Page 24 of Rejected and Pregnant By the Alpha King

I’m not ready to face him so soon after what happened last night.

Honestly, I don’t even remember all of it. I’d been too blacked out to really recall anything and as hard as I try, it’s all one giant blur.

“Raine, you need to eat. I could hear your stomach from across the hall.” He speaks to me quietly.

Anger suddenly burns in my gut.

Slowly, I raise my head and grab a spoon. The soup in front of me looks downright mouthwatering, which sucks because I have no actual appetite. Still, I dip it into the bowl and swirl the contents around, watching the carrots and tofu kick up.

“Perhaps,” I say just as quietly. “I’d be more well-fed if my mate wasn’t going behind my back and getting with someone right before visiting my room.”

Aiden lets out a long sigh through his nose.

When no rebuttal comes, I pull my spoon back out and blow on it, watching the steam rise. When I slip it into my mouth, I almost moan. It tastes just as good as it looks.

“Raine…” he mumbles. “It’s not like that.”

I take another spoonful and blow on it carefully.

“She doesn’t mean anything.” He tries again.

I want to laugh and cry at the same time. How can he say that when he’d allowed her to kiss him? What would’ve happened if I never interrupted? Would he have fucked her and then come to me and fucked me too right afterward?

My stomach churns bitterly.

The image of him growling at me is something I’ll never get out of my head.

Aiden turns to me in his seat, gripping the arm of mine. “Listen to me. My pack has a lot going on right now. I know you don’t understand and I wish I could tell you about it, but I can’t. You’re just going to have to believe me.”

I’m blown away at the sheer audacity this male has.

Does he think I’m stupid? Born yesterday? Daniel’s always treated me like this, but I expected better from my own fated mate.

I drag my eyes over to him. “You expect me to believe that?”

“No. But I… I need you to. I need you to trust me. I’m handling it.”

“Handlingwhat?” I say through my teeth.

Now my devastation from earlier is shifting into rage.

What the hell have I gotten myself into with him? Mating bonds are supposed to be simple things—no-brainers. They snap into place and the world feels right and whole again.Thatis what is supposed to happen.

Not…whatever the hellthisis.

He squints at me with a pinched expression. “I’ve…got some…issueswithin my pack. Some of my…higher-ups are questioning things.”

My brows rise. What is any of that supposed to mean? “You mean your elders?”

“Yes.”

“Questioning what?”

He stares at me for a long while, his jaw ticking, trying to figure out…what? If he can trust me or not? Sure, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that I’m almost a total stranger and therefore my motives may be questionable, but I’m also hisdamn mate.

Doesn’t that count for anything?

“Aiden.”

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