Page 4 of His Rejected Alpha Mate
We just stared at the other for a full minute before I heard Angelica call for me.
“Mr Hayes! It’s you.” Roan looked dumbfounded, but shook himself out of it when he heard Angel. It couldn’t have come as that much of a surprise that I came to Sweetwater. Surely someone expected me to appear. Why wouldn’t I visit my son as soon as I was able to? It was safe for us to be a family.
“Roan —“ He had grown into his features more. In front of me was a tall, muscular man. Not the boy I’d known. His bright green eyes were haunted and full of pain as he looked me over in turn.
He swallowed audibly and gathered his wits. “I know you probably want to see Kade, but this really isn’t a good time. If you’d like to make an appointment with Alpha Blake’s second, then Axel can explain things to you.”
“Roan, I just want to see my son. It’s been too long.” My voice sounded tired to even my own ears.
“Mr Hayes —“
I cut him off, hurt at the formality. “Jasper. I’ll always be Jasper to you.”
“Even after —“ He didn’t have to say the words. I felt his pain as if it were my own.
“Even after that. You did us all a favor. You did it to protect my son.” I told him firmly. There was no doubt that he had to do what he’d done to Rincoln. I didn’t mourn my former mate. Our love had turned to ash years before Angelica was born. He’d been abusive, and I’d only stayed because of Kade. So many times I had regretted that decision. If I hadn’t, though, I wouldn’t have had my daughter, and I loved her dearly. She was worth the pain Rincoln had put me through. I just hoped Kade would forgive me for staying as long as I had.
“But—“
“No. I need to see Kade. We’ve had a long couple of days of traveling. Let me through!” My desperation overrode my sense, and I raised my voice. Years of hurt, worry and fear bled into my words. It needed to be now before I lost my nerve.
“I can’t, Jasper. Kade can’t see you right now.” Roan was firm, but his eyes pleaded with me.
“Everything okay, Roan?” Came a voice from the hut next to the open gate.
“It’s fine, Chase. Kade’s Papa is here. I’ll deal with it.” Later I’d realize that his voice took on a desperate edge. It wasn’t that he was angry with me. It was an emotional time. Then, though, I didn’t hear it and ignored my fox, who tried to soothe my temper..
It. Like I was some kind of thing to throw out like trash.“Roan, I’m going up there and speaking to Kade. I haven’t seen him in five years. Either get in the car and come with me or get out of the way, because I’m going up to that house right now.” I could feel how red my face was getting with my anger at being denied. Who were these people keeping me from my son?
“Chase?”
“Go with him. I’ll watch the gate. Axel owes me big time for missing out on everything.”
Roan ran around the front of the car and jumped into the passenger seat. “Guess I’m coming with you. They’ll just say the same thing. Kade is in heat.”
I ignored him and put my foot on the gas, cruising through the compound and following Roan’s directions to the large white mansion. Parking the car directly in front of the porch steps, I got out and went to help Angel from her car seat.
“Mr Hayes, I’m not sure that this is a good idea.” Roan took to pleading with me, but I was beyond hearing it. I was so close to seeing my son.
“Roan, I don’t really care what you think right now.” I snapped as I took Angel’s hand and marched past the people guarding the doors. I could only assume that Chase at the gate had told them to let us by, since they didn’t stop us. One, a red-haired female, looked amused as I stalked past, dragging a confused Angelica behind me.
“This way.” Roan led me to an office space, and my anger grew into fury.
“I demand to see my son!” I told the assembled group. They crowded the room. All of them were shifters. Their scents mixed too much to tell me what they were. I caught bear and one fragrant smell that tickled my nose. My fox stood at attention. I quickly cataloged the room for exits and dangers. “Deke, Axel, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I thought he was going to shift into his fox and run right here.” Internally, I huffed. That had been my next idea. Angel would have shifted with me, too. “This is Jasper Hayes, Kade’s Papa.” Roan said to them. His body language screamed how uncomfortable he was with the situation. He’d never been an alpha to impose his will on others.
“It’s okay, Roan. You’ve done the right thing by bringing him here.” One turned to me. I didn’t catch his name and didn’t care. “How can we help you, sir?”
My fox caught the scent again, paper and cotton, my two favorite scents in the world. It was coming from an immense mountain of a man towards the back of the room. He was absolutely huge and looked like he could snap me in half with a thought. Fear iced my veins. My head snapped up and our eyes met.
Mate.
No no no.
Lasting Impressions
Jasper
Withgreatdifficulty,Itore my eyes away from him, my fox screaming at me that our mate was right there! And we needed to be with him. It felt like I was being torn in two. My alter never warred with my human side like this, but I just couldn’t. Fear rooted me to the spot. Like prey in front of a predator.
