Page 123 of Rejected By the Alpha King

“She is a killer. She’s the daughter of a killer. You’re blinded by her, Jax. Get out of my way. You’ll learn to live without your mate. I did.”

“Maeve.” Emerson stepped in the room. He was behind Anna. We were fucking surrounded by enemies. I grabbed Anna and pinned her against the wall behind me. Snarling, I called on my wolf.

“Calm down, Jax. I’m not here to hurt Anna. I’m here to set the record straight. There is no way, Maeve, that Anna attacked your witch. I can vouch for her. I was with her when we heard her scream.”

“Doing what?” Maeve challenged.

Emerson just smiled, and I released my wolf.

56

Anna

Heart in my throat, I moved between Jax’s wolf and Emerson. If it had been any other time in my life, I wouldn’t have blinked an eye as I watched Jax shed Emerson to pieces, but in a situation I never saw coming, Emerson was all that stood between me and Maeve’s wrath.

I could feel Emerson’s power behind me. No wolf. Only human. I glared behind me, and he was smiling happily.

At me.

My stomach turned, and I focused on Jax. “Emerson crossed my path in the woods. We had a conversation, and then we heard Cam’s screams.”

Maeve snarled, but I ignored her and kept my eyes on Jax. If he killed Emerson, any progress they made would be shredded. Ignoring the violence cresting off him, I placed my hand under his chin. The touch soothed him, and he sat.

“So another alpha has come to your aid,” Maeve growled. “Should I expect London to be at your beck and call next?”

“No one is at my beck and call, Maeve. Emerson only speaks the truth. There has to be another explanation for why Cam thinks it’s me. Magic, perhaps.”

“Or maybe magic explains your alibi,” she countered.

I held her gaze. “I am not a witch, Maeve.”

“No,” she said finally and with a hint of frustration. “You are not.”

“Another mystery to solve,” Emerson said thoughtfully. “And at such an interesting time. For now, I think we should resume the meeting tomorrow, when we’ve cooled off. Perhaps we’ll know more about the dead witch tomorrow. I am grateful, Maeve, that your witch is still alive.”

A cold sensation slithered down my spine as I watched Emerson calmly walk away. He’d taken control of the situation almost effortlessly.

Maeve shot me an ugly look before she stomped away. She wasn’t the only one. I was getting used to the ugly looks from the pack members, but this was different.

Their suspicions were confirmed. I was a killer. Never mind that an alpha had just given me an alibi. It was one more reason for them to hate me.

When everyone was gone, I put a hand on Jax’s fur. “I’m going to see if I can find Lunessa.

Maybe you can check out where Cam was attacked. We can compare notes later.”

Before I could pull away, he gently caught my hand between his teeth and looked at me. He didn’t want us to separate.

I was still a little mad at him, but that wasn’t the reason I couldn’t be with him right now. He was currently doing a shitty job of filtering his emotions through our mating bond, and I knew exactly what he felt.

Fear. For me.

Someone went to an awful lot of trouble to pin the witch murders on me, and now I had no idea what to think. If there was enough evidence, no one would be using me to take over the mountain because I would be executed immediately. And violently. Even Jax could only go so far to save me.

“I’m going to be fine,” I said and tugged my hand, but he didn’t release me. Finally, I sighed.

“Fine. We’ll check out the scene together and then try and find Lunessa, but you’re either going as a wolf, or you’re going to change. I’m not traipsing around with you in the woods while you’re naked.”

He gave me a wolfish grin and loped ahead of me. Apparently, he was going as a wolf.

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