Once Rejected, Twice Desired
Chapter 2

Alaia POV

Pulling up to school was both exciting and irritating. I was excited because it was the last week that I’d ever have to see the ugly brick buildings and faded paint but irritated. After all, for one more week, I had to look at ugly brick buildings and faded paint. I knew I would manage, though; I had my best friend for as long as I could remember, Jordyn, to help me make it through. That girl knew every one of my deepest darkest secrets and never judged or criticized. We couldn’t have been any closer; we were like sisters.

As Aaron pulled into the student parking lot, I immediately spotted his group of friends near the front entrance. Aaron was one of the cool kids, with everyone flocking to him like moths to flames. He was an incredible person, don’t get me wrong, but being our packs future Alpha, I wondered if all of the intentions of his so-called friends were pure. I know one person who’s were, and that was Alexi.

Alexi and Aaron had been best friends since birth, and he was slated to take over as our second in command, or beta. He was also the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, which was why I dreamed about him always. Alexi was a god among men, and I wanted him so bad. But he was a manwhore and changed women like socks. Every week there was a new girl on his arm, and no matter how much my body craved his touch, I refused to be just another one of his groupies.

“If you run, you can grab a snack before the first bell. Will you be alright?” Aaron asked as he grabbed his backpack from the back seat.

“I’m good. See you later!” I replied. I snatched my bag and took off towards the cafeteria. I could feel a pair of eyes on me, and when I looked to my left, they were those stormy grey eyes from my dream. Seeing him watching me almost made me fall flat on my face, but somehow I managed to make it to the building without embarrassing myself.

“Were you staring at Alexi again? I think I see a little drool on your chin,” Jordyn appeared before me and announced.

“Where the hell did you come from? And for your information, I was looking, but only because he was looking first.”

“So he does know you exist, that’s progress. Maybe one day you’ll actually have a real conversation.”

“Oh, shut it.” I grabbed her arm and swung her towards the vending machines. “Need. Food. Now,” I dramatically stated, making her roll her eyes.

“You could eat an entire cow, and ten minutes later, you’re hungry again. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Aaron already gave me that speech this morning. But I do have some other juicy details to share if you’re curious.”

“It’s not even 8:00, besides lusting after Alexi, what could have already happened?”

“Shh! Don’t be so loud, one of his toys could hear you! And how did you know about the dream? Is it that obvious?” I whispered.

“What dream, Alaia? I was talking about your staring match a few minutes ago. Spill, now!”

I told her all about the dream and my mom’s revelation about the birthday party this Saturday. “And on top of that, my dad has invited four alphas from neighboring packs to the party, too. Aaron is excited to meet his mate, possibly, but I don’t know how to feel. What if my mate feels like I’m not good enough? What if he’s an alpha? Will I have to become his packs Luna? What if he doesn’t want me and rejects me. What if-”

Before I could finish my rant, Jordyn pinched my nose to shut me up. “Girl, chill out and breathe—all of these what if’s are only going to drive you and me crazy. Just relax. There’s no guarantee that you’ll meet your mate Saturday, but if you do, he will love you and treat you like the goddess you are, or he’ll have to deal with me, and he won’t want that,” she said with a wink.

As one of the strongest warriors in the Opal Moon pack, Jordyn was a force to be reckoned with, and we all knew it.

“No, he definitely doesn’t want that,” I replied. A little calmer, I finally made it to the vending machines and eyes the selection. I really would have preferred a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant, but the pack of mini blueberry muffins and a bottle of orange juice would have to do.

We chatted for a few more minutes then made our way back to the main hallway before parting ways and heading to our homeroom classes.

***

I took my usual seat towards the back of Mrs. Miller’s class and tore into my sad excuse for a breakfast. Biting into a muffin, all I could think was how our head omega, Mrs. Dyson, made muffins that literally melted in your mouth. These were like little blue colored stones. But I was still going to eat every last one of the rock-hard little bastards.

“Hungry?”

I didn’t know that someone had sat next to me, so when I heard Alexi’s voice, I almost choked on that evil little muffin and needed to chug half my bottle of juice to clear my throat. “Oh, hey, Alexi. Sorry, my mom and Aaron made me miss breakfast, so yeah, I’m starving,” I replied.

“I didn’t have anything to do with you sleeping in then?” he asked. My jaw dropped, how did he know about my affinity for the snooze button?

“We’ve lived in the same house for almost eighteen years, Alaia. You didn’t think I’d notice at least something about you?” he asked. Seeing the small grin tugging at the corner of his delicious lips, I could feel my face getting red.

Oh, if only I could have licked those lips, I could have done all kinds of dirty things.

I was pulled out of my dirty girl fantasy when Victoria, Alexi’s flavor of the week, walked by and purposefully bumped into me.

Her sickly sweet perfume made me want to gag, and when she opened her mouth to speak, it sounded like the wailing of a dying banshee. “Baby, why are you sitting back here with this nobody instead of at the front with me?”

To make her point, she crossed her arms under her poorly stuffed bra, pushing up her fake cleavage, and giving Alexi her best pout.

“I’m the Alpha’s daughter, probably the farthest you can get from a nobody, but please, continue with what you were saying,” I mumbled. I didn’t have the time or effort for her, so I turned back towards the front of the class.

I saw Alexi smirk out of the corner of my eye, and when he looked up at Victoria, a quick flash of exasperation crossed his face before it was replaced by one of his megawatt smiles. “I’ll be right there, Valerie; I just needed to talk to Alaia real quick.”

Her face dropped hearing Alexi call her by the wrong name, but before she could bring it up, Alexi spun her around and gave her a gentle push back to the front.

A small chuckle at her irritation snuck past my lips, which Victoria heard, and repaid with an evil sneer over her shoulder. Oh, if looks could kill.

“I heard about the party on Saturday the Luna is throwing; it sounds really cool. Good luck replaceing your mate. I hope he’s everything you deserve.”

He then stood up and walked into the arms of a proudly gloating Victoria.

“What the hell was that?!” I pulled my phone from my bag and furiously shot of a text to Jordyn. That was the first real conversation I’d ever had with Alexi, and I was so confused. Maybe he really did see the woman I was becoming, and perhaps he wanted me as much as I wanted him. Jordyn’s response came at the exact moment I saw Alexi and Victoria attempting to suck each other’s tongues from their skulls. “He was probably just being nice, nothing more. Don’t let him get to you, and don’t read too much into it,” Jordyn wisely advised.

He was probably just being nice; it made sense in my head, now I just needed to convince my heart.