Page 31 of Rejected By the Alpha King

“Just once. He died soon after,” Jax said shortly.

“That explains where she went off to. When I heard about Dirk, I was worried about my sweet little girl. I went looking for her.”

“Saul kept me safe,” I said as I forced myself to look up at Jax and smiled. I had to play the role, or I’d just end up vomiting all over Marsh’s shoes. It had been awhile, but submissive, quiet, dumb little Anna?

Coming right up.

“Have you been up here all this time?”

“Hmmm. I rather like it here. It’s quiet. I’ve made a few friends.” He winked at me. “I’ll wager you’ll like it here, too. It should remind you of home.”

“She has a home now.” The tension in Jax was evident, and I worried that if he didn’t keep it together, he’d stop masking his alpha status.

If Marsh noticed, he didn’t say anything, Instead, he kicked off his boots and sat on the couch. When he patted the spot next to him, Jax sat in the chair and plopped me down on his lap.

Marsh was right. It did feel just like Dirk’s home. I swallowed down my unease and tried to settle against Jax. Despite having set our roles up, I knew I didn’t look comfortable. I wasn’t used to any man’s touch, let alone Jax’s hard body beneath me. His hands immediately caged my waist, and I tried to remain as still as possible. My heart hammered in my chest at the feel of his muscles beneath me.

For fuck’s sake, Anna, pull it together. We’d never been in more danger, and now I wanted to obsess about Jax’s body?

“I’ve got a few bottles of that Snake River’s Ale that’s so popular.”

“Snake River distributes through Wisteria Woods?” Jax asked skeptically.

It was all I could do not to look back at him dirtily. This was one time where the pampered alpha needed to keep his mouth shut. He was supposed to be a rogue. He was supposed to know how the life worked.

Marsh didn’t miss a beat. “Where did you say you’re living now?”

What Jax didn’t know was how easy it was to get things into rogue territories. It might take a little longer, but wolves knew how to move things, and we bartered with more than money. Plenty of the cargo was stolen, but there was also money here. Plenty of it was legitimately bought. When the right wolf came along, a rogue could get just about anything they wanted. Clothes. Phones. Alcohol. My father sometimes had a house with the most beautiful furniture, and sometimes we lived in a cave. It had nothing to do with what money he had or what he could get his hands on and everything to do with the mood he was in. I needed Marsh to think Jax was in charge, at least, the way Marsh and my father thought a man should be in charge, so I couldn’t explain his behavior. Not without Marsh realizing Jax was nothing like Dirk. Luckily, Jax stepped in.

“Females shouldn’t drink,” he said stiffly. “It’s best not to put temptation near them.”

“Oh, you’re one of those,” Marsh snorted. “I get it. Darling little Anna was quite the drinker. Thirteen, fourteen years old, knocking those whiskies back. Oh, the things she would do when she was a little buzzed.”

Jax’s arms tightened around me, and I stiffened and prayed Marsh wouldn’t give any more details. I did drink whenever my father’s friends visited. Luckily, they found it entertaining. I found it helped dull the sense and blacked out memories I didn’t really want to live with.

“We don’t do that anymore, right, Anna?” Jax said softly.

“Right.”

“Right, what?”

Startled, I looked back at him. There was disgust in his eyes. Was it because of Marsh’s stories or the role he was seamlessly slipping into?

“Right, Saul.”

“Good. Names are important,” he said to Marsh. “It’s a sign of respect.”

“Uh-huh.” Marsh watched me closely. “So you met Dirk, mated with our little Anna here, and just whisked her away? I’m having a hard time believing Dirk was okay with that.”

Jax met his gaze. “She’s mine,” he said simply. “And I do not need permission from anyone to do what I want with her.”

A wide grin split Marsh’s face. “I like you, man. I really do.”

There was a knock at the door, and I jumped. Marsh just smirked my way and crossed the room to answer it. Another male werewolf entered, this one far younger than Marsh. Who had he signaled? How many more wolves would be joining us tonight?’

“Finn. Just the boy I wanted to see. Come in. Come in. This pretty little peach is Anna.

She was Dirk’s daughter. We go way back. And this is her mate, Saul.”

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