Page 11 of Rejected Mate's Baby for the Alpha King

“Believe me, it would not have been an upgrade.” Glancing over her shoulder, she took a step toward me and stopped when I took a step back. “You’re scared of me.”

“I’m wary of anyone locked in this room with me.” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over and done with. You can go back to your Prince Charming.”

She snorted. “That’s what I thought he was. The first time I saw him, I was twelve. I knew for certain that he would be mine. I was so delusional, I actually thought we had a mating bond. I was crushed when I realized that he would be yours, but I didn’t spread those rumors because I was jealous. I did it to save him.”

“Save him from what?”

Sucking in her lower lip, she glanced back at the door and took a step closer to me. “Maya,” she whispered. “Your father wanted you to kill Alpha Larson.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I overheard your father and Champ talking about it. They’d planned on giving you an herbal potion to slip into his drink during your wedding night, making you think it would make sex easier with him, but it was a poison. I told Larson about it, and it made him…excited. That should have been a red flag, but I was worried he wasn’t taking the threat seriously, so I told him and everyone who would listen that you were a slut. I knew he wouldn’t touch you then. When you ran that night, I thought you were running for your freedom. Why did you come back?”

Her story sounded absurd, but I knew my father. He was worshiped by his pack as the alpha who could do no wrong, the golden wolf with the handsome grin. He was well-liked by everyone. Only a few knew of the darkness inside of him, and I knew of his obsession to take over Chalmer Basin. That was why I was to be married to Larson.

I thought he meant to bond through marriage, not through death. It was something my father would have done.

“Champ found me. You got what you wanted, Serena. Why did you feel the need to return?”

“Larson is an animal,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I came back to visit with my father, but also to get some supplies. To run. I can’t marry him. He’ll kill me one day. I just know it.”

Despite everything that I had been through, everything that I was facing, my heart went out to her. She’d tried to protect someone. She hadn’t realized he was a monster, and she honestly didn’t know of the consequences. After seeing Larson’s cruelty at the ball, I didn’t doubt that was true.

“He’ll follow you. Even if he doesn’t want you, he’ll find you. Men in power don’t like it when they’ve been rejected.”

“I know.” The tears finally fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “But I have to try, and I had to come to apologize before I left. I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

An idea popped into my head, a dangerous one. “Serena, listen to me very carefully. You’re not the only one who needs to run. I’m trapped in this room, but I need to escape. Tonight. Maybe we can help each other.”

If I didn’t leave before my father returned, he would smell the change on me, and he would kill me.

I held my breath, waiting for her to refuse or even question my urgency. For all I knew, this was a trap. My father often liked to dangle hope in my face only to yank it away when I fell for it every time.

Instead, she straightened her back and nodded. “I’m in.”

It was almost three in the morning before the door finally opened again. It had been six agonizing hours since I’d seen Serena, but the guard was slumped over on the ground, asleep from a sleeping draught in his drink just like we’d planned. She held the key in her hand.

“Champ and the other are on a run in the west. We’re going to head east to the river and split up. Are you sure you won’t come with me? My father has a place for me,” she whispered.

“Did you tell him about me?” I asked, more sharply than I intended.

She shook her head. “No, but you can trust him.”

“I like your father, Serena. I want him to have plausible deniability, which is also why you can’t come with me. I’ve got a plan. I’ll call your new phone in several days to check in.” I squeezed her hand. “When I’m safe, I’ll come for you. We can start a new life.”

I couldn’t tell her the truth. Not the whole truth, anyway. I didn’t fully trust her. I needed to know that I was safe first.

My bag was already packed. We shifted, a horribly difficult activity for me that took too many precious minutes, and slipped out of my father’s keep relatively unnoticed. After hearing the wolves howling in the west, we ran east.

The escape was easy because no one dared to think I could ever make it this far. We waded into the river and then split up with a final glance over our shoulders at each other. Maybe one day, Serena and I could be family.

Once we were safe.

By the time I reached the hotel where I’d last seen Rhyson, the sun was starting to rise. I had no expectations that he would still be there, but I needed information about the Summerset clan, and the hotel was neutral territory. Once I could get a map, I planned to be on my way.

To my shock, Rhyson was standing in the parking lot. What was he doing here? The ball was weeks ago, and he wasn’t local. Had he stayed for me? Was he looking for me?

Hope bloomed in my chest. All I had to do was shift and show him who I was.

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