Page 55 of Rejected and Pregnant By the Alpha King

Yes, it does.

In the grand scheme of things, at least.

“Still.” I shift on my feet, letting my lungs fill with cool mountain air. “I’m sure they figured that she’d be determined rather worthless in the eyes of anyone who’d still be in the market for a breeder. Her dowry reflects that.”

“They never asked why we wanted her,” Wren replies. “Plus, isn’t that all the more reason to send her with a hefty dowry? As an apology?”

I shrug. I don’t particularly care for whatever patchwork gifts the alpha of such a poor pack could ever manage to piece together as a token of a formal exchange. That was all customary anyway and didn’t exactly influence my goal of obtaining a breeder in the first place. I’ve never been one for tradition, anyway.

Honestly, her coming as lightly packed as she had—while insulting to her—made easy work for us heading back home.

“It’s not like it matters. She’s who we need and we got her.”

Wren’s quiet next to me for a long moment, giving me time to scan the tree line. I have no enforcers running border patrol tonight, though there is no need to with how quiet this town is. It’s uninhabited by any pack, so it’s a neutral ground for anyone passing through.

Off in the distance, I spot the telltale signs of red and blue lights flashing. If anything, having a patrol running around would stir the townsfolk up too much. I have a feeling that there’s very little going on here, so the sighting of a shifter pack, even if small, would send everyone into a panic.

I’m not in the mood to be dealing with humans’ temperamental emotions.

My own humans back home are much more well-trained, which has spoiled me over the years.

“The cuffs they had on her.” Wren’s voice is soft. “They were so tight that they were cutting into her skin when I took them off.”

“Yes, I did notice that.”

Wren shifts forward, leaning until his forearms are resting on his knees while he crosses his legs. “She’s not been well kept.”

“I’m surprised they have a breeder at all, given the state of their packlands.”

I can feel my beta’s eyes on me as he says, “You think she’s been passed around them all?”

I shrug. “Perhaps.”

It wouldn’t be the first time a pack raised a breeder, only to pass her around to the younger males before sending her off already broken in. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if the Andromeda pack had done just that.

The practice of raising breeders is long outdated anyway, but those that do still hold the custom are hard to find unless you know someone who knows someone. I’d gotten lucky, finding the Andromeda pack when I had, especially with my breeder being so early in her unexpected pregnancy.

It isn’tuncommonfor something like this to happen, as frowned upon as it is. However, by the time it’s usually discovered, the breeder is too far along in her pregnancy to deal with it properly before being sent off to her new owner.

“That doesn’t upset you at all?” He sounds surprised.

I smile a little. Not many people know Wren has such a bleeding heart. He covers it well with his stoicism. “I never said that.”

He’s silent again, the pause in conversation waiting for me to continue on.

I indulge him. “If that’s the case, then we will deal with it. She seems to have already taken a liking to Rose, so that’s a step in the right direction. When we get her back to our packlands, I’ll have Elder Eris examine her.”

“She’s skin and bones, Nyx.”

I grimace.

“I don’t think a little bit of patchwork from our resident witch is going to fix what’s been done to her,” he continues.

Maybe. However, it can’t hurt to try.

“Whatever you feel is best,” he says, rolling up to his feet. “She’s your breeder, after all.”

My teeth gnaw on the rings hooked around my bottom lip.

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