Page 113 of Rejected and Pregnant By the Alpha King

Even if, by some miracle, he doesn’t kill her, what’s to say he won’t torture her instead? If she’s no longer pregnant, what’s to stop him from using her for what he paid for? Hell, he could already be trying to do so as we speak.

My fists tighten at my sides at the thought, my alpha instincts flaring instantly at the thought of anyone else touching what’s mine.

“Your Grace, with all due respect…who cares?”

My eyes snap up to meet Delilah’s.

She’s frowning now. “Who cares if you start a war? She’s yourfated mate. And she’s pregnant with your heir. Isn’t she worth it to you?”

My heart thunders in my chest at that, my wolf crooning softly in sympathy. My entire life, my father had beaten it into me that letting my emotions cloud my objectiveness would be the downfall of our pack. His relentlessness in making me a cool and level-headed alpha like himself had been all-encompassing.

Yet all I reallydocare about is Raine and getting her back. Fuck my responsibilities. Fuck running my pack. Fuck starting a war.

Don’t you dare ruin this pack after I’m gone: my father’s words echo in my head.

“I can’t risk other people’s lives, Delilah.”

She huffs at me. “That’s such a cop-out! Who else is going to rescue your mate other than yourself? If I had a fated mate, I’d walk through fire for them! I’d storm down to the South anddemandthat she be given back! Hell, I’ll do that right now just because she’s my best friend!”

I admire her fire, I really do. However there are certain things that can’t be done no matter how much you may want them. “Delilah—”

“No!” She pushes herself up from the couch and crosses the room in order to stab her finger right in the middle of my chest.“Shut up! You are such a goddamn asshole, I swear to the gods! Can youfor oncethink with your heart and not your head?”

My lips part again to speak, only to be cut off once more.

“And another thing!” she goes on. “You really think Raine isn’t praying,wishing, for you to come save her? If the other alpha king is so horrible like everyone says he is, how can you leave a pack member who was once underyour ruleto suffer like that?”

Shit.

Would my father rescue Raine if he were in my position?

She stabs me in the chest again with her finger. “Gods,focus. This isn’t about what other people want. What doyouwant?”

“I…”

She watches me expectantly. “Well? Forget everyone else. Forget your title, forget your pack. What doesAidenwant?”

The last time I was asked something like that, I’d been a child, still attached to my mother’s hip. She was always good about separating me from my duties acting as heir, even shooing my father off when his lessons became overbearing.

I wish she were here now so that I could talk to her—ask her for her advice on what to do. She’d always been my voice of reason, the person who could get my head to listen to my heart. With her gone, I’ve fallen into the pattern of listening to whatever my father taught me, taking his word as law.

Now, those same lessons are failing me.I’mfailing everyone around me.

The right thing to do, and whatIwant to do, are two completely opposite things.

“I want to go get Raine.” Admitting it out loud like this is terrifying, even if it’s only in front of Delilah.

She nods sharply, a determined expression coming over her. “Then let’s go get her. Fuck the war. She needs us.”

She does. Raine, my mate, needs me. She needs me to come rescue her because as Delilah said, who else will?

“Alright.” My voice shakes a little as I speak. “Let me loop Camden into this. He’s going to need to stay behind to run the pack while I’m gone.”

“I’m coming too.”

Nodding, I say, “Let’s get packed, then.”

Just as we both turn to leave my office, the door is shoved open and the last person I expect to be standing there emerges.

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