Rejection on the Full Moon (Rejection Series) Chapter 21

The warm sunlight surrounds me as I stare at the lake in front of me. The sound of waves gently crashing against the shore washes a sense of calmness over me as the soft breeze ruffles my long hair and pink sundress. Today, I am nineteen years old, and it has been one year since becoming a rogue. My heart still feels broken, but I am happy instead of feeling a shattering pain from the rejection. As pups, we are told that the first year after being rejected is the most difficult to overcome. Your sanity could shatter, or the pain of the rejection could physically kill you. If the mate that rejected you was selfish, they could cause more harm to you by having sex with other wolves after the rejection. I knew that pain all too well.

But somehow, I managed to keep my sanity, even when I felt like giving in to the pain. I managed to survive a year alone as a rogue and even killed plenty of Soulless in the process. You might think that I'm cruel for killing any Soulless that came my way, but the truth is, I'm setting them free. Death allows the Soulless to enter the realm of the Moon Goddess on the other side, and gives them a chance to either one—be reborn and reincarnated or two—serve the Goddess and help wolves who are waiting for their mate to join them in the afterlife.

It's been about nine months since I last saw the Ice Alpha. I learned a week after saving him that he had posted an article about me online and how I came to help him when the group of Soulless attacked. I couldn't believe how detailed he went into the incident, from what we said and how we interacted to the smallest detail of how I killed each Soulless. I was flattered at first by the article and even printed it off to add to my scrapbook of articles on Fire Foot. But after the article, I soon found trouble looting both in human form and wolf. Many wolves and rogues like myself wanted to see what I was made of and how my skills were. That lasted for about two months. By that time, I had opened up my own store in the tourist city called Kenora, just an hour away from my house.

My store was a bakery and gift shop located in downtown Kenora that sold delicious treats enjoyed by locals and tourists and traditional herbal medicine and tea made from the fruits, berries, and medicinal herbs from my own greenhouse. I also sold sculptures and furniture carved from the fallen trees of the forest and dreamcatchers made under the night of the full moon each month. Everything I made had my own brand image on it: a pawprint inside a heart made of flames. It symbolized the community's name for me, Fire Foot.

Wolves from different packs in the area also come to my store for the sweet treats I made, along with the fresh, sweet berries I grew all year round in my greenhouse that I had expanded over the year and the original works of art. Some would even leave orders for specific furniture for their homes. They all know that I'm a rogue, but because I took the time and invested my money into something that wouldn't harm the werewolf community, they were more than happy to buy from my store.

My store became so popular within its third month of opening that I bought the building attached to it and expanded. The new addition allowed me to work with local artisans and wolves from various packs who wanted to sell their own special goods. I created sections that allowed the artisans to rent so they can sell their products. They were allowed to come in early each morning to stock their designated display units for an hour and leave while my employees managed the store. They knew the rule that if they caused a fight with any of the other artisans, the ones fighting would be banned from entering and selling in my store.

The best part about my employees is that some were rogues who were looking for a fresh start. They came to my store looking for work when they realized the owner is a rogue too. Some were even fresh out of culinary school, and, with a bit of training, they were able to bake the treats to my standard—sometimes even better than me.

I'm proud of what I've built in the last year, but today I had put a notice on the door and gave everyone an advanced warning that I would be closing for a weekend vacation. I wanted this day all to myself to reflect on this past year and to celebrate my birthday. Cake and food waited for my return home, and so did a marathon of The One Hundred on Netflix. Today is definitely different from last year.

I yawned and stretched out on the soft grass below me as the scent of wildflowers float around me in the breeze, my eyes closing to enjoy the sounds of the peaceful lake. This place is in the middle of neutral territory. I had gone for a run about four months back after work to release some stress when I came across this lake. The water shimmered under the moonlight, and you could see straight to the bottom due to how crystal-clear the water was. It's hard to get to this lake by car, and it looked to be undisturbed by humans, with thick trees protecting it from view and fields of wildflowers all around. This is also where I came the next day to carefully pick some rare flowers and transport them to a new section of my greenhouse to grow and cultivate. They made amazing skincare and beauty products, as well as delicious teas.