Page 93 of Rejected By the Alpha King

“You are neither. You realize that, right?”

“Hmm. Show time.”

The front door to my house opened, and Jenson stepped out, He took one look at the blood on us and stiffened. “Later,” I said as I greeted him. “Status?”

“Emerson has arrived. He brought one witch with him and three guards. The witch demanded to be taken to Irene.” Jenson’s mouth hardened into a straight line. “I wouldn’t allow it.”

“Did you get a photo?”

“I did.”

“Go to Irene and see if she and the others are comfortable meeting with this witch.” I paused. “I also need you to get a message to her, but I cannot let the other witches or wolves know. Not even our own. I don’t want it written down or spoken out loud. If you can find a way, let her know that Lunessa is here.”

“Is that supposed to mean anything?”

“It will to her. Keep that to yourself. I will let you know more when we meet tonight. Is there anything else to report?”

“I had to put new guards on The Fanged Smile. The previous guards reported that Bridget sent them away, and now I can’t reach her.”

“We’ll discuss that later as well. For now, keep the incident quiet. Tell the previous guards that Bridget was misinformed and there is no need for concern.”

Jenson frowned, but he didn’t ask the question that I saw in his eyes.

Was there reason for concern?

For the first time in my entire life, I looked at Jenson with doubt. Immediately, as it crept into my head, I banished it. I’d never thought Bridget possible of betrayal but only because she’d sworn her loyalty to me and given me no reasons to doubt her. She’d always been steadfast. It’s what made her an excellent third.

Jenson, on the other hand, was more than my second. He was my friend. When my brother was alpha, Jenson should have been his second, but my brother denied him because of his friendship and loyalty to me.

To him, nothing else had mattered, and to Jenson, he wasn’t willing to give up his friendship with me for more power. When I became alpha, there was never any question who was my second. I trusted him then.

I trusted him now.

“Thank you.”

I shook his hand, and he wrinkled his nose and sighed. “Well, shit.” He knew things were already going off the rails.

“Ready?” I asked Anna.

She looked anything but ready. I wanted to immediately whisk her upstairs to our room, let her shower off the stench of betrayal and hold her until the danger passed.

It wasn’t an option.

The other alphas had gathered on the back porch. There was a lot of power when we were all together, and it made tensions high. No matter how big the room, we always felt a little trapped. It didn’t surprise me to find them there.

“Finally. This meeting is going to go very slowly if people keep showing up late or taking off without warning or…” Maeve’s voice trailed off and she frowned. “My apologies. It seems you needed to take care of something.”

“I’ve had some of my own training Anna. One of them took it too far,” I said breezily.

“Emerson. I see you have finally arrived.”

“I have.” The other alpha’s gaze settled on Anna, and he did nothing to hide the heat in his eyes. Even after all this time, he still seemed to want her. “And this must be the famous mate you’ve taken. Dirk Kipling’s daughter.”

I turned my head to see Anna’s eyes widen before she shrank back just a little. It should have bothered me how well she was playing her role.

“That is who she was. Now she is my mate,” I said evenly. “And if you do not stop looking at her like that, we are going to have a problem.”

“My apologies. Mild curiosity,” Emerson said with an affable smile. Until Anna told me about Emerson’s friendship with her father, I never would have taken him as a threat. At least, no more than any of the other alphas.

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