Rejected, but not Broken
Chapter 43

Tanner’s POV

I shouldn’t have waited to get here to Gabi. This was all on me. I knew that little prick was going to try to visit Gabi tonight to try to get with her again.

He was just earlier than I thought he would be. He probably took off when his little chosen mate hit the shower, to go and see Gabi. I never should have stayed to talk to my brother and sister. I could have let them both tease me the whole two hours back to my pack tomorrow.

I hate that I messed up and allowed that jerk an opportunity to be able to put his hands on Gabi. I hope Derek takes that warning and realizes that I will not hesitate the next time he puts his hands on Gabi, to take him out.

He had received his second warning and I was only gracious to him because if Gabi hadn’t interceded, I would surely have killed him tonight. Smelling him on my Gabi, Rafe was furious and wanted b***d, Derek’s b***d.

Luna Liz apologized to us both for Derek’s actions, but it was not her fault he did it. He realizes his mistake, rejecting Gabi, and was trying to rectify it. Normally, that would be OK, if the person in question hasn’t received their second chance mate.

Which she had, and he knew that. It was his job to apologize to Gabi for putting his hands on her, and I know he only got scared when I showed up. I could see it all over his face.

I know he was enjoying touching Gabi, and I am furious I didn’t get there earlier, so, when he showed up and came into her room, I would have already been there, and spared her from him being able to touch her. I actually hated being right in wanting to spend the night with her for protection for both of us.

I anticipated another midnight visit from Taylor too, as she has avoided her fair share of punishment that she totally deserves, too many times and shown she doesn’t worry about the consequences of her actions.

She does whatever she wants with no real penalties or it. I hope, now that they have seen how devious she actually is, that they reel her in for her to act right, but regardless, she is not welcome at B***d Rose pack ever again.

I will have to have a real talk with Alpha Wilson soon, as we will need to discuss his lack of faith in me, as an Ally, and as a neighboring Alpha, and giving no respect at all to me.

For him to accuse me of wrongdoing, when I had told him exactly what happened, he could have found it all out quicker by just taking my word for it and forcing Taylor to answer truthfully from the beginning.

Luna Liz seemed upset by what had happened, and not because of Derek. She was worried about Gabi, and I am glad that she knows her own child, and where the fault lay in this incident. Luna Liz was a kind and wise woman and I can tell that she loves Gabi very much.

I will have to get the whole story of what has all happened in that pack soon, as I think that Gabi might be in danger when she goes back there. If I have to, I will see about passing their test to be on the training team, just to be able to go for a week or two to make sure that she is safe, as I know that j3rk Derek won’t allow me on his packlands any other way than if I was part of the team, and even then, he won’t want me there. I am competition to him, and he doesn’t want me with Gabi.

I am going to speak to Heath and Alan about it . tomorrow, about making me an honorary member, if I can pass the test, and make the team, just for this one trip. I am sure that they will need help anyway. Gabi comes out of the bathroom and has a towel in front of her, blocking the nightgown she has on. She had on a cute two-piece earlier and she looked great in it.

I really liked how her top fit her and seeing the swell of her breasts in it. But Derek had put his hands on it, and it had his scent on it, and Rafe would have no part in Gabi smelling even a little bit like Derek.I get angry again just thinking of him even seeing her in it, let alone touching her.

Gabi knew that and went to take her shower and even though I could not smell that spoiled jerk on her anymore, just the thought of him coming into her room and even after being asked to leave several times, he grabbed her and groped her.

Rafe is coming to the surface fast and he is ready for b***d again. Gabi realizes this and hurries to our bed and sits up against the headboard with me and holds my hand. It is amazing how quickly I calm down with just one touch from her. Gabi is my everything and I will protect her. I will ask her what her opinion is of me trying out for the team as an honorary member tonight.

“You can put the towel down Gabi, we are mates, you are covered. Hopefully, I will be seeing your body soon enough, as Rafe and I would like to mark you right now if you and Tala would let us”, I told her and glanced at her neck.

“Tala is all in, but I literally just met you today. Derek kind of burned me and I have trust issues from both him and from Jack”, Gabi

tells me.

“Who is Jack? Is he the one that Alan is going to take care of when you go to train at Red River and River Bed?” I asked her.

“Yes, he was my ex-boyfriend. He was the only one who could talk to me, as Heather had put the word out to everyone about what would happen if you were friends with me. She made them suffer. Not as much as she made me suffer, but it kept everyone from wanting to be my friend”, Gabi told me.

I am furious that the annoying girl from earlier was probably her biggest tormenter and I let her go. Well, I will keep an eye out for her tomorrow, and she will know what will happen to her if she puts her hands on my Gabi again.

“I hope that one day you will trust me enough to tell me what happened to you in the Red River pack, Gabi. I love you and it is my job as your mate to protect you, baby. Please let me do that. I need to know so I can keep you safe.

I know that you are strong, and can basically defend yourself, but against a well-trained man, you will be at a disadvantage every time”.

I told her and pulled her tighter to me, as just this discussion was getting me upset. Yes, tomorrow first thing I will be speaking to Heath and Alan as I need to get settled on what I need to do to get onto this team.

“I will tell you, hang on one minute while I go turn out the light as Luna Liz is already asleep, and you cannot growl, as you will wake her up. She is the reason that I was able to get out. She was the reason that I was able to go in with my team members and be able to reject Derek and take Jack down when he approached me, and how we got out.

They were closing the gates and Justin opened them back up for us, after taking out the guards. She made all of that happen and I love her”. Gabi told me and went to the bathroom to drop the towel off in the hamper, and padded over to the light on the desk, as that was the only light in the room.

I watched her beautiful legs showing clearly in the short nightgown as she was crossing the room to turn the light out and the brief silhouette I got of Gabi’s body as the light showed through her lilac-colored nightgown, made me realize that I was in for a tough night.

I should have made myself relax in the shower before I came over, but I was in a hurry to get to her room, before Derek, and now I have a big issue that I may not be able to hide from Gabi.

I didn’t think this through all the way. I should have just gotten a sleeping bag with some extra blankets to make a bed on the floor.

With my wolf’s eyesight, I see her coming back to the bed, and she is a vision coming toward me. I am already hard for her, and she wasn’t even in bed with me yet. I am going to have to put a pillow in front of me so I don’t scare her, and I will probably be able to calm down some while hearing her story about the Red River pack.

I already knew if I declared war on them that Heath and the Ever Green pack would be all in with me, but his sister-in-law is the Luna there. That is the only reason that it hasn’t happened yet.

The bed moves a little with Gabi getting in and she is a little stiff, and I can tell she is nervous. Rafe is annoyingly excited about beingin bed with his mate, and I am trying to calm him down and talk to Gabi too.

“Turn onto your left side and face Luna Liz, baby, I will curve up behind you, so you can talk. I will do my best to stay calm while you tell me what happened. Rafe is so happy that you let us spend the night with you, he will not calm down.

I do want to hear what happened to you at Red River. I also want you to know that in the morning I am speaking with Alpha Heath, and Alan, about seeing if they will allow me to test too. I want to be an honorary member of the team, as I don’t trust Derek at all.

He will keep trying to get you back, and as he gets more frustrated, he could attack you, and I cannot allow him to do that. I would like to go with you all when you go there and help train them so you can get in and out faster. If that is OK with you?”

I asked her and she turned her head to me and grinned and said, “You know we won’t go easy on you, right? Just because you are an Alpha doesn’t matter”.

I grinned back at her and said, “I want you to give me your best shot” and k!ssed her shoulder as I laid back down and pulled her to my body. Thankful for the pillow I put between us before she got into bed. I will move it away when I don’t need it anymore.

I listened to Gabi talk softly to me as she started being a child and playing with Derek, to today, and I am shocked. What kind of an as*shole Alpha is running Red River? I don’t have a treaty with them, and from what I know now, I never will. I know what she said, that Luna Liz is getting the charges stacked up against him, but I would go there tomorrow and happily kill him myself for letting Jack at her not once, but twice, with no punishment. Jack is due an as*s-kicking and I am going to ask Alan if it could be me to be the one to do it. No wonder he said he would deal with one when he got there.

Was that i***t so focused on Gabi and getting to her to try again a third time, that he didn’t even see four large men standing right there in front of him? I am barely keeping Rafe calm now as it is and that was totally because of the deep breaths I am taking from Gabi’s neck, and the occasional k!ss that I place on her shoulder to comfort her.

I want to be soothing Gabi, as I can tell she is now upset and unable to sleep from telling me her story. I am going to have to help her out so she can sleep.