Page 21 of Rejected and Pregnant By the Alpha King

Moving around the couch, I crouch and cup my hand around one of the flames and huff it out with a short breath. As I move to the next one, I hear a strange noise coming from somewhere behind me.

Soft laugher.

Freezing, I hold my breath and wait for the door to his room to be opened. To my surprise though, it isn’t, and the more I concentrate on the sound, I realize it’s actually coming from down the hall that offshoots from the living area.

Curious, I abandon the still-lit candles and grab the one I blew out, holding it tightly in my hand as a weapon while I follow the sound.

His door had been unlocked. Maybe someone had broken in to try to ransack his room while he’s busy downstairs entertaining guests.

The sound picks up again, followed by another soft noise that sounds more muffled. My grip on the candlestick tightens. What the hell is that?

I find another door at the end of this hall, partially open. Shadows move beyond it, more candlelight—brighter this time—spilling onto the floor underneath the crack. I stare at it for a long moment, my mind not being able to compute exactly what I’m looking at until everything suddenly focuses.

Aiden is standing in his bedroom, over by a large window that has the curtains drawn shut. His features are shrouded in shadows that dance from the candles that are lit in the room—giving a rather romantic feeling to the atmosphere.

Beside him is another female, pretty and petite with her long golden hair cascading down her back in soft ringlets that look doll-like. She’s beautiful, even from her side profile, and she’s smiling widely at Aiden while he says something.

Why are they alone together in his room like this? Shouldn’t he be down at the ball?

Suddenly, the female surges forward, her hands grabbing at the lapels of Aiden’s jacket and pulls him in for a kiss.

My heart stops in my chest, my entire body going numb.

What…what is this?

Tears burn my eyes. Without meaning to, I let out a soft gasp, causing them to rip apart from each other.

“Who the hell areyou?” The female practically screeches at me. “Get the hell out!”

I stumble back, not knowing what else to do but listen to her.

What is going on?

Why?

Are they together?

“Shit,” I hear Aiden mutter.

He begins to turn around and reach out for me. All of my instincts cry out to run as fast as I can.

“Raine. Wait!” He calls after me.

I’m out the door and sprinting down the hall, the telltale sounds of him shifting and following after me loud in my ears. If I let him catch up to me, he’s just going to grab me back there to that room to do gods know what to me.

How can he do that? Is this what it’s like to be bonded to an alpha king?

I leap down the staircase leading down to the main floor while shifting. My paws scratch against the marble floors, desperately trying to find purchase as I continue for the foyer. A snarl from behind me almost has me stopping, but I ignore it.

I have to get out of here. I need air or else I’m going to actually die.

Throwing my body weight at the front doors, they crash open loudly. I don’t care how much attention it’ll bring me, as long as I can get outside and run away from here—run until my legs can no longer carry me.

The night is quiet, only broken up by the sound of my labored breathing.

Not knowing Pollis lands at all, I take a guess and head for the nearest strip of trees. It’s hard to see through my still-tearing eyes, my wolf’s agonizing cries practically deafening.

Why, why, why?

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