A Twisted Rejection Read online

  A Twisted Rejection

  A Rejected Mates Anthology

  Jewels Arthur

  Amanda Cashier

  Miki Ward

  Bella Claire

  Alexis Taylor

  Beth Hendrix

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental

  Copyright © 2019 by BBB Publishings. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact BBB Publishings.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition November 2019

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Bearly Rejected

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  A note form Jewels Arthur

  About the Author

  Stay Connected

  HALLOW-VERSARY

  Foreword

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Afterword

  Turn About

  To My Readers…

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Author’s Note

  Other Books by Miki Ward

  Find me

  Their Forbidden Secret

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Epilogue

  About Bella Claire

  A Twisted Secret

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Nate

  About the Authors

  Other Books by Alexis Taylor

  Other Books by Beth Hendrix

  A Note From BBB

  To our wife, Victoria-

  Without all your hard work and talent this wouldn’t be possible. Everyone needs a little Tori magic in their lives. Thank you for everything you do. We love you.

  A huge thank you to all the authors who came on this journey with us. You are all amazing. A special shout out goes to Haylee James from day one you have been one of our biggest supporters we love you

  Bearly Rejected

  BY

  Jewels Arthur

  To my husband and daughter,

  I will never stop loving you. Your support means everything.

  To my amazing cover artist and friend Samantha Rose,

  thank you for always listening to me rant and for creating all my pretties <3

  To J-Woww, A-Woww, and S-Woww

  thank you for letting me be my natural dirty self and for cheering me on. May you one day be as

  dirty minded as I am.

  Also - I love you mom. Thank you for being my #1 fan.

  Warning:

  This is a fast-paced shifter reverse harem romance meant for mature audiences only. MM is not performed but is mentioned and has the potential to appear in the future. Adult language and themes are frequent in this story.

  This story does end on a cliffhanger but it will be finished soon! There is still so much story to tell and I have to do these characters justice.

  There are also some bear puns because I can’t seem to help myself.

  Chapter One

  Alana

  I close my eyes as I lay on the stone near the lake, the breeze blowing the grass is the only thing keeping my anxiety under control. I imagine one of those paper sacks like you see in the movies, breathing in and out into it to steady my breath. No amount of concentration relieves the feel of the elephant on my chest. My fingers glide across the top of the blades of grass and I open my eyes to take in my surroundings. I woke up yesterday with plans, my life was all laid out and I was happy. Happy-ish. Although Jason and I didn't have the most romantic love, he was safe. I was promised to him when I was a child, we grew up knowing that we were fated to be together. His parents are the betas of our clowder so my parents were overjoyed when our seer foretold our coupling. It was an honor, for the greater good of the family.

  I was there when Jason first shifted. Our parents encouraged us to spend all of our time together. No need for friends when you have your fated mate. He became my best friend and confidante. When I first began shifting into my bobcat form the other kittens our age would tease me for my small size. Jason always stood up for me. When I would run away at night after my dad beat my mom, he would hold me while I cried. He has seen me at my lowest and my highest. I think that is what hurts the most. His absence in my life has left me completely alone. My parents disowned me and I was cast out. I brought great shame to my family.

  "What are you still doing here?" The voice carries through the air, breaking my small moment of peace.

  I curl my lip in disgust. Of course, she is the one to see me off. Madessi stands near the edge of the lake glaring at me and grinning evilly. It was love at first sight he said. I'm sure her wavy blonde hair and giant tits had nothing to do with it. Or her money. Madessi and her parents transferred to our clowder last spring. Nomads. Most of the men bent over backwards trying to impress her, but she wanted mine. His parents were even on board as she was a much better choice for a beta’s son. Fuck the fates. The seer that predicted our coupling was dead anyway.

  "Fuck off," I growled back continuing to stare up at the sky. This meadow was the only place I have known, so I’ve just been sleeping in the area. The alphas will only allow my presence for a short time before I am chased from the only home I have ever known. I listen closely hoping to hear her leaving so I can shift and search for food. Instead, I hear her stepping closer to me until I am shadowed from the moonlight.

  I open my eyes hating the fact that I have to look up at her. She has stolen everything, including any dominance I had. She grins down at me, her blonde waves curtaining her face.

  "You don't belong here anymore. You've been shunned." She laughs. "Jason is mine. You have no reason to be here anymore."

  "Noted." I roll my eyes and slide out from beneath her, ready to get to my feet. If she refuses to leave I will. I push myself from the ground only to be pushed back down. My knees slide into the dirt and I feel the smaller sharp rocks digging into my legs and hands. I turn my head as a growl rumbles in my chest and my body begins to shake. The burn rushes through me as my cat comes to the surface, prepared to defend me. She reacts, immediately shifting into her own bobcat. I barely have control of my cat as she lunges straight for Madessi, claws out and fangs bared. Madessi smacks the air while I leap at her, catching me across my face. I blink and shake my head as blood rushes into my eyes blinding my vision. I'm crouching low to the ground as Madessi circles me. My muscles prepare for the attack as I launch myself in her direction biting down hard on her hind leg ripping a screech from her lungs. Shit. I need to get this over with quickly before backup comes. As a shunned bobcat I will be outnumbered when the entire
family comes to Madessi's rescue, including the alphas. I begin to back away from her, praying to Bastet that she is weakened enough to allow me to make my escape. I plant my paws preparing to flee when I am tackled from behind.

  A dark brown paw holds my face to the ground while claws dig into my flesh. I shift back into my human form prepared to beg when the paw turns into a tanned calloused hand. A hand I spent my life holding.

  "Why the fuck didn't you leave while you could, Alana? You could have avoided all of this." His voice grates on my heart. I can feel the fissures as he continues to break the organ.

  I look up in his dark brown eyes and try to find the boy that I used to know. The one that brushed kisses along my neck while we laid in this exact meadow under the stars. This man that he has become doesn't love me. I suck in a breath as I stare into this stranger's eyes.

  "This is my home. Can't you understand my resistance to leave the only place I have ever known?" I ask barely holding back my tears. I won’t fucking cry.

  His eyes fill with sorrow and I cringe. I don't want his fucking pity. He lets me stand and I back away, wiping at the traitorous tears leaking from my eyes. I know this is the last time I will see him. If I come back, they will have no choice but to kill me. I take in his form, capturing to memory the last man that will ever touch me. A life of rejection is my future. No male will ever want a rejected mate. I sigh and look back towards the commune and see more of the family standing and watching our display. My parents shake their heads in shame and turn their backs to me, hand-in-hand walking back to their home.

  "Just go, Alana. Get out of here." Jason says gruffly.

  I nod, walking over to the lake to grab my bag. After one last look at my former home, I turn towards the forest to begin my solitary life.

  "Goodbye, Jason."

  Chapter Two

  Alana

  I run in my human form until my lungs burn. The grass cuts my legs distracting me from the burn. I can't remember when I stopped crying or how long I've been running, I just know that I need to get as far away as possible. I will find no safety in the open at night. With no clowder to protect me, I will no longer have anyone to watch my back. My restful nights are a thing of the past. I scan the area searching for a place to stay for the night, careful to avoid other packs of shifters who would not take kindly to an intruder on their lands. The bear and cougar shifters live close to my commune. My former commune. I can smell their scents in the area causing fear to restrict my chest.

  Catching sight of a cave nearby I drop to a crouch, trying to steady my breath. My brown hair lays in tangles at my back that I tie back with a band from my backpack. I was only able to grab a few clothes before I made my way to the lake to spend my last moments in my favorite place. My own calm before the storm. Jason could have killed me for attacking his mate. It isn't unheard of for an ousted member to be killed. Some would prefer that over a solitary life. No safety. No home.

  "Helloooooo?" I call into the cave, hoping there aren't any bears in there. Natural or shifter. The last thing I need is a pissed off bear.

  I am greeted by my own voice echoed back to me and I feel myself calm. Okay. A place to sleep. Check. Next up, food. I peel my backpack off and put it in the corner, hoping it will still be here when I return as it has the only clothes I own anymore. Closing my eyes and concentrating on the shift, the burn moves through all the cells in my body. Bones crack and I feel myself shrink closer to the ground. My eyesight sharpens and the sounds of the night surround me. My bobcat purrs as she stretches her muscles like a common house cat. Only the human side of me seems to really feel the loss of Jason and my family. She is fine alone.

  I paw my way out of my temporary home, keeping low in the tall grass. The night air fills my lungs and I taste the different scents finding one that makes my ears perk. Rabbit. My claws dig into the dirt as I stalk my prey. Its teeth click together as it chews on pieces of clover. Pushing my thoughts to be purely animal, I try to concentrate on the kill to avoid feeling squeamish about eating the animal raw. We rarely eat in our animal forms, preferring to eat as regular humans do. This is the first night of the rest of my life, so I better get used to raw.

  When I am close enough to hear the rabbit's breaths, I know that my moment to attack is here. I spring with my claws extended and bite down on the rabbit's neck before it even knew what was coming. The bones crunch as I continue to bite down and blood fills my mouth. I feast on my kill in bobcat form, tearing meat from bone until there is nothing left but fur and bones. Walking down to the river nearby to drink and clean my fur, I take care not to get too wet as the night is sure to be a cold one. Pride fills me as I curl up in the corner of the cave. Food. Check. As I drift off to sleep, I contemplate the rest of my existence. It may not be a life but I will, at least, get to continue to live.

  In my dreams, I am haunted by the betrayal of my family. I see my parents turning their back on me as the clowder cheers my defeat. Jason's hand holds my skull to the ground and I can feel rocks cutting into my face. He continues to push, putting enough pressure to make my skull feel as if it is cracking. This is it, I think. My eyes catch sight of Madessi and she cackles from the crowd with her feline teeth glinting in the sunlight. Tears burn in my eyes as they trail down my face puddling into the dirt below me.

  "You should have just fucking left. I don't know why you would ever think I would want a nasty slut like you. A slut that would give herself up to me before our mating ceremony." Jason growls in my ear, pulling my hair as he continues to crush my skull. As everything starts to go black and I'm convinced I'm dying, I see a large brown animal racing towards me.

  I jerk awake to heavy breathing as I realize it was all just a dream, though I am no longer alone. I sniff the air, filling my lungs with the smells of bears. Shifters. Fuck. I look up to see four bears surrounding me. A sandy brown bear stands at the front, sniffing my pack. Two darker brown bears stand near the entrance, blocking my escape. The final bear is pitch black, staring me down with his lip curled up showing sharp white teeth. Bowing my head in submission, I know I will be unable to fight these gigantic animals. Maybe I could outrun them if I could get past the two by the entrance. Our speeds are going to be pretty well matched but I can climb better than these lumbering beasts. I roll over showing my belly, hoping to placate the males that have me trapped. The sandy bear lumbers toward me, taking deep sniffs of my fur pushing my face to the side as he continues his inspection of me. They all just seem mildly curious about me instead of threatened. The black bear continues to growl as he stares me down. I stand, keeping my head down, and let the bears come in closer.

  Their muzzles push into me as they take in my scent with deep rumbling breaths. I quietly whimper edging my way away from them toward the exit. The black bear's large paw comes at me, claws extended and smacking me to the ground as I pad toward the exit. The sandy bear launches at the black bear, teeth bared with a ferocious growl. I cower back from the noise, fear coursing through my system. Why the fuck would they be fighting? Deciding who gets to eat more of me. Well, I am nobody's meal. With the two dark brown bears’ attention on the fight, I make a run for it.

  I leap out of the mouth of the cave, sprinting as fast as my legs will carry me. I hear scrambling behind me and know that the stare down has ended, supper is making its escape. My claws dig into the ground as my legs propel me forward towards a tall tree in my direct line. I only have to get to this tree to make my escape then I can leap from tree to tree until I find safety.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see sandy fur and know that the sandy bear has caught up to me. Damn, he is fast. He tries to cut me off, forcing me to sprint diagonally towards a different tree. A lone tree. I lunge at the bark with my claws out and scamper up the tree as quickly as I can. Once I have gotten towards the top, I look down to see all four bears circling the tree.

  Now I am well and totally fucked. They literally just have to wait me out as this tree is nowhere near any other trees. My choic
es are to jump down and deal with the bears or die of dehydration up here. Fucking swell. The sandy bear claws at the tree looking up at me with, what? Longing? I shake my head convinced it must be longing for a meal as I see the look on the two darker brown bears as well. The black bear, well he just looks pissed. He stomps back and forth looking up at me with his lips drawn back. Drool dripping from his snout. He looks feral and I suddenly fear for the other 3 bears. What if he attacks them over me? What if he kills them? Horror constricts my chest. Well, that is fucking bizarre. What is that syndrome when you fall for your captors? Stockholm syndrome? Probably the shortest case in history.

  I glance down and make the decision to shift back. Maybe if I can talk to them, explain, they will just leave. I push my back against the tree and shift.