Page 4 of Rejected Bullied Mate

And she had every right to be scared. I had a temper, and my wolf wasn't known for being particularly gentle. If she gave me even half a reason to unleash it on her...well, it wouldn't be pretty.

I had never hurt Kiera before, and I wasn't about to start now, but that didn't mean I was above scaring her to get what I wanted, and I wanted my son. I wanted to know how Kiera could possibly think that she had any right to keep him from me after seven years of silence.

"I was just checking up on you," I lied, "and it seems like you're doing well."

She nodded once, a jerky, uncertain movement, and took a step forward. I saw her nostrils flare as she tried to scent me, but I knew she wouldn't find anything. There was no trace of Kit's scent on me, and I had taken special care not to carry any of the Saltfang smells in me either. If Kiera couldn't smell me, she couldn't track me.

"I'm fine," she said, "now, if you don't mind, I have a few errands to run." She moved past me and opened the front door, gesturing for me to leave. "I appreciate you coming to check on me, but I don't need your help."

I stared at her in disbelief for a moment before giving her my best, most wolfish smile. "Of course not. You're doing so well all by yourself." I let my gaze linger on the house, and Kiera went still. We both know it wasn't her home. It was just a place for her to hide. "Don't worry, though. Your secret is safe with me,” Kiera opened to protest, but I held up a hand to stop her. "I'm not here to fight you.”

It looked like she was going to fight me anyway, and I could see the refusal building up in her throat. But instead, she sighed, and the tension drained out of her body. "Please just go, then."

I was almost disappointed that she was going to let me go that easily, but I didn't want to push my luck. She looked like she was ready to explode, and I didn't feel like being caught in the crossfire.

So I gave her a mock salute, turned, and left.

I didn't miss the look of relief on her face when she shut the door behind me.

The thing I wanted to do the most right then was turn back around and demand to know why she'd left. I wanted to take her to my home and make her live there with me, where I could keep an eye on her.

She'd lied to my face, and that had pissed me off, but I could see the fear in her eyes, and I knew that she was expecting me to take what I wanted. That's how it usually went with an Alpha and his Omega. And even though she'd left the Saltfang pack without permission, she was still mine.

But I wasn't about to force her. She was going to be my mate, and that meant I respected her. Even if she didn't realize that yet. If she needed time, I could give her that. If she needed to feel like she had a choice in the matter, then that's what I'd give her. I wouldn't be happy about it, but I'd do it.

Because at the end of the day, I would always get what I wanted.

***

It was just past nine when I left Kiera alone, but I found myself unable to really leave the area. Something about Kiera and how badly she wanted to get me out of her house raised alarm bells in my head. I knew she was lying about our son being in the house, but there was something else going on, too. I was sure of it.

So, instead of leaving and trying my luck with her again tomorrow, I went to hide in the treeline behind Kiera's small home. The house was dark and quiet, with only a single light on in the kitchen. I watched the house for nearly half an hour before I realized that I had no idea what I was waiting for. What was I going to do, hide in the trees all night and try to catch her in a lie?

I needed a plan. My wolf wasn't happy with how I'd left things with Kiera, but we couldn't exactly march back up to her front door and demand she tell me where our son was. She hadn't been shy about her anger at me, and I knew that if I pushed too hard, she'd bolt again, this time for good.

And then I would never see Kit.

I sighed and let my head fall back against the tree trunk. There was no way I could stay in the forest all night. While the day had been warm, it was cold out after sunset, and I could feel the temperature dropping as the minutes ticked by. It was April and I was wearing a light jacket, so it wasn't like I was going to freeze, but I also wasn't thrilled by the prospect of shivering like an idiot watching a dark house for hours on end.

Just as I convinced myself that getting a hotel room for the night was better, a light flicked on inside. Then another. I tensed, leaning forward, barely breathing as I kept as still as possible, watching.

Before I could move closer to try and see through the windows, all the lights went out again. Slowly, and as silently as she possibly could, Kiera opened the front door. She'd changed into a black pullover and leggings, an overstuffed backpack on her back and a huge, blanket-covered bundle in her arms. She adjusted the bundle enough to get out of the door, quietly shutting it once more with her foot before moving towards the single car in the driveway.

My mind raced with what she could possibly be doing, but the only explanation that made any sense was that she was sneaking away in the night to hide my son from me.

I should have just stayed put or tried to go around and wait by her car. There was no need to try and approach her, but the wolf was insisting on it, so I got to my feet, wincing as the leaves crunched under my shoes. In the dead silence of the night, it may as well have been an explosion.

Kiera stopped in her tracks, her entire body going tense. She turned slowly and locked her eyes onto me. Her dark hair was up in a ponytail, and her eyes were bright with anger. The bundle in her arms wiggled a little bit, and I was able to truly smell my son for the first time in seven years.

It wasn't the greatest way to make his acquaintance, but at least he hadn't woken up.

I had only portions of a second to decide what to do, but all the clues were right in front of the dark clothes, the full backpack, and the attempts at silence—Kiera was trying to flee with my son.

Again.

Anger welled in me from the never-emptying spring of it in my chest, and without a second thought, I ran. Kiera did the same, springing into motion like a gazelle, but I was taller and unencumbered, so I reached the driver's side door first. She let out a quiet cry of frustration and tried to yank me away from the car, overbalanced by holding our son. It was so ineffectual I laughed, which made her even angrier. She wasn't going anywhere.

I'd won.

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