Page 46 of Rejected By the Alpha King

“Irene, what the fuck happened? What did you do to her?”

“It’s not them.” Irene shook her head. “They’ve been sheltering me while I recovered.”

“Recovered from what? There are phones here. Why didn’t you call?”

She looked down and took a deep breath. “Jax, I was kidnapped from my home.”

The implications hit me hard. There was no way someone infiltrated my territory and then carried my witch out unnoticed. “I have a traitor among my pack.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I did not want to believe it, but I was carried out of my home unconscious. I woke up in a circle of six witches. They were absorbing my magic. That kind of ritual takes a blood sacrifice. It’s the darkest of black magic. I managed to escape before it was complete. I came here.”

“Strange that everyone comes here for sanctuary despite your reputation,” I murmured.

The crone just grinned.

“I’m no good to you, Jax. I’m weary. My magic is depleted, and I do not know if the goddess will return it. I am sorry.”

“It is not your fault. Magic or no magic, you are still part of my pack. I swore to protect you, and I failed in that. I’ll understand if you do not want to return, but if you do, we will have you.”

Smiling softly, Irene nodded. “Then I will return, temporarily. It will take some time for me to finish my projects and pack my things. I’ll also help you find a new witch.”

I had no intentions of finding a new witch. Irene was the best I’d ever seen. She would get her magic back. Of that, I had no doubt.

There was a groan, and the mother and maiden immediately slid off the bench as Anna stirred. “Fuck me,” she grunted and put a hand to her head as she stood up. Upon seeing everyone in the room, she stilled and widened her eyes. “Oh.”

“Welcome back,” the maiden said happily. “How is your head?”

“In pain.” Her eyes landed on me. A soft smile started on her face, but then she narrowed her eyes. “You know, don’t you? Does he know?”

The room quieted, and my insides twisted as I watched her. A null. Magic died around her. It touched her and then simply turned to ash. Witch magic, but what of wolf magic? She could turn her back on pack magic, could resist it, but the mating bond? Could she really not feel it?

I would never be able to trust her. Never know what she was thinking or feeling. Never know if her words were genuine. I would feel everything for her, and she would feel nothing.

For a moment, it felt like everything had changed between us, but now, I realized nothing had. We were back to the very beginning. Distrust. Pain.

She was going to hate me for it, but the witches were right. My pack came first. Even though I was itching to let her go. Even though I had promised.

“Yes,” I said flatly. “I know what you are.”

The light dimmed from her eyes. “You’re not going to let me go, are you?”

“No. I’m not. Apparently, there’s a darkness brewing, and I’m going to be the one with a null by my side.”

21

Anna

Three weeks later

He was in my room again.

Not my room. His room.

Our room.

The door closed quietly, and I could feel the air shift around him, trying to make room. I was in his bed, the sheets pulled all the way up to my chin. Underneath, I wore a pair of cotton shorts and a T-shirt. Nothing that would seem sexy, nothing that would give him the wrong impression, but clothes didn’t indicate intentions. I could have been bundled up in a parka jacket and snow pants, and he still would sense my needs.

My desires.

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