Regretted Rejection : Wrath of the Moon
Chapter 14

At the Border of the Forrester Pack;

Two black SUVs marked with the Council's emblem came to halt, at the break of the dawn, rightwhere the border starts. There was a group of five werewolves standing in the middle of the roadblocking the SUVs.

Beta Mark stepped forward with his team of warriors. The scene gave Maya a flashback of whathappened three years ago. But she reminded herself that Maya three years ago and Maya now aretwo different people, in spirit and mind as well as the strength.

Maya's head lifted slightly in arrogance and she kept waiting in the car without alighting. Beta Markgot pissed because for he wanted to assert his dominance and show her that she would have toobey the rules here, that it was not her home.

"Team Leader Maya." Beta Mark greeted.

"Beta Mark, may I know why are you stopping the Council members’ entry in the Forrester packlands? Maya asked rather curtly.

"We would like to see the permission slip allowing you to enter the pack lands.” the Beta drawledwith insolence. This triggered Andy and he went to undid his seat belt to punch the Beta. HoweverMaya put a hand on top of Andy's and that made the Beta grin as if he won a battle.

"Beta Mark, your Alpha came to us to ask for our help. With this display on his pack border are wesupposed to think that you don't require our help anymore?" Maya said with a lazy yawn.

All the members of Forrester pack had blackened faces at her words. Finally Beta Mark bowed hishead and stepped aside. Maya simply sent a lazy smile towards them and motioned the SUVs tocontinue their way inside the territory.

The Alpha and Luna Forrester were waiting at the entrance of the main pack building. Maya gotdown from her car and walked towards them. Her steps reflected confidence and power. Everyone'seyes were drawn towards her and the confidence she exuded. After so many years, Maya stood faceto face with the ones that betrayed her at the most weakest point in her life. Her parents werestanding behind Ken and Claire. Her mother's eyes held a shine as if she had cried recently. Xanderstood a little to the side and watched Maya, with unreadable emotions playing in his eyes.

"Alpha and Luna Forrester.” Maya said calmly.

"Welcome to the Forrester pack, Team Leader Maya." Claire chimed welcoming her.

Maya shot her a look and raised one of her eyebrows and said, "Thank you, Luna Forrester. HoweverI suggest, due to the lack of familiarity between us, to call me Team Leader Wright." The Forresterpack members had their hackles raised due to Maya's behaviour. However, Maya simply ignoredthem and continued speaking. "It would be helpful if you can ask someone to show us to our roomsand work area, we would like to clean up and then we can set up our equipments. We had a longjourney out here.”

"Oh yes, how silly of me." Claire replied, "Our Pack Trainer, Xander, will show you around.”

Maya nodded, not even sparing a glance towards Xander, and motioned her team members to pickup the luggage.

"You can leave that here. We will ask a member to bring it to your rooms." Xander said.

"It is fine Mr. Lockhart. We have some sensitive equipment and it is better if we handle it ourselves.”Marina replied. Xander noted that Maya still didn't glance his way and his heart squeezed painfully.He took them to their rooms in the common pack house and came downstairs.

"Are you okay?" Ken asked him concerned, to which Xander replied by nodding his head. Clairepatted his back and left with Ken to their rooms.

After a while, Andy and Jeff headed with Xander to set up the computers and their equipments inthe work room designated for them. They were set up in the surveillance room of the pack and thepack members already working in the room weren't happy with this decision, as they considered itan intrusion of their space. Their faces showed their inner irritation but Andy and Jeff didn’t paythem any attention and simply got busy in setting up the equipment.

Marina and Ryder soon came to join them. However, Maya didn't arrive for a long time and Xanderkept throwing glances at the door. His wolf was getting a bit antsy and wanted to see his mate."Looks like your Team Leader got lost in the pack house." one of the Forrester pack memberscommented snidely.

"Dumb woman, even forgetting the lay of the land where she lived for most of her life." anotherpack member continued.

Maya's team froze and Marina slowly turned to throw the members a look. "It is strange that youwould still beg for a dumb woman to come and save your ass.” she said. The members immediatelyturned towards the screens and pretended to get busy in their work. Marina's aura leaked in theroom and the Forrester wolves were able to sense that she is a better warrior that them.

Maya came to the surveillance room after some time. She threw a glance around the room and sawthe tense postures of her team members. She understood something must have happened andwalked towards her team. She looked at Marina questioningly, who returned a small smile andshook her head negative. But Jeff being a werewolf was able to communicate with Maya in her headand he couldn't hold back on what happened. Maya was his Alpha as well as his Team Leader andhe couldn't tolerate the pack trying to insult her.

Maya nodded at him, as if to signal that he did good by telling her, and turned to others saying, "Ihave made arrangements for our food in our rooms itself. Since our equipment is set up, we canstart after having a bite." She lifted the bag with their food onto the table.

"We could have provided food for you guys. You don't need to go through that trouble.” Xandersaid frowning at the bag. If Maya ate with her team in the room then he wouldn't be able to see herin the communal dining hall at meal times.

"Mr. Lockhart, with all due respect. Ryder is a vampire, Marina a witch and Andy is a were panther. Idoubt that you would know what they eat and don't eat. Also, not all pack members show atolerance towards someone not their own kind, and I do not expect that they are happy about mebeing here either. Let us at least have our food in peace with everyone not glowering at our backs.”Maya replied, watching the Forrester pack members in the room. The pack members flinched at herwords and pretended to be absorbed in the screens. Maya just smirked at the back of their headsand turned to look towards Xander.

Xander was frowning at her words, "I assure you that we can behave ourselves Maya. We wouldnever do or say anything to insult you and your team.”

"I would have liked to believe that Mr. Lockhart but the welcome we received till now has provedotherwise.” Maya replied.

Xander stood up confused and walked towards Maya. He touched her arm and said, "You can tellme if anyone insulted you Maya. I would ensure that they get punished.” The sparks of their matebond ran down Maya's arm. It made Xander happy to feel those sparks running up his hand.

Maya stepped back to avoid his hand and replied,"Please excuse my disbelief towards yourstatement, Mr. Lockhart. I have a first hand experience of your sincerity."

Her words stung Xander and a flash of sadness passed through his eyes. He dropped his hand,stepped back and bowed his head. "I understand.” he said, "I will try my level best to earn your trustagain, Maya."

"What would be the purpose of that Mr. Lockhart? Me and my team would be leaving at the end ofthis assignment. We will never meet each other after that.” she said calmly in a firm voice.

Xander looked up at her shocked. His wolf started feeling desperate and wanted to make anappearance before his mate. His wolf wanted to claim her so that she would never leave him again.Xander ruthlessly suppressed his wolf as he had been doing since last three years. "She is right. Shecannot stay here. She is a danger to Claire and her child.” Xander thought towards his wolf. But thismade his wolf even more desperate and he renewed the struggle to come out. Xander took a deepbreath and let Maya's smell that saturated the room wash over him. It helped to calm his wolf alittle. He left the room calm but dejected.