The Failed Rejection
Chapter 34

Liliana’s pov

Lili watched her mate read her children read the kids a story. Tomorrow was going to be hard. Nathan had to go back to his pack and he wouldn’t be back until the week of Christmas. It was hard on her, but even harder on Nathan. He was away from his pregnant mate. Lili laid down in the large California King bed waiting for her mates. Nathan’s impending absence wasn’t the only thing on her mind. Her sister Penelope was home so briefly for Thanksgiving. Penelope normally comes home for the whole week. Lili knew something was going on at Axel’s pack, but Killian didn’t tell her what.

Lili just wanted to help her sister. Penelope did so much for her and her family. Penelope deserved her help now. Lili felt the bed dip behind her. Nathan.

“What are you thinking about? You were so focused you didn’t feel me enter the room,” Nathan commented.

“Penelope, I’m worried about her.”

“She did seem preoccupied,” Nathan agreed.

“She is going through some things,” Killian chimed in as he walked into the room.

“What?” Lili asked her mate as he undressed. Lili felt the need for her mate as she watched him. Lili knew her mates could smell her arousal but they did nothing about it.

“Penelope didn’t want me to tell you as you have a lot to deal with during this pregnancy,” Killian said sliding into bed. Lili felt the tears slide down her face. She was so sick and tired of everyone around her treating her like glass. Yes this pregnancy was a difficult one, but that didn’t mean her mind was broken. Not to mention she hadn’t been intimate with her mates for over a month now.

Lili was going to find a way to help her sister, just see if she didn’t.

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Braxton pov

Stephanie caved right away. The second the torture devices were rolled in she told him everything Brax wanted to know. He didn’t have to lay a finger on her. They weren’t mates like he knew, she had always wanted to be his mate. Stephanie had even rejected her mate for him.

Braxton’s aunt and uncle were considered social outcasts in their pack.

Braxton disappeared from the pack in the middle of the night over a year ago. He had left no letter where he was going and no tracker could pick up his trail. When word got around of a bear with amnesia his parents didn’t believe he could have been brought so low. His aunt and uncle decided to take the risk, Stephanie overheard their plans. She demanded to be taken along.

Braxton got his pack information out of Stephanie and then left the room. He went upstairs relayed the information to Axel and the booked him a flight to Sitka Alaska. Axel gave him pocket money of about a thousand dollars, Brax promised him repayment. Axel simply wished him a return of his memories.

The next couple of days were hellish. Braxton had several lay overs, and when he got into Alaska there was a snowstorm that grounded all planes. Braxton decided to rent a car. Stephanie told him the pack was located near the mountain Devil’s Paw several hours outside of Juneau. However, when the plane landed it landed in a tiny little airstrip in Ketchikan.

Braxton had to pull over several times because the road was too snow covered to drive on. He got turned around three times, stopped and asked for directions. Finally he was on his way.

Things were starting to feel familiar. As if he had driven this road before. Braxton took a right turn down a barely noticeable gravel road.

Braxton waved to the patrolmen on guard, they looked shocked but he didn’t bother stopping. Braxton drove on the gravel road until the packhouse came into view. He put the car into park and got out.

As he stared at his packhouse everything washed over him. Braxton remembered everything. Memories flooded through him coming wave after wave. He fell to his knees in agony. Braxton closed his eyes and held his head. He couldn’t take the memories flooding him.

His beautiful mate he had known since they were babies. That was what coming through the most.

His parents, brothers, his alpha ceremony. It was made all the that much more precious when his mate told him she was pregnant with his cub.

That cub never got to draw breath because his mate was kidnapped just a month before she was due to give birth. Rogue wolves. They wanted him to fight in some bullshit war. His hate for wolves that came back with a vengeance. That’s why he left, he had to find the rogues that were behind their deaths.

His attack he remembered now! That’s why he was in Philadelphia! He had to get back!

Braxton got back to his feet and opened his eyes to see his family surrounding him. Ugh he let out a sigh.

“Where have you been?” His mother asked.

“I was busy, I’m leaving soon again,” Braxton said as he started walking toward the packhouse.

“No you are not! You are staying here and becoming alpha of this pack!” His father yelled. That was a direct challenge, one his bear couldn’t let stand. A ferocious growl ripped through his chest.

“There are more important things to do father than to be alphas of this damn pack!”

“Like what?” His younger brother Denali asked.

“Like stop the war that is coming,” Braxton growled out.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” his mother shrugged off his comment.

“Ridiculous? Ridiculous?” Braxton was more furious than ever.

“They killed my mate and pup. When I tracked them down they almost killed me. Look what they did to make sure I never found out who I was,” Braxton stated taking off his shirt. By this time there had been several people gathering to see their true alpha’s return. Everyone gasped in horror to see the removal of his tattoos as well as the few lingering scars.

“I will return and get justice for what was done to my true family,” Braxton couldn’t stop the dig at his family for not being beside him.

“You won’t stand alone brother, I’ll go with you this time,” his brother Denali told him. Braxton gave his brother a tight hug.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll go too,” his other brother Dakota joined the group hug. Soon all five of his brothers were offering their support.

“Don’t worry about your tattoo brother, I will get you in my chair tonight,” Denali stated. Braxton nodded his head thankful of his brother.

“Can we join in and you tell us where you’ve been all this time?” His youngest brother Knox asked.

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That’s where Braxton found himself several hours later. Denali was the tattoo artist of the pack which was an honored spot in the pack. Once you gained your bear at sixteen the men immediately went for a tattoo. The females generally didn’t get as tattooed as the males but it wasn’t an issue.

“What are you wanting Brax? The same as before?” His brother asked.

“Yeah but I want you to add in a wolf,” Braxton said thinking about Penelope. While he hasn’t had a chance to meet her wolf yet. Brax knew it was only a matter of time. He also didn’t realize his brothers were looking at him like he was crazy.

“A wolf?” Knox asked.

“You hate wolves,” Dakota said.

“So where do you want it?” Denali asked unphased.

“Next to my first mate, on the left. Make sure there’s plenty of room if we have cubs,” Braxton stated.

“Okay brother, I gotta hear this story now,” Denali said as he continued to sketch out the tattoo of his new chest piece.

“Well once I left it was hard to pick up their trail. I killed rogue wolves like no one’s business. But I did leave the ones who were just trying to survive alone. The feral ones I killed, they were a danger to everyone. It took me several months to find out a name. The rogue king that was Raphael was dead, killed in Illinois several months ago. So it’s some one else looking for bear shifters. Specifically white bears.” All of his brothers growled at that. Braxton wasn’t the only white bear, his whole male b***d line was made of white bears. His brother presented him the tattoo he drew up, and Braxton nodded his approval.

“Well I headed to Illinois anyway, I wasn’t finding anything out in Seattle. In Chicago I got word that some rogue wolves were trafficking cubs and wolf pups. So I headed to the east coast.” Denali had transferred it onto his skin and started tracing it as he was telling his story to his brothers, who were listening intently.

“Then what happened?” Knox asked after he took a break. Braxton smiled at his brother.

“Then it was hard finding information, it was a lot of bumming around looking for answers.” Braxton sigh remembering those young kids.

“I remember going to one of those auctions and it was awful. Those children in cages, it will stay with me forever.” The tracing was done, and his brother starting getting ready to ink his skin.

“Okay Brax you still have some scar tissue so some parts will hurt more than the rest,” his brother told him and he nodded.

“Tell us how you got injured,” Dakota asked as his brothers needle started. Brax couldn’t help but squirm a little and his brother gave him a death glare.

“Well I had managed to get into an auction and see the major players for the first time. I bought one cub to make it seem like a buyer. But I’m not sure what I did wrong.” Brax sighed, “I followed one of the suppliers out of the club and when I got out to the alley way I realized it was a set up.” Just thinking about it made him wince.

“They had about thirty shifters and a couple of vampires to take me out. They must of know I was a white bear. I was doing okay until they stabbed me with silver.” Brax stopped talking for awhile, and just let the sound of his brothers machine soothe him.

“So how does a wolf come into the picture?” Knox asked. Braxton smiled.

“She saved my life. In many ways.”

“What do you mean?” Denali asked.

“The bastards dumped my body thinking I was dead, but she found me, did first aid and took me to the hospital.” Braxton paused for awhile. “I think she is my second chance mate.”

“How do you not know for sure?” Knox asked.

“Well that’s the other shoe, she has another mate.” His brothers erupted into a screaming chaos.