Page 113 of Rejected By the Alpha King

“Except you’re not my bodyguard. Amelia is, and she doesn’t look like she could be knocked over with a feather. Look, I’m all for having you back. Really. Amelia can be mean sometimes, but you should be at full strength. There are a lot of wolves out there who want to see me dead.

It’s a hard job guarding me.”

He didn’t even crack a smile. “Saul says I can leave.”

“Leave the infirmary, yes. To go rest in your own bed. Not to go gallivanting about with a magnet for trouble,” Saul said mildly as he walked by.

“So your doctor says no to guarding me. Go home, Finn. Get some rest. Next week…”

“There’s a dead body in the infirmary, and a certain witch came to visit it last night.”

At least Finn had lowered his voice. It hadn’t occurred to me that Finn would recognize Lunessa. He still hadn’t said how well he knew the witches.

“You almost died, Finn. That’s what this job lead to,” I said bluntly. “You had the freedom to do whatever you wanted, and now just a few months after you finally bind yourself to a pack, the third in command nearly kills you!”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I believe in Jax, and that I believe in you. Something has been happening to the mountain. I can feel it. I think it’s time the wolves ban together, even the rogues, to protect our land. What Bridget did doesn’t change how I feel about that. Besides, I’m your friend. I care about you.”

Bridget. Gun. Shaking my head, I desperately tried to make the mental image go away. Finn was my friend. I trusted him.

“Go home and rest up today. Tomorrow, Jax will check up on you and make the final decision,” I said finally. “And you will obey it no matter what it is.”

“Fine.”

“Amelia is outside if you want to talk to her.”

Finn scowled. “Real great place for a bodyguard to be. Outside.”

“Right now, the only threat is you, Finn. Now go. Rest up. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

52

Jax

It was just before dawn when I saw the figure sneaking from my house toward the wooded backyard, although sneaking was probably not the right word for it. Maeve would never stoop so low as to sneak somewhere, but she was alone, and that was suspicious.

Since Anna had only left a few moments ago to observe the autopsy, my hackles immediately went up. Maeve was following the same path she took.

Following her scent.

I waited a few more moments to make certain that no one was meant to be following her, and then I headed in after her. She was doing nothing to hide her trail, but she seemed to be walking straight toward the infirmary.

Straight toward Anna.

Before she could breach the other side of the woods, I picked up the pace and easily caught up to her. Before I could touch her, she whirled, closed her hands around my throat and tried to pin me to a tree.

I was bigger than her, but Maeve’s power was still impressive. When she realized it was me, she released me and growled. “Why are you following me, Jax?”

“Why are you following my mate?”

“Your mate?” Her eyes glowed yellow as she sniffed. “Ah. That is her scent. I knew I was following something, but I hadn’t paid that much attention to it. Her scent is odd. I should have known.”

“So you weren’t following her?”

“Of course not,” Maeve snapped. “Why would I need to follow your mate? What would she even be doing up at this hour?”

“Taking a walk. She likes the quiet of the morning. You?”

Maeve’s eyes narrowed. “Same.”

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