Page 8 of Rejected Pregnant Mate

It felt like something was pulling at my skin as I ran, the bond trying to reel me in again, but I pushed through it, ignoring the tugging feeling in my chest. I was almost to the edge of the woods, and if I could just get to the other side of the boundary line and back into Samson’s territory, I could try to shake off Scott. At least for a little while.

I could feel him closing in, though, and I cursed my lack of physical fitness. I definitely needed to run more in my spare time if I was going to make a habit out of fleeing Alpha wolves. My heart pounded as I ran, my lungs burning from the strain, and I was already starting to slow down when I finally burst out of the woods and onto the road that would take me back home.

I stumbled to a halt, looking around, but neither Scott nor Jayce had followed me this far. My body sagged with relief, and I leaned over, my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. When I was finally able to breathe again, I checked my phone and exhaled. I had service. All I had to do now was walk home, and if it took too long, I could call Samson or Kiera for help.

Another shudder of need hit me, crawling over my skin and making me ache. I felt a pang of worry—what if it didn't let up? I wasn't ready to tell my cousin or his wife about my magic, let alone the weird tether I created between me and Scott. I could swear I felt him there within the forest still, like a light flashing in the quiet parts of my mind, and it made me both uneasy and full of yearning.

No. I had to push it away. I had miles to go until I was home, and unless I wanted to waste money on a cab, I needed to get myself together. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and tried to find some peace before I started my journey.

It was then that I heard someone crashing through the woods towards me. Not just anyone. Scott. The man refused to give up.

Chapter 4 - Scott

She ran. Again. Because I was too distracted arguing with Jayce to stop her.

I cursed, shoving the other Alpha aside and sprinting after Nayeli. She couldn't get far, but she'd been able to shake me off twice now. She was getting better at evading me, but we had to have a damn conversation before the night was over.

I didn't know what to do when I caught up with her. I knew the bond was to blame for my feelings, but I'd wanted her before the spell. Even if I'd rejected her years ago, the idea of someone else laying claim to Nayeli had always made me furious. And now, with the bond between us, there was no chance of anyone else having her. It’s why I’d almost torn Jayce’s throat out, even though there was no indication he’d touched her at all.

The pull of the damn bond was unrelenting, and the longer I went without touching her, the stronger the need to do so became. It was like a fire in my veins, making me desperate to find her. My wolf clawed at the surface, urging me to change and track her down.

I pushed myself harder, trying to keep up with Nayeli's pace. I had to catch her before she got too far. Before she disappeared again. I couldn't let that happen.

I followed the scent trail of her, which seemed to have intensified since the bond snapped into place. The closer I got to her, the stronger it was.

"Nayeli!" I called out, but there was no response. "Come back! We need to talk about this!"

"No, we really don't," she yelled back. I could hear the fear in her voice, but I ignored it. She'd made it to the road, which made her easier to find, but also made it so she could move faster. Dammit. If I wasn't careful, she was going to slip away again.

I picked up the pace, pushing myself to the limits as I ran after her. I was gaining on her, and I could tell she was starting to tire out. Good. Maybe she'd give up soon.

Part of me didn't want her to, though. Damn, it'd been a long time since I'd had a chase like this, a chance to let go of my strict control and simply run.

"That's right, Omega," I said under my breath, grinning as my legs pumped, "Make me work for it."

She was slowing down now, and I sped up, catching up with her quickly. She glanced back at me and tried to speed up again, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her against me, her back flush to my chest. I took a few steps back from the road, bringing us back under the cover of the trees. Nayeli let out a yelp of surprise and struggled against me, but I held fast, wrapping my arms around her to keep her in place.

"Let me go!" she demanded, twisting around and trying to push me away. But I held her tighter, refusing to let her escape again.

"Stop struggling," I growled. She just squirmed harder, which turned me on despite myself. Dammit. She wasn't making this easy for either of us. I needed to calm myself down, but she was so soft and curvy, pressed up against me like this.

"No!" she shouted, still fighting against my grip. She wrenched her arm out of my grasp and took a few bounding steps as if she was going to run again, but then Nayeli did something that I didn't expect.

Her steps stuttered, and she came to a stop, bending over at the waist and wrapping her arms around herself tightly. She cried out in pain, and sank to her knees, her dark, skull-printed dress covered in leaf litter.

"Nayeli?" I asked, confused and worried. I dropped to the ground beside her, my hands hovering over her as if I didn't know what to do with them. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and curled in on herself further. "Just go," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm fine."

But I couldn't leave. I was connected to her now, and the idea of leaving her alone in pain made me feel sick. I tried to reach for her, to see if there was something I could do, but she flinched away from me.

"I said I'm fine!" she snapped, looking up at me with teary eyes.

"Nayeli," I said again, my voice rougher than I intended, coated in worry and the tail end of my lust. The thrill of the chase died inside me instantly, knowing that she was in pain. "What is it?"

She was acting like a caged animal, and when I reached out a hand to touch her, she flinched away. But not before I felt it—the chill of her skin, raised in goosebumps. She was freezing. It felt like she was sweating out a fever, wracked with chills.

"You're not okay," I insisted, "Forget that prick you were just talking to and what just happened in the treehouse. Talk to me."

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