Wolf Rejected and Dragon Claimed

My name is Autumn Sanders, I just turned eighteen years old a week ago, the end of May. I just got to meet my wolf, Aurora, and shift for the first time. This past full moon was wonderful, I shift into my wolf and found out she is very special. She is a beautiful light grey. But, I noticed the pads of her paws are a dark purple. I know she is special because she loves me, and I love her. She is my best friend. My only friend. My pack thinks that I am weird. So, no one talks to me. It's better that way. I got to study for my courses in advance. I pushed myself to excel in everything.

My parents are gammas of our pack. Blue Moon Eclipse pack. Our pack is in northern of Texas.

I did not get to meet my mate yet. I am hoping on the next full moon celebration, which is the Lunar Moon at the end of September, maybe I get to meet my mate. I have plans to meet my mate, maybe, go to college earn my business degree and open my open business. I love to bake, so I want to open my own café. I am not sure if it will all drop into my path that way. Only the moon goddess knows. She plans everything for her children.

I pray to the moon goddess Selene for happiness. I want to be happy. I really do not have any friends. I talk to people at me school, but a real friend that I confide in. I do not have that. People think I am awkward. I am five foot six inches. I work out daily. I am not a powerhouse if that is what you are thinking. But I do take care of myself. I like to wear overalls and big t-shirts. I kind of self-conscience of my big boobs and I have a bubble butt. I keep to myself. I always wear my hair in a ponytail. I wear glasses. Although, I do not need glasses. No one has noticed my glasses to not have lenses. I just wear them because I like them. I have green eyes, long brown hair. I do not like make-up, so I do not wear it.

I just finished my homework for my science class. We graduate next week. I am leaving right after graduation. I have been accepted to Stanford University in California. My scholarship is a full ride. I already visited the dorms and mapped out my dorms, my classes and hopefully a part-time job close by. I am not asking my parents for a dime. Our Alpha is very tight on money and my parents make just enough for the two of them. My older brother, James, found his mate and moved to her pack. Her parents are deltas, and he had a better opportunity to advance there than here.

I have the summer to have fun then I am off to school. I work part-time now and the bookstore in town. I have given my parents half of my earnings. I bought my own car. I have a pretty good savings. I have been baking since I was ten years old. I make everything from scones, cupcakes, pies to wedding cakes.

It is the weekend. I am heading into town to pick up my last paycheck. I met up with my boss, Amanda, she is totally awesome. She let me borrow baking books for new recipes in exchange for samples. This weekend went by in a flash. It is graduation day. My parents were not able to get the evening off to attend the graduation ceremony. I graduated magna cum laude. I am ahead of the game. I took college courses which cut my six-year course by two years.

I have everything packed up. I told my parents to rent out my room to make a little extra cash. I told them I would visit at the end of September. I am not sticking around for the summer. I will no longer be picked on by the future-alpha Rick Danger. Better yet, I won't be taunted by anyone for being smart. I have already gassed up the car and got a tune-up by the town mechanic. I packed some snacks and bottles of water. I only plan to stop for gas and a nap.

"Ready Aurora?" I asked my wolf. "Ready Chica, Let's do this." I said my goodbye to my parents last night. I am on the road at four in the morning. I planned my trip for months in advance. I planned this for months. It is a twenty-four-hour drive but stopping for gas and maybe a nap since it is Sunday, I should reach Stanford University by Monday nine-ish or so. I stopped for gas in Albuquerque, then Flagstaff.

I am now at the California border just coming through Mojave. Traffic was good. I stopped for breakfast in Tehachapi. A cute little café with very nice people. There were a couple of female truck drivers that told me to stay on the road until I hit Interstate 5. Due to reports of cars breaking down and females being picked up by traffickers. Both gave me their phone numbers. I did not want to tell them that I am a wolf, that I can take care of myself. I obliged and gave them my phone number as well. A girl never knows. No one can have too many friends.

Back on the road it is just past five in the morning, and I just passed Bakersfield. I stop for gas, and I decided to treat myself to some Starbucks coffee. Back on the road after a quick bathroom break. Driving until I reach my destination. It is just past nine in the morning, and I pull up to a country club bar. I noticed some delivery trucks and a man outside with a clipboard. I park and get out. Maybe I have a chance to see if the manager is in and maybe is hiring.

"Uhm, Hello. Excuse me is the manager in by chance?" I ask the man with the clipboard. He turns around and looks right into my eyes. He has the most beautiful steel blue eyes I have ever seen. My brain decided to put it in park for the day. As he says, "Yes, my name is Jay. How can I help you?"

His smile is just amazing. Dimples on both sides. His eyes sparkle. He is over six feet tall. Broad shoulders. He is built like a Greek god. His hair is unruly black with a small wave I would like to run my hands through it. His skin is golden sun kissed. My brain kicks in as I hear him clear his throat, "Miss, are you alright?"

"Oh yeah, I am sorry. I have been driving for a while. I was just wondering if you are hiring?" I stutter out. Damn, who would hire me like this?

"Well, can you bartend? Or do any waitressing?"

"I worked at a bookstore for three years. I bake. I am studying at Stanford for business management. I am a quick learner." I stammer out. Geez, sounding desperate.

"Well, your name?" he waits.

"Autumn. Sorry my name is Autumn. Nice to meet you, Jay." I reach out to shake his hand. Even if I don't get a job, it would be nice to meet and make a friend.

"Autumn. That is a beautiful name. You have your identification card and social security card with you?" Jay smiled as he shook my hand. He did not let go of my hand. I did not get a bad vide from him. He had a smoky cologne scent. I felt calm. I smiled and nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Alright, I just need to check this load quickly and you can follow me inside to the office." He let go of my hand. I went back to my car and locked it after getting my shoulder bag out.

I walked back to where Jay was standing, and he was mumbling and talking to himself. "Where is this case?"

"What case are you looking for?"

"A case of specialty bourbon. I check off each case as I go. Not sure If I missed it."

"Here let me help you. Start over and call out each item." I grabbed the load sheet from him and pulled the pen from his hand.

He smiled and called out the first case listed. We went through each one and got to the end. The bourbon was missing but he had a case of vodka that he did not order.

"Looks like a mis-ship on the bourbon and vodka case loaded in error."

"That was quick. What would I do without you? He smirks as I hand him the load sheet back. "Thank you for helping me. You have a good eye for detail."

"Thank you. We had the same issue when we were receiving book shipments. Ha-ha."

"Follow me." Jay says as we head into the back of the country club. There are other people stocking and cleaning. You can hear glasses clink, vacuuming of the carpet. Bleach running down the drains to clean them out. Food preparations in the kitchen.

"You guys are busy. What time do you open up?" I asked as we walked down along hallway.

"We are open pretty much twenty-four hours a day. There are private, gated communities here and a lot of the people come here for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Here we go, my office." Jay says as he stops in the hallway and waves his hand directing me inside. He closes the door after I enter.

I walk in and stand at the front of his desk. The office is well organized. He has an in-box tray on his desk and a computer and a large calendar behind his desk on the wall. There are several filing cabinets in the room. He has security monitors up on the wall. You can see all movement from his desk. Inside, outside, in the bar, In the kitchen, in the dining room, parking lot and gold course next door.

"Identification card and social security card please." He says as I reach in my bag for my wallet. I get the items he is asking for and he scans them into his computer. He pulls out a black pad. "Left thumb print"

I press my thumb to the pad as he directs. Next thing his computer is booting up. "Autumn Sanders, 1411 Bootleg Road, Stratford, Texas. Recent graduate, Magna Cum Laude.

Accepted Stanford in California. GPA 4.0 plus. Eighteen. Height matches, hair and eye color match. Single. Work history, Stratford City Books. Filed your taxes. Nice. One sibling, an older brother, parents, both still alive."

"Would you like a blood sample?" Being a smart ass. I let that slip out. I gasped and put my hand over my mouth. "Apologies, that was extremely rude of me. How do you have all that information?"

Jay sat back in his chair and grinned. "I have one of the best systems in the U.S. My brother also works for the IRS. My sister is an agent for Homeland Security. I have several businesses here and run a tight ship. I need to know everything about who I hire. Especially for management."

"I can wash dishes, bus table, I bake a little. You know maybe make desserts."

"Autumn, I need an assistant manager. Someone to watch my back and be at my side. You know be my eyes for things that the cameras do not tell me. How are your classes set up?"

"What? Well, I have my schedule here with me." I pull out my itinerary and he scanned it into his computer.

"Nice. How about you get settled in the dorms and come back me....I mean after two this afternoon?"

"You got it. Wait, are you hiring me?"

"Of course. We will see what your work schedule will look like when you come back." He grins and hands me back my school schedule.

"Thank you, Jay. Thank you very much for your time and this opportunity."

I shake his hand and his gaze into my eyes is a little, still holding my hand. I look down at our hands and he lets go of my hand slowly. It felt nice. I felt safe and calm with him. Little tingles like the mate bond. I kind of thought that maybe he was a wolf. Maybe not.

I head to the dorms and get checked in. I am very thankful I have a small room and no roommate. The university had four rooms in this section that are single bed units. One in each corner of the building. Lucky enough, I am next to the stairwell and have easy access for parking my car. The shower room is across the hall from my room. I unpacked my things and took a nice long shower and go back to my room and get dressed again. It's just about one thirty, so I had back to the country club.

Jay met me at the front entrance and walked with me to the employee entrance. He hands me timecard and it's also a badge to get inside the door. I scan my badge to the badge read and the green light turns on. I now have access to the building. He walks me back into his office and closes the door.

"Okay I have forms for you to sign, just sign on the electronic pad when I cue you. Do you have an account set up with a bank here or back-home?" Just a few clicks later, I am an employee. I have direct deposit to my account back-home. All set. He hands me a schedule. I have Sundays off. Nice.

"Looks like you are all mine after school and on Saturdays. Just let me know if you need any time off for school. School takes priority over work. Maybe after you graduate you will be my business manager or partner." He grins and there is a twinkle in his eye. If I were really paying attention, is he flirting? My tummy did a flip-flop. I have this weird feeling, not bad. Just weird. Kind of nice.

***

It has been several weeks of school and working. Jay and I have become very good friends. I kind of have a crush on him. He leaves early Sunday morning – just after the bar closes and then I do not see him until Monday afternoon. I thought was kind of strange, but I do not question his personal life. His life is his business. I let him know that I would be driving back home at the end of September for a family celebration. I did not say Lunar Moon celebration. Being a wolf, we do not say anything about the pack or anything. We cannot bring any attention to wolf packs.

It's Friday afternoon as I am leaving, Jay brings me a bag and hands it to me. "Lunch for your trip, drive safe and I will see you Monday. Let me now if you need anything. Anything at all. Really. Okay?" He leaned over and kissed my cheek. I was stunned. I nodded and thanked him for the lunch.

I got in my car and drove off. I had a strange feeling of being watched. I looked around and nothing. It seemed the drive back home was faster. I pulled up to my hotel that I rented a room from and checked in. I got a message from Jay 'just checking on you, sweet girl'.

I felt tingly when I read Jay's message. Every time I picture Jay in my head, I see his lips. I smile to myself and start thinking... why not? Why not Jay? I would have to figure out how to explain were-wolves to him. It could work. Right? I sent him a quick message, 'checking into hotel, going to see family, then back to Cali.' I smile at my phone as a happy face and a heart emoji pop-up. He is so funny.

I got a message from my mom that she had rented out my room. I did not care after all I told them to do it for extra money. I knew my mom would listen to reason. My father always wanted me home. I never really felt like I was 'home' living on the pack land. There was something about living there, I never felt like I belonged. Or maybe I was never meant to be there to begin with.

I changed and drove back to the packhouse for the celebration. The music was going, and the picnic tables were set up with food. There were people walking around, dancing, eating, some people making out and some people just standing around. My parents were walking over towards me. I smiled and hugged both of them.

"Did you hear about Future Alpha Rick? Rick is now the Alpha. His father had a stroke and passed the title down to Rick last week." My mother whispers.

"Good for him. Now, how are you two doing? Any word from James and his mate?" My mind kept going back to Jay's sweet smile and this kiss.

"We are just fine. Your brother is now the new gamma at his new pack. He and his mate are expecting. Look it's almost time for the midnight run. Fifteen minutes until midnight and the full moon. Are you ready dear? Maybe tonight you will meet your mate, hmm!"

"Yeah, we will see. I am so happy for James. I hope he is happy and has a loving mate. If she is not good to him, I will be her problem." My mother gives me THE LOOK. I do not care. I love my brother and he deserves happiness even if it is not here. He is a good person, an extremely good fighter. He is smart, kind, a fair person and loving.

I really did not have a good feeling about tonight, but one never knows. My stomach was full of nerves. If I did meet my mate, I just hope I can finish school. I was walking to the clearing where every single person was standing. I saw Rick standing up on the stage with one of my tormentors on his arm, Ursula Bends. She hates me with a passion. Her last name makes me laugh. She is the betas daughter. I hope they are mates.

I was brought out of my thoughts by a thunderous growl just as the clock struck midnight. I turned and Rick was standing in front of me. What in the blue hell just happened? His eyes were black and oh no, no, no, no do not say...the word. MATE! Came out of his mouth. Oh hell no.