Page 2 of Rejected and Pregnant By the Alpha King

The thought of doing that makes my skin crawl.

I’ve always imagined myself falling in love with a kind man who’d take me away from Wenatchee Forest and bring me to some homestead, where I could live peacefully for the rest of my days while we grew old together.

Clearly, that dream will never come to fruition, and now I’ll be stuck trying to win the favor of some alpha I’ll never love, all because of my father’s stupid decisions.

“The ball is in five days,” Daniel says, breaking eye contact with me to address the room once more with a full smile. “Any of you who are interested in attending will be sent to the North with escorts. All those who wish to stay are free to do so.”

Daniel’s gaze flits toward me again, narrowing—silently telling me that I won’t be among those who get to choose to stay.

No. He’ll be sending me off one way or another, even if I’m the only one.

“I can’t wait,” Delilah tells me, her grin wide. “You’re going too, right? Raine, you have to come with me.”

Delilah pulls me along toward the entryway of the meeting hall, but is quickly intercepted by our alpha, who blocks her path with a casual smile.

“Delilah. If I may steal Raine from you for a moment…”

Dread sinks into my stomach as Delilah glances back at me, her brows knitted together in concern.

I flash her a smile and follow Daniel out the side door to a service hallway, my heart pounding loudly in my chest, which I’m sure his keen ears pick up on immediately. Outwardly, I try to keep my features calm.

The worst thing I’ve found that I can do in situations like these is to make it too obvious that he scares the shit out of me.

Daniel wraps his hand around my neck as soon as the door is shut. “I’m sending you there to spy on him. Gather intel on the pack. I want as much info as possible on how they operate. On how they run.”

I swallow under his fingers as they tighten, close to cutting off my oxygen.

“If I hear about you fucking this up,” he grits between his teeth, his eyes flashing at me while he’s barely able to contain his wolf. “I won’t just throw you down in the cellar to rot, Raine. I’ll make sure I sell you off to the highest damn bidder. There are plenty of packs around here that would love a brood mare.”

The words sicken me to my core. “O-Okay.”

He tosses me onto the ground, almost stepping on me as he walks over me. “Get out of my sight.”

2

Raine

Traveling to the Pollis packlands takes us a day and a half, and without Daniel’s heavy presence looming over me, I finally feel free for once in my life.

Even if I’ll have to force myself to interact with Aiden Summers in order to gather whatever intel Daniel wants me to, I’ll do my best to enjoy this vacation away from home.

It may not be for long, but I’ll let myself soak in the time away as much as I can.

It’s no surprise to me that he’s taken this chance as his golden opportunity. My pack alpha has always had it in his head that if he could steal trade secrets away from other packs, it would lead him to acquiring more territory, therefore making him more powerful.

Rather ironic in a sense, considering he can barely handle the pack he has now.

When we arrive at the Pollis border, we’re met with a small band of enforcers who greet us all warmly before escorting us over packlines. To my surprise, we’re brought to an actual town and not just a large estate like our pack lives in.

Houses and businesses on either side of a large road that seems to stretch all throughout the small town are busy with dozens of other shifters, who greet us and offer more warm welcomes as we pass through.

We’re soon brought to a small section of cabins close to the center of the town that overlooks the large mansion, where I’m sure the Pollis alpha lives.

Other female shifters from different packs are already here and getting settled in by the time we arrive, and we’re soon turned loose with instructions to be at the mansion’s doors by sundown.

Thankfully, Delilah and I are able to secure a room to ourselves, and once I’ve got the door shut to all of the chaos on the other side of it, I’m able to finally let myself breathe.

***

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