keep wiggling this delicious little a*s in my face, I'll put my seed in you right here and right now. Now, let's go home. We've got some pups to make."