My Promised Rejection (Olivia) novel Chapter 20

20 The Geremony

Ace POV

Becca insisted on taking bella to pick out a “pretty bracelet to go with her princess dress. I smile thinking about how happy my daughter is despite everything that’s happened, I make my way to the pack house from our cottage. A few days after Candace left, I asked Alpha Xavier to move into a smaller cottage with two bedrooms. We had originally wanted a bigger home to expand our family, but that isn’t necessary now.

I shake those thoughts away as I step into the pack house. I’m shocked by the number of people standing in the foyer. My eyes move through the group until they land on Connor hugging a woman with long sandy blonde hair. I can only see her back, but it is clearly not his mate. “Connor, what the hell?” I watch the woman’s body stiffen before he sets her on her feet.

When she turns, I feel like the air is knocked from my lungs. It’s Olivia, but she isn’t a seventeen–year–old girl anymore that I met years ago. She is a beautiful woman in a dress that makes it hard for me to focus on the people around me. “You remember my sister, Olivia, don’t you Ace,” Connor says, pulling me back into the moment. “I do. It’s nice to see you again, Oliva.”

I’d never dare tell anyone this, but I’ve thought of her often over the last five years. There was something about her that wouldn’t let me forget her. A squeal has me looking at my daughter barreling down the stairs.” Della, slow down so you don’t get hurt.” “Mommy,” she squeals and the blood freezes in my veins.

I knew there was a possibility that she would be here today, but I had hoped that she would think about our daughter even if she cared nothing for me and stay away. I’m just about to turn when Della launches herself at Olivia, almost knocking her to the ground. “Della,” I say in warning, just as Olivia scoops her up in her arms. “Della, Bella,” I’ve missed you, Olivia says. I swear my heart starts to beat faster just seeing her holding my daughter. I quickly move toward them, offering to take Della from her arms.

Della wraps her arms tighter around Olivia’s neck, effectively stopping my effort. “Della, why would you call Olivia mommy? You know that isn’t true.” “All my friends have a mommy. I want her to be my mine,” she says like I just asked the stupidest question she has ever heard. “Baby, you can’t just pick a new mommy.” Tears form in my daughter’s eyes and a low growl has me looking at Olivia. Her eyes are flicking back and forth

between hers and her wolf’s.

She bends, setting Della on her feet so she can look into her eyes. “Hey Della, how about if we be best

friends,” she asks. Della wipes the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hands. “We can be best friends,”

she asks in her tiny voice. “You bet. You know what else my friends and family get to call me Oli, isn’t that

right, Connor,” she says. The room goes silent as Connor stares down at Olivia.

I’m not sure exactly what’s happening, but Connor looks like he is fighting tears of his own. “That’s right,

Della. Oli is my sister.” “I want to be best friends, Oli” she says, wrapping her arms around Olivia’s neck. This

time I look up to see that Connor is hugging Becca, who can’t stop smiling. “Alright, I’m not sure why you are

all standing here, but it’s time to make our way to the training field for the ceremony,” the Alpha says as he

and the Luna step into the foyer.

“Daddy, I want to sit with my new best friend Oli” Della says. “Della, I’m not sure,” I start to say, but Olivia silences me with her hand on mine. I swear I feel the strangest sensation when our skin touches. “I would love to have Della sit with me during the ceremony and you, of course. I’m sure you want to be close to her

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since I’m essentially a stranger, she says. I nod, my mind still focused on the little tingles I felt on my skin.

Olivia takes Della’s hand and heads for the door that leads to the pack yard. I follow behind them as we make our way up the path to the training field. Kevin passes by me and reaches for Olivia’s arm. As soon as he touches het, an unfamiliar feeling of anger settles in my stomach. Why the hell do I can if Kevin touches Olivia? As soon as he finishes whatever he had to say, he heads back to join Rain. Olivia turns to face me, a look of irritation on her face.

“I guess I’m being ordered to sit up front.” “That’s alright, Della, and I will just take seats toward the back like we had planned.” “I still want you two to sit with me. I was just hoping we could sit in the back,” she says, before she starts to walk down the aisle again. We are almost to the front row when a low growl has my head turning just in time to see my ex–wife staring daggers at Olivia. How f**king dare she growl at Olivia?

I’m not sure why her growling at Olivia makes me so irate, but it does. It has to be because she is disrespecting the Alpha family. How dare she step foot in the Red Moon to begin with but than to be angry at someone who has done nothing to her? I move closer to Olivia, placing my hand on the small of her back without thinking. She stiffens at first before her shoulders relax. Why does this feel so natural?

“Daddy, we get to sit in the front with Olivia,” Della says, bringing me out of my thoughts. I smile down at my daughter her excitement contagious. “I know. You have to be a good girl during the ceremony. We have to be very quiet, alright sweat pea.” “Yes daddy. I’ll be very quiet. We have to be very quiet, Olivia,” she whispers. The smile on Olivia’s face as we take our seats with Della between us makes warmth spread through my chest. What the hell is wrong with me today? Focus on Della, Ace, I say to myself.

Olivia POV

I swear I have to focus on every step I take on the training field, knowing that Ace is this close to me. If the

bond is broken, why the hell do I still feel this way? When Ace places his hand against my back, Danica whimpers and I stiffen. Just knowing, his hand is on me even through my clothes has my stomach flipping. What the hell is wrong with me? The sound of Xavier’s voice has me looking toward the stage.

I smile when I see Becca standing next to Connor in a beautiful blue gown. She is going to make a wonderful Luna. Her love and support is one of the only reasons I got through everything that happened when I was seventeen. “Weclome pack members and honored guests to the Red Moon Alpha Ceremony. It has been my honor to serve the pack for all these years as your Alpha. As you all know, I found my mate and Luna five

years ago,” he says.

“Not only did I find my mate, but I was lucky enough to be gifted a strong, capable son from our union. It is with great pleasure that I pass my title to him today. My Luna would like to say a few words before we make it official,” Xavier says. “It has been my pleasure to serve the pack for the last five years as Luna. I have been blessed in my life with a handsome son, Connor, and a beautiful daughter, Olivia,” she says.

“They are more than I ever thought I would have in this life, but the goddess has seen fit to bless Alpha Xavier and myself with another pup,” she says, placing her hand on her belly. The crowd breaks out in cheers. I’m not

sure how to react, but Della’s excitement about the new pup has a smile creeping onto my face.

“You are going to be a big sister, Oli. I wish I was a big sister,” she says. “I am going to be a big sister,” I say, fighting the tears forming in the corner of my eyes as I think about a pup that will be part of me and Connor.

When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a big sister. My parents tried for a while, but it just didn’t happen. My dad used to say that he had two amazing kids, so he couldn’t be greedy if God didn’t give him arymore. The memory makes me smile. I look back at the stage and my mother is smiling at me from where

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