Page 117 of Rejected By the Alpha King

“He is? Oh. I could have sworn I…” suddenly, Angelica paled. “Never mind.”

“You could have sworn what? Have you seen Dean here after London arrived?”

“I’m tired. I think my days are just mixing together. I thought I saw Bridget and Dean together just the other day, but I must be seeing things.”

“Together?” I stepped forward. “Were they friends?”

If she wanted to sneer at me again, she refrained. “Yeah. They were friends when we were younger, before Dean asked to leave.”

“If you have reason to believe that Dean didn’t leave when told, you come to me immediately, Angelica,” Jax said in a low voice. “Do you understand?”

Eyes wide, she nodded.

“Good, and as for Bridget, I’m sure she’s fine, but you’ll have to continue your party planning without her.”

When she left, Jax turned back to me and lowered his forehead to mine. If he wanted to pick back where we left off, the mood had passed.

“Are you ever going to tell them the truth?” I whispered.

“I haven’t decided. Come on. We’re due for breakfast with the other alphas, and then I want you in the meetings with me. At least, as long as you can stand it.”

That was the last thing I wanted to do. “I actually thought I might try to find Lunessa…”

“No.”

“And talk to Irene…”

“No, Anna. You’re my mate, and it’s important that you join these meetings.”

There was a moment where I could have sworn I heard a note of finality in his voice. “Are you ordering me to join you in these meetings? You told me that I didn’t have to do anything I wasn’t comfortable doing.”

“I’m asking you to be my mate, Anna. To show your support.”

“So you want me to play the dutiful mate to all the alphas even though you said I could leave once we figured out who’s killing witches?” Furious, I took a step back. “You’re going to make me sit in the room all day with the man who used to torment me?”

“He’s not tormenting you anymore, Anna. When are you going to trust that I can protect you?”

“Maybe when you stop forcing me to do things that I don’t want to do!”

“If I didn’t push you to do things, you’d spend all your time at that goddamn restaurant hiding from the world,” he growled.

Furious, I brushed passed him and muttered what I really thought of him under my breath.

“Anna, where the hell are you going?” He demanded. “The house is the in the other direction.”

“Then I suggest you turn around and get walking,” I said over my shoulder. “I’ve got better things to do than play doting mate with you.”

54

Anna

How dare he? Had he asked me instead of ordered me, I might have considered it. Had he asked me yesterday, I would have certainly said yes since I would have had time to prep. My wolf was doing better. Even now, when I reached out to her, she came to me happily and willingly. She was so happy whenever we were with Jax.

But the idea of facing all those wolves of power? And Emerson? Her fear spread through me until I wanted to vomit.

“You’re stronger than I thought.”

Head jerking up, I turned around, but it was just Lunessa walking toward me. The look on her face wasn’t happy. “My wolf? She’s getting stronger.”

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