Rejected, but not Broken
Chapter 55

Gabi’s POV

I woke up the next morning sad and frustrated. Von sent me a mindlink that she needed to speak with me privately, and I agreed to meet her for breakfast, in the dining room. Eden was ready to go with her baby, who she had named Jackson, after his father, but she didn’t know his last name and didn’t want him to have that anyway, so little Jack’s name was Jackson Thomas, carrying her last name.

Baby Jack is absolutely cute and was born on May 31st, a couple of weeks after we graduated from school. As a matter of fact, he was born right after my testing.

He has his mother’s deep brown hair, shades darker than his father’s, but he has beautiful soft brown eyes and long lashes from his father.

Telling Eden that I knew which pack Jack was in, was hard, as I had to tell her what he had done to me, and that I knew what he had done to her. Eden teared up but didn’t cry.

She was glad that I had told her, she did want to know where Jack was so she could accept the rejection and be able to move on from him, as I know she deals with the same pain that Derek used to give me. I plan on taking her with us when we go to Red River and I will ride with her, so she can get onto the packland, and accept his rejection.

It is only fair for her to be able to move past Jack and maybe get her second chance mate. We will not be telling that piece of sh!t that he is a father. He doesn’t need to know he has a son, or he may try to take him away from Eden.

The rogues have been more active lately at Red River, and they will be attacking any day now. push the stroller with Jack in it, and Eden carries the diaper bag as we go to the packhouse.

Eden is an Omega, and she is a great baker. It is her passion. They have a daycare at the packhouse so Eden can do her job, and not have to worry about baby Jack while she does it.

Her cakes, and her pastries, never last long, but she only has to work every other day, as she bakes quite a lot each day, when she does bake. Her white chocolate chip macadamia cookies are my favorite and she told me on my next birthday that she would give me a cookie bouquet made from them.

I cannot wait. I had already told her I would feed Jack and then take him to the daycare for her, so she k!ssed him on top of his head, and dropped his diaper bag on the chair next to mine. Eden dropped to her knees to give him another k!ss, and a hug goodbye and then took off.

I bent down and cooed at Jack as I got him out of the stroller and went to take him to warm up his bottle when I felt someone behind me and turned to see who it was. I saw Tanner standing there and he looked terrible. He looks like he hasn’t slept and actually looks physically ill.

I am automatically concerned about him. I shift Jack into my left arm and wrap my right arm around Tanner’s wa!st and hug him. He needs it, I can tell that already. Tanner k!sses me on top of my head and hugs me with both of his arms wound around me until Jack lets out a little wail at being squeezed and Tanner releases me in surprise at the sound.

I see Tanner looking at the baby and then frowning as he clearly doesn’t know who the baby belongs to. I gave Jack to Von, who immediately puts him in the crook of her arm and starts cooing at him. Heath is right at her elbow, smiling down at them both.

They are both wonderful parents, and I stand there at the microwave about 15 feet away, smiling at them both as I warm his bottle up for him. I hate that they didn’t get to have children of their own. They would have raised great kids.

I came back shaking the bottle to make sure there were no hot spots in it to burn his mouth, and then tested it on my tongue. I sat down and took the baby back from Von. She smiles and tells me, “I will go make you a plate, I will be right back” and heads off with Heath.

“He is a cute baby. Who does he belong to?” Tanner asks me. “My friend Eden. She went out to celebrate her 18th birthday at a club in the city and she met her mate. She will be coming in with us when we go to Red River, so she can accept the rejection.

We will not be telling him about the baby”, I told him. “Why not? He may want a son”, Tanner said to me. “Oh, he does. He would totally take him from her if he found out. This baby’s name is Jackson, after his father, Jack”, I told him. I see the realization hit and Tanner says, “Jack? That same piece of st that tried to r**e you, Jack? Thank God she got away from him.

No, he never needs to find out he has a son. She is right to keep him safe”, Tanner told me, and I have to agree. I see Von heading to us with two plates, one for me and one for her, and Heath right behind her with his plate. They leave to go get their drinks and mine and Tanner heads off to get a plate for himself and his drink.

Heath filled me in on what happened last night while Tanner got his food, and I am not shocked at all. I had a feeling, but I am furious. I want to kill them both right now.

“I see that you are angry, and you have every right in the world to be, but we have to do this right. We have a plan in place, and we have already gone to the werewolf council about it. Tanner is exhausted, as he was missing you all night and couldn’t sleep.

He knows he screwed up. He did, but if there is one thing I know, Gabi, it is that Tanner loves you. He was already so busy leading a pack, and believe me, it takes YEARS to get that down, but he is doing a good job of it, even though he is a new Alpha.

He is unsure of himself and that is why he is so dependent on listening to his father. I don’t think that he meant to snub you, I think he was so worried about what to do to solve the problem, that he focused solely on that.

He took the advice I gave him, and he spoke with his dad in my office last night and we came up with a plan. Taylor knows that we will be going to do the training soon at Red River.

She, Piper, and Heather are all friends and I believe that she is planning on showing up to cause problems for you there too. But she told Dana that she would be back on Tanner’s packland next week.

We want to catch her there, at Red River pack, but with Tanner being in such bad shape this morning, we don’t know if he will pass the test, or not, so we made up two plans for Taylor last night. Here comes Tanner, I want him to tell you the rest of what we have decided to do.”

Heath tells me and then nods to Tanner. Heath brought Tanner up to speed with what he had told me, while Tanner ate, and then Tanner started to finish telling me the plan.

“If I do pass the test, Taylor will be expecting us to be surprised at her being there at Red River, and she will be planning on giving you hell there. She didn’t know that I was going to try to get on the team.

I had already threatened war with your parents at Crimson Shadow, and we already called and sent in the videos we had from last night. Taylor even with her own mouth told the plan over her cell phone, we even had a video sent to us, us at Crimson Shadow, and what all had been said: Mom is working on getting the witch who made the potion caught and a video of them admitting who hired them.

My Dad will be leading the war against Crimson Shadow, along with Alpha Heath, it should go quickly” Tanner tells me.

“OK, but what if you don’t make the team? I am so sorry you didn’t sleep well, Tanner. I was really upset that you wouldn’t listen to what I was saying, and I have been hurt so much, that I had to try to build up my guard so it wouldn’t kill me with the betrayal.

I had to go away and get some perspective. I am concerned that you won’t be successful today in the testing. I had some things I wanted to tell you” I told him.

“You still can, baby. Don’t write me off yet, your mate is still a big, strong guy. I haven’t been beaten just yet. We will discuss the second option after the test, OK, Gabi?” Tanner tells me.

“That is because the test hasn’t started yet man. Don’t worry, it will all be over with quick for you” I heard Alan call out and then the guys come up laughing and doing their fist, and shoulder, bumps with each other. They are already fast friends, and I hope Tanner can make the team.

“I know you guys are good, but I still plan on giving you a run for your money. Don’t count me out just yet” Tanner tells them. The guys go on to eat, and I give him some tips to use, and I will make sure he uses my thigh holster, gun, and the site again.

I told him about me being able to see them as the leaves don’t grow like that on the bottom of the tree, and that was how I had seen Alan and Jameson. I also told him to be patient, and if he can get them to come to him, that was the best thing to do.

Heath nodded at what I had told him and then gave him several tips as well. I can see how tired Tanner was, and it upsets me that I may have messed up his chance to make the team, by getting so jealous of Dana trying to monopolize and control him.

Jack had fallen asleep in my arms after I burped him, and I leaned into Tanner with my other shoulder, and I sent up a prayer that one day we will have a pup of our own. I look down at Jack’s peaceful sleeping face, and I traced his cute little cheek with my fingertip and wonder what our baby would look like.

Would she look like me? Or her father? Or would it be a boy who was his father made over? With Tanner’s beautiful stormy eyes? I looked up at him, to see Tanner watching me carefully and I can’t help smiling up at him, because I already know he knew what I was thinking.

“Whenever you want to start, my love. I would love to have pups with you too” Tanner tells me and pulls me and Jack closer to him and lays his chin on my head.

“OK, people, time to stop playing house and get your a*s to the training field, because we are about to get this party started for you, Tanner. I hope that you are prepared to lose” Hudson tells Tanner and they all started laughing.

“You know there is nothing I would rather do more than getting to practice playing house with Gabi, on making our family. So let me go get this over with, but I will try to go easy on you guys, make you guys getting “killed” be as easy as I can for you” Tanner tells them and then smiles, as he knows they are just messing with him. Tanner looks like he feels better now, and like he could beat them.

I told him to give me a few minutes to take Jack to daycare, but he just reached out and took Jack from me and cradles him into his elbow, while I pushed the stroller with the diaper bag in the seat of it to the daycare up the hallway.

I liked this feeling of being a family, taking the baby to the daycare, and I realize, I want this. Tanner looks even hotter with the baby in his arms, I would have never thought it possible, but here we are.

It hits me hard, like a freight train. I want ALL of this, with Tanner.

I want to carry and raise his pups, I want to wake up every morning in his arms, with his scent around me. I want Tanner with me for the rest of my life, and I am done with waiting.

I cannot wait for the testing to be over with today, as I am ready to move forward with Tanner by my side as my mate, and the love of my life. I want the whole world to realize that we are mated and marked because he is MINE.