Page 127 of Rejected By the Alpha King

“Depends on the night.”

Emerson cleared his throat. “I’m with Jax on this one. We’ve had a good start to a hard conversation, and we all know that we are not going to agree on anything tomorrow or even next week. It will take time. I, for one, have things I need to sort at home. I do not have the luxury of spending all my time here.”

Maeve was the only alpha who hadn’t weighed in except to take a jab at me. I wondered what they did when they needed to break a tie, and then I remembered London’s comment and how quickly Jax had brushed it aside.

There used to be five packs.

As a rogue, I’d thought frequently about the safety a wolf must feel with a pack. To have the love of an alpha. To be protected by family. Deep down, I’d always suspected that it wasn’t for me, and now I could see why.

The politics of it all was a nightmare. One false move, and you were out in the cold.

Or dead.

My gaze strayed back to Jax. To be an alpha was to be hard as steel. No wonder the other alphas didn’t take mates. Even now, I could feel the bond between us hardening. I’d never noticed how much it fluctuated before now.

Maeve smiled, and it chilled me to the bone. “Yes, I think it is time we all went home. We can finish battering our ideas around from own separate packs, and it’s obvious that Jax has his hands full.”

Another stab at me. Maeve really believed I had attacked her witch.

I was definitely going to have a talk with Cam before she left.

London was outvoted, and dinner ended with tension still in the air. Jax headed outside, and I started to the stairs to his bedroom when Maeve called my name. Pausing on the landing, I turned as she sauntered my way.

“Yes?”

“How does it feel to go from a nobody to the mate of an alpha?”

There was no bite in her voice. It was an honest question, and one that surprised me. “You think I hold any power here? As I’m sure you’ve discovered, this pack hasn’t exactly accepted me.”

“No, they have not. Perhaps they never will. It is hard to shake a reputation once it’s earned, even if it’s earned unfairly.” Turning her head, she studied me. “I am not convinced that you are innocent of my witch’s attack.”

“Really? You’re hiding it well.”

She chuckled darkly. “I have already lost one witch. I cannot afford to lose another.”

“Emerson provided me with an alibi, and I did not seduce him to get it. I would never.”

“They look good together, don’t they? Like they belong.”

What? I turned my head to see who she was looking at. About fifteen feet from the window was Jax.

With Kenzi.

Immediately, I stiffened.

“It’s not the first time I’ve seen them together. It’s also hard to ignore the rumors swirling about this place. If I were you, I would have had her exiled immediately.”

“You’ve seen them together while you were here?” I hated that I couldn’t stop myself from asking, but Jax hadn’t said anything about Kenzi approaching him.

“No. He used to bring her when he traveled to the alpha meetings.”

My heart dropped to my stomach.

“Oh, don’t worry. He stopped doing that a few years ago. Still, I can see why the pack liked her so much. She makes an excellent leader.”

So Maeve had decided to start being catty. “Then perhaps you should take her with you and train her as your heir. Since you don’t seem to have one.”

It was a low blow and one that I regretted when I heard her inhale sharply. I almost apologized, but I couldn’t bring myself to show any more weakness. “Good night, Maeve. I hope that your next visit here will be less eventful. Maybe we’ll have an opportunity to get to know each other a little better.”

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