Page 152 of Rejected By the Alpha King

Fire station across the street. A stretch of shops and small dining next to the fire station.

Even now, shop owners were cleaning their windows and sweeping their sidewalks. One of the fire station garage doors were up, and a couple of guys were bringing out trash.

Soon, this place would be crawling with people.

“Clever, but you can’t stay here forever,” Emerson snarled. “She is mine.”

“Blackmailing her doesn’t make her yours, Emerson. You gave her a choice, didn’t you? I think it’s pretty clear who she really chooses. Stand down. If you touch her again, my pack has made it clear that they are happy to go to war over her. Are you ready for that?”

His face relaxed and he tried to peer in the room behind me. “Kenzi with you? I must say, that’s an interesting plan. Fake a mating. How are the other alphas going to react?”

“Poorly, I’m sure. I’ll be sure to make it up to them by inviting them to the real one.”

“Last room, you say? Perhaps I’ll talk to the desk attendant and see when a room might open. It’s been awhile since I had a long visit here. I’m well-liked here, you know.”

I’d also anticipated that, which is why I’d bought out the whole motel for the week. He can stay in town, but he’ll have to stay in another motel. Closest one was ten miles away. “Then it’ll be nice for us to catch up. Maybe we can do lunch while you’re here.”

“One more thing. Janelle has also gone missing. I don’t suppose you know anything about that, do you? Because she is not yours, and I can retaliate.”

“Have you checked your bond lately? That should tell you everything that you need to know.” I took a moment to deliberately glance at all the faces who were with him. None of them were Elonso.

None of them could hold my gaze either. That was strange. They were close enough to Emerson to feed off their pack bond. They should have no problem looking me straight in the eye, even if I was another alpha.

“I’ll be in touch.”

“I look forward to it.”

70

Anna

It was nightfall by the time I awakened from within my wolf. Tentatively, I surfaced and took stock. My wolf was curled up next to a warm body and was sleeping soundly. I’d declined any drugs from Saul, so the pain must have ebbed if she was so relaxed.

Or maybe it was the heat radiating next to me.

Jax had returned after Emerson knocked on the door and hadn’t left my side. I’d listened to his soft voice as he caught me up on everything that had happened, but then I’d retreated deeply.

Once I was human, he’d have questions, and I wasn’t sure how he’d feel when I answered them.

But unfortunately, I had to pee, and I couldn’t just waltz out of the motel room as a wolf and squat. With a sigh, I started to shift.

“Anna? Baby?” Jax held perfectly still while I uncurled myself from the bed. “How do you feel?”

“Pee,” I mumbled and tried to stand. “I have to pee.”

“Okay. I got you.” He tried to take my hand, and I pulled away. For a moment, we stared at each other. “Sorry. Let me know if you need my help.”

There was no hardness in his voice, but I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. Worry? I made my way to the bathroom and peed. Then, I started a hot shower and stepped beneath it. The heat loosened up the tension in my body and I experimentally did some stretches to take stock of my body. Stiff and weak, but everything seemed to have mended the way it was supposed to.

The door opened, and I gasped.

“It’s me!” Amelia said hurriedly. “Just me. Jax asked me to drop off some clothes and see if you needed anything.”

Closing my eyes, I blew out my breath. I was surrounded by my pack. Friends. My rescuers. I did not need to be so jumpy anymore. “I’m good. Thank you.”

“All right. Jax went to get some food, and I’ll be right out the door if you need anything.”

Jax left. To give me space? To walk off some frustration? To literally just get food and I was totally overthinking things?

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