The Rejected Mate novel · Chapter 18 of 24

Chapter 18: After the Stone

By dawn the whole pack stood on the lawn in front of the pack house, and nobody had slept.

The old healer had stitched Caelen's shoulder by lantern light.

He stood on the porch steps with his arm strapped to his chest and his jacket over the other shoulder.

He was the Alpha of Ironwood now.

He did not look as if he had been told.

Willa stood at the bottom of the steps beside Kirk, who had brought her a mug of tea and said nothing about her face.

"Slept?" he asked.

"No."

"Me neither. Your Alpha snores, you know. Two years in one dorm room."

"He's not my Alpha."

"No," said Kirk, and sipped. "I noticed you've started saying that like it's a question."

Luna Odette came out of the house in her grey wool and stood beside her son.

She held up one hand, and the lawn went quiet.

"I have been your Luna for twenty-six years," she said.

"For all of them I have known what my husband was, and for all of them I kept quiet. Some of you have said I was wise. I was afraid."

"I won't sit in that chair another day and call it duty."

She slid a plain silver ring from her finger and held it in her palm.

"I step down," said Odette. "The Luna's seat stands empty by my own hand."

"I will keep the ring until the Moon names the one who should wear it."

There was a murmur, and it was not an angry one.

Caelen took a breath and stepped forward.

"There are two judgments to make this morning," he said. "I'll make them where everyone can hear."

"Bring Dinah Ashdown."

Two wolves led her out of the house.

Her right hand was wrapped in white cloth, and her gold hair hung limp.

Without the lace and the pin she looked small and very young.

She looked at the crowd, at the hard faces turned away from her one after another.

Then she looked at Willa, and her wide blue eyes filled.

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