Page 6 of Denied By the Alphas

“Who knows?” Jaxon interjected. “Maybe when we accidentally get one pregnant.”

“He doesn’t mean that, ma’am,” Axel said respectfully.

Her gaze narrowed, and she left the house in a huff. Looking at the white cake, I shook my head. I didn’t like disappointing my family in the slightest, but I needed to set boundaries.

Once she was gone, Jaxon flopped onto the couch. “So, when are we really going to find ourselves an omega? I’m tired of temporary flings.”

“One day, it’ll happen,” I assured him. “We just need to be patient. Maybe after we leave Henry’s task force.”

“That’s impossible,” Axel said. “We signed up for life.”

My heart sank at his words, and I suddenly remembered the night I rejected Carmen. As much as it hurt at the time, I knew it had been the best thing I could do for her.

chapter 3

. . .

Carmen

Two days later, the moon cast a soft glow through the nursery window as I gently rocked the sleeping baby in my arms while his new mother slept in the next room.

His tiny breaths were warm against my chest, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of longing deep within me. I loved helping new omega mothers through the night, providing them with much-needed rest while caring for their precious little ones. As I thought about my tasks ahead—washing bottles and preparing the next round of milk for the baby—I realized just how much I craved having a pack and a baby of my own.

“Maybe it’s time to move on,” I whispered to myself. Lately, I had been remembering Tyler’s rejection, which still haunted me. I knew I shouldn’t dwell on it because he wasn’t my fated mate after all, but the memory still hurt.

As I placed the baby in his crib, I watched as his tiny fingers curled around his blanket. Making sure he stayed asleep, I quietly tiptoed out of the room and into the kitchen. I stood at the sink, letting the warm water run over my hands as I washed the baby bottles, lost in my thoughts about how Iwas going to find a pack. Maybe I’d have my mom help out, but the idea of talking to her made me anxious.

With all my tasks done for the night, I decided to call it a night. I yawned as I gathered my water bottle and snacks into my backpack before heading out.

As I walked home, I tightened my jacket against the chilly wind.

The narrow streets were lined with small houses constructed close together to keep the compound tightly knit. Occasionally, I spotted an alpha guard in wolf form patrolling the area. I didn’t worry about them—it was the alphas without uniforms I had to watch out for, the ones who harassed omegas like me.

My heart dropped when I saw Henry standing at my front door, a paper in his hand.

What the hell was he doing here?

My pulse quickened as Tyler, the alpha who had rejected me years ago, emerged from the shadows behind him. Our eyes met, and heat flushed my face, my body responding to his presence.

“Umm, hi, Henry,” I greeted, trying to sound polite even though fear clawed at my insides. Three a.m. was never a good time for a visit unless it meant something terrible had happened.

“Hello, Carmen,” he said slowly.

The anticipation of what he was going to say next built within me, making me feel nervous. But that was Henry; he liked to play games.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“Many things are,” said Henry. “But lucky for you, I’m here to personally invite you to the party I’m hosting this Saturday.”

Oh wow. My family and I were never invited to these sortsof parties. Only the elite were invited, and my mom would throw a fit if she knew I was asked and she wasn’t.

He handed me a card, and I looked at it, pretending to read it, but my brain was a jumble this late at night.

“Thank you, I guess, for inviting me. I have work though, and…”

“Nonsense,” he said. “Isn’t it your own business that you’re running?”

“How do you know…?”

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