Page 14 of Rejected Mate's Baby for the Alpha King

The ground dropped instantly beneath my feet, and I plunged into the river. Blood mixed with the water as the current started carrying me down, and I paddled hard. As a human, I had no idea how to swim, but a wolf?

Even worse.

She keened in panic, struggling to stay afloat. Water flew into my mouth and rammed down my throat, practically choking me, and I dipped beneath the surface.

Shit. This was it. I was going to drown in the middle of nowhere.

Something wrapped around my body and pulled. Instinctively, I fought against it, but the hold just tightened and pulled me against the current. We rose above the water, and I tried to turn my head to see what was holding me, but I couldn’t get a good angle. I shoved my wolf down deep and tried to focus.

I smelled shifter, but it was a human arm hauling me back to shore. When he pulled me out of the river, I finally turned to see who it was.

Rhyson.

My wolf tried to turn again to run, but I was exhausted. “Stop,” he ordered. Wolf magic pulled at me, hard and strong, and my wolf instantly collapsed and whined in submission. Fury was in his eyes as he stared down at me. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

It wasn’t like I could answer him anyway. I coughed up more water. Blood oozed from my shoulder, and when I tried to get up, my legs didn’t obey. Collapsing back on the ground, I passed out.

***

The smell of a fire and cooked meat woke me up. To my surprise, my wolf was gone, and I was sandwiched between two blankets. Night had fallen. Confused, I sat up and found six pairs of eyes staring at me. Gasping, I pulled the blanket up and shriveled back.

“Perimeter check,” Rhyson growled. Everyone left instantly except for Duke, who brought me a wooden bowl and set it in front of me. He left as well, and Rhyson just watched me impassively.

My stomach growled, and I picked up the cooked meat and shoved it in my mouth. There were some greens and beans. It didn’t take long before the bowl was empty. “Thank you,” I said quietly as my stomach twisted. “For saving me.”

“I am your king.”

Right. It wasn’t personal. I no longer had any delusions about him doing anything for me personally.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I muttered. “For the food as well.”

“Do you know where you are?”

“Geography wasn’t my strongest subject in school.” Sure, Maya. Be sarcastic to the king of werewolves. Smart.

“Apparently neither is swimming. Or hiding your tracks. Or hunting. Or any type of survival skill,” he grunted. “Your father called you a pampered princess.”

I almost laughed. It was most definitely the kindest thing my father had ever called me, and it was a lie.

“He also calls you a whore.”

“No offense, Your Royal Highness, but you’ve already said this part. I’d rather not hear it again. If you point me the way to a main road, I’ll just get out of your hair, and you don’t have to tell me all the things my father said about me. You’d just be wasting your breath, and frankly, I’m not all that interested.”

In the blink of an eye, he was on his feet, and I quickly bowed my head. Did the king still execute wolves for insubordination? It would be a shame if he’d saved me just to have to kill me.

“You have a mouth on you now that I know the truth.”

Keep quiet. Just pretend he’s dear old Dad and let him talk until he runs out of steam. Whatever you do, don’t contradict him.

“You know nothing of the truth.”

Great job, Maya.

“I know what I can smell,” he growled as he stalked near me. “I know why you followed me. I know what you think you want from me.”

Oh, shit. Shit. Shit!

“You, Maya Callahan, are pregnant, and you’re hoping to pass your little bastard off as mine.”

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