Page 19 of His Rejected Alpha Mate
“I’m sorry?” Isaac sounded confused. I could hear a thread of fear winding its way through his tone.
“First of all, you are the worst friend in the history of friendship. Not one call or text while I was ill.” Kade was really working himself up. “I collapsed at work and, as my union rep, you should have spoken with me to check that Dakota’s recounting of events were correct. You failed to do a check in when I came back. Dakota did that.” He paused for a breath and to get himself under control a little. “Then I was kidnapped, and you still didn’t call. Don’t tell me you didn’t know. Everyone with connections to the shifter council knows what happened. Where have you been?”
With Kade’s pause to let him answer, Isaac finally stuttered an apology. “I’m the worst. I’m sorry, Kade.”
“You know what?” Kade spoke again, cutting off any more words from Isaac. “That’s not even why I called. You got Dakota fired! What were the complaints that you made? Because I sure as hell didn’t sign off on you putting anything in on my behalf!”
There was nothing at the other end of the line. As a vampire, Isaac didn’t need to breathe as often as humans or shifters did. Finally, he spoke. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“Bullshit. You would have spoken to us if you had genuine concerns about us working under Dakota. Try again.” I didn’t like the look on Kade’s face. At that moment, I was glad he was a shifter and not a witch or one of the fae. With magic, he’d be downright dangerous in the mood he was in.
I really didn’t think that Isaac would speak or try to defend his actions. “Dakota was running the place to the ground. You didn’t want to be alone with him. So I told management that.” Isaac’s tone was icy.
“Liar. That depot is working more efficiently than it ever has. Dakota implemented ideas they are adopting nationwide.” He knew about that? “As for not being alone with him, that had nothing to do with Dakota, necessarily.” He cast a glance at me with something like an apology on his face. That wasn’t needed. I’d come on too strong with him. “Which you should have guessed, or even asked. I was wary about all alphas.” Kade gave his mate a loving look. “That’s why I waited to get to know my mate first, before bonding.”
“Kade —“
“No, Isaac. You wanted his job and used me to get it. Lose my number.” Then he ended the call.
I felt my lips twist in a wry grin. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
My dinner with my best friend and his family was just the thing that I needed. Life was pretty good as I dozed on the sofa after an amazing meal. Kade curled up against my side, and I rested my head on his shoulder. He ran his fingers through my hair, the omega in him knowing that I needed his soothing touch. He was wedged between me and our alpha, with Blake playing with Kade’s curls as he chatted with his brothers.
“I’m sorry you lost your job,” he whispered.
“I’m not. It was boring there, and it’d be dull without you,” I admitted sleepily.
“Shame I already have an assistant.” He sat up, tapping Blake on the arm. “Kota should be your new assistant! You said the factory is giving you the most work. He could sort that for you. The other tasks would stop him from getting bored.”
Blake considered me for a minute. “The job’s there if you want it. I can get Dalton to draw up what your daily tasks would look like, salary, etc. If you’re interested.”
It didn’t take me long to think about it. “I’m interested.” Wasn’t I talking to Tate or Asher the other day about the cider deliveries being inconsistent? Blake seemed like he’d be easy to work for. “One thing though,” I grinned, “why do you need a new assistant?”
Kade’s eyes widened. “Good question!”
“Well,” Blake said, a smile stretching his face. “That’s actually my cousin’s fault.”
“What’s my fault?” The man in question said as he walked into the room.
“You know Deke was alpha for about a year before I took over when I hit twenty-one?” I nodded. Alphas could become pack leaders at maturity at twenty-one. The same age that fated bonds became apparent and when omegas were legally permitted to bond with alphas and have children.
“That’s when I got my pass through rights.” Kade added.
“Yeah, the alphas on the gate nearly didn’t let you leave. Wanted to put you in the omega compound and find you a mate. That was a shit-show and a half.” Deke grumbled. “Showed me I had no business being alpha.”
Blake growled, clearly displeased at the thought of omegas being kept against their will.
“I sorted it. Those alphas are gone now. I exiled them immediately.” Deke assured his cousin.
“So, Kade’s the reason you gave the pack up?” I said.
“That and I was fucking everything up. No one wanted to be my assistant after I went through three of them in as many weeks. They said the job was cursed. I didn’t own up to meeting Kade before because he looked so different when I first saw him again. It was just so fucking embarrassing how he’d been treated under my rule. It showed me I wasn’t doing enough to be better for the pack.”
“Deke.” There was a rush of voices as the Sweetwater siblings all rushed to reassure their cousin. There were no doubts that working for them would be interesting, but in a good way.
While they spoke to Deke, Kade cuddled up to my side again. “I wish I’d seen how sneaky Isaac was before.”
“You were new, and he’s pretty and shiny,” I consoled him. For the first time that night, I’d thought of Jasper and felt anger at him denying me my fated family. I only hope that when it came out that Kade wasn’t mad or disappointed. “It’s no big deal. You know what he’s like now and you don’t have to see him again if you don’t want to.”
