Page 8 of Rejected By the Alpha King

My bruises had bruises.

They had two goals. One was to make me cry. I’d come damn close when they’d taken the poker to the grill coals and scarred my legs.

The second was to see my wolf.

I hadn’t shifted once since my father was killed. Not when Jax demanded it so he could identify my wolf. Not when Parker pleaded that it would help me heal.

Now everyone wanted to see if pain would let her out.

I would die before I let any of these assholes get their hands on her.

The phone on the bar rang, and I jerked my head up. It was almost four o’clock in the morning. Who the hell would be calling Fanged Smiles at this time?

Convinced it was a wrong number, I went back to my job. I was so close to finishing, and Danny had already told me that I needed to be back at eight in the morning for inventory.

The phone rang again. With a sigh, I dropped the rag and crossed the rough wooden floor. Wiping my hands on my pants, I looked down and swore. My pants were streaked with the damn oil. It would be a nightmare to try and wash out, assuming that I would ever have the time to do laundry.

This was my only pair of jeans. Leaving the bar to go shopping wasn’t exactly an option.

I did my best to stay tucked away in my own corner, and I didn’t exactly have a ton of money. I didn’t get a paycheck, but I did get tips from people who didn’t know who I was.

Or at least, I did until Danny had copied the key to my apartment. My squirreled-away money disappeared, and a dead rat was left in my bed.

Paranoia dug deep. I’d searched my apartment for cameras, and while I hadn’t found any, I still only dressed and undressed under a blanket. I pulled my dresser in front of my door every night although I knew damn well it wouldn’t stop a werewolf who wanted to get in.

The phone rang again, and I picked it up. “Hello?”

“Anna?”

As soon as I registered the familiar voice, I froze. How the hell did she know where I was? It had been almost five years since I’d seen her.

Magic.

“Anna, you have to run. Right now. Don’t even bother taking anything. Just get to us now.” Static started to garble the phone. “There’s…danger…use you.”

“What? Repeat that?”

Suddenly, the line went dead. “I don’t remember giving you permission to use the phone after hours.”

Whipping my head around, I stared at Danny. The phone cord dangled from his hand.

Fuck, I thought he’d left hours ago.

“It was just a drunk dial,” I lied as I dropped my gaze. “I’m almost finished with the baseboards.”

“And look at you,” he slurred. “Such a mess.”

Shit, he was drunk. Risking his wrath, I glanced back up to his face, and my stomach tightened. Lust was written all over his face.

“I’m almost finished, and then I’ll get cleaned up,” I said steadily. “Do you want to wait?”

“No.” The phone cord dropped from his hand. “He always said that you were off limits, but he’s not here, is he? I don’t want to wait anymore.”

He took a single step toward me, and I knew that my luck had run out. Of all the ways this pack had found to torment me, no one had tried to rape me. I knew that had been because of Parker.

But Danny was right. Parker wasn’t here anymore. No one was coming to save me. I had to save myself.

I had to run.

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