Page 101 of Rejected and Pregnant By the Alpha King

Sighing, I follow after them, slowly pulling myself out of the water and gathering my things as well. So much for a nice and relaxing afternoon…

I stuff my feet into my sandals and keep my towel and clothes clutched against my chest as I make my way through the overgrown brush. Rose is whining at her brother as she’s dragged along, complaining about him coming around and ruining our fun while Wren’s clipped words are anything short of pissed.

Hopefully this little endeavor doesn’t get Rose banned from hanging out with me.

A soft breeze wafts behind me, chilling my still-wet skin. That same familiar scent from before tickles my nose, just as I feel the presence of someone behind me.

Stopping short, I hold my breath.

“Don’teverdo that again.” Nyx’s words ghost over the shell of my ear.

I don’t even get to enjoy the warm feel of his body against my back before he’s pulling away and moving around me. He must’ve brought the woman back to her homestead, because she’s no longer draped over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

My throat is tight as I swallow again, but not out of fear. No, this reaction is much different than that.

46

Aiden

Entertaining a pack alpha for an entire day with my advisor sneaking around in the shadows trying to dig up any information she could on the whereabouts of my fated mate was a lot more annoying than I expected.

For one, Daniel is insufferable. And two, trying to keep myself from snapping at him every minute spent with him borders on impossible. The only reason I was able to keep my head on straight was Camden holding me back from doing so.

“You’re just going to feed into it,” is all he’d say before letting go of the back of my shirt.

He’s right, of course. Unfortunately.

During the day, Daniel decided to take us on a tour around the pack in order to show us how he’d been running it since hisbeta up and left almost ten years ago—a fact that instantly had Camden and me raising our brows.

It’s one thing for the rumor of a beta defecting to be just that—a rumor, especially in front of an alpha king. However, Daniel’s boastful nature doesn’t give him the sort of humility needed to run a successful pack in the first place.

Andromeda, while self-sustaining, can barely make ends meet. It’s no wonder both Raine and Delilah were desperate to get out of here and find some solace over in my packlands. Compared to this nightmare, mine seems like a damn paradise.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, Camden and I successfully were able to break away from Daniel with the excuse of exploring the rest of the forest that surrounds their lands. After some convincing, Daniel relented and retreated back to his mansion.

No other enforcers or patrols follow us into the forest after that, thankfully.

“Thought that guy wouldneverleave,” Camden mumbles.

I lead us back to the small cabin that Delilah showed us the day before, where we could all meet up after Constance’s heist. It’s a rundown shack that looks barely inhabitable, though when I knock on the door and push it open, I’m surprised to see it’s fully furnished.

“Hey,” Delilah greets us. “You guys back already?”

While Camden makes a face at the question, I simply nod. “Constance should be back soon.”

“I put on a pot of soup if you guys are hungry.” She gestures with a hand and heads over to the kitchenette, where a pot is boiling on the stove.

“You stay here often, Delilah?” I ask curiously.

Even with the rundown appearance on the outside, in here is much more cozy. Sure, there are clear water damage spots on the ceiling, as well as most of the furniture looking rather worn and old. Aside from that, though, I can see Delilah living here while wanting to get away from the pack.

“Uh, sometimes? This isn’t actually my place,” she says, stirring the pot with a large metal spoon. “It’s where Raine’s been staying for the past few years.”

My heart sinks.What?

When my eyes dart around the cabin again, I’m shocked to find that this place isn’t at all what I was led to believe she had been living in. My mate had been stayinghere? I know now that she’s been ostracized by her pack, but how could it get this bad?

Sure, she made the most of living here as far as I can see, but why had she beenforcedto?

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