Page 24 of Rejected Pregnant Mate

I put my other hand on his cheek and forced him to look at me. His eyes were dark with anger, his teeth gritted. "Scott," I said softly. "You're not acting like yourself."

He took a shaky breath, and the tension drained slightly from his body. "He shouldn't be here."

He was freaking me out. I'd never seen Scott act like this, and I'd known him for years. It was like he had zero self-control, which was so unlike him. And then I realized what it was. It was the bond. It was making him insane. I didn't want to be scared of him, but this wasn't the same man that I'd always known.

My eyes shot to Samson, who gave me a slight nod. It was rare for him to be the voice of reason, but he clearly had better control of himself than Scott did. Slowly, I stepped to the side as Samson moved closer, so he could grab Scott if he tried to attack again.

"I don't know why the hell you're here," Samson rumbled, "And I don't care. But I can tell you that fucking with this alliance is a bad idea. Scott, Joe, and I have held this land for a long time, and we aren't interested in another pack moving in."

Jayce frowned, looking between Scott and Samson. "I just wanted to have a discussion, but it looks like your friend here isn't house-trained."

Scott snarled. "Fuck you. I'll kick you out of my territory myself—"

Samson's hand clamped down on Scott's shoulder, stopping him. Scott took a deep breath, and I watched as he finally collected himself again. Then, it was like magic as he and Samson dropped whatever animosity was brewing between them and turned on the stranger in the room. The unknown threat.

"You need to leave," Samson said to Jayce. "Now."

Jayce shook his head. "I came here for a reason. To try and be civilized. But it seems you guys aren't interested in that."

"I don't give a fuck why you came," Scott growled. "Leave now, or I'm going to have to remove you."

Jayce's expression hardened, and his hands clenched into fists. He was strong; I could feel the power radiating off of him, but everyone in the room knew that he wouldn't have a chance against two other Alphas. "Fine," Jayce said, through gritted teeth. "I'll leave. But my pack is settled. We aren't leaving. You're going to have to talk to me eventually.”

Scott's eyes flashed with anger. "We'll see about that."

Jayce spun on his heel and headed for the door. Once he was gone, I let out a breath of relief. Scott looked back at me, his eyes softening as they roved over my face. He stepped closer andtook my hand, intertwining our fingers. He looked devastated. "Fuck, Nayeli. I'm sorry."

"It was the bond, wasn't it?" Samson asked, seemingly accepting that I wasn't bothered by Scott being near me. "The bond was making you lose your mind."

Scott nodded, closing his eyes. "It's so fucking hard to control myself around her, especially now that we're bound."

I knew exactly what he meant, because it was just as difficult for me. But at least I could hide my feelings for him, while he couldn't. It wasn't fair to him at all. I wished more than anything that I could find a way to break the bond. He might annoy the hell out of me, but he was a good leader for his pack, and his alliance with Samson's pack helped keep everyone safe. Plus, the thought of hurting him made me feel sick.

"So, what now?" I asked, glancing between Samson and Scott. "Are you guys going to fight?"

Samson sighed. "I'm going to let it slide, for now. But I will say that I'm not happy about it. This bond is clearly doing some weird shit to you both."

Scott shrugged. "It's not like I can undo it. You know that."

"I know, I know," Samson grumbled. He looked between us. "What about you, Nayeli? What do you think?"

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I know what I saw when I walked in. You know what you're doing, right? The bond isn't causing you to...ah..."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, Samson, I'm clear-headed enough to make my own decisions."

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, crossing his arms. "Because it's not too late for me to end this whole thing."

"Samson, please," I sighed. "I know what I'm doing. I can take care of myself. I know you're worried about me, but please try to have a little faith."

He scowled at me, looking away. "Fine. But if he hurts you, I'm going to kick his ass."

"I'm sure you will."

Samson stalked out of the building, but not before stopping in front of Scott. "You better take good fucking care of her. I have eyes everywhere, Scott. Don't forget it."

Scott looked like he might make a smart quip again, but instead he nodded once. “I will take care of her.”

---