Page 50 of Rejected Mate's Baby for the Alpha King

“Jax,” Anna said in a shaky voice. “Let him go. He was protecting his mate.”

“I’m not his mate,” Maya snapped, and I glared at her. Jax’s hands released me, and he stepped back.

I rubbed my neck. “I see that name tends to trigger a lot of people, but we’ve traded her location once for help. We won’t do it again.”

“Very well. We can get the information from Lunessa. We offer you our hospitality,” Jax said warmly as he stepped back and put his arm around Anna. “We have enough guest rooms for you here.”

How kind of him. He was itching to tear out my throat, and yet he was letting us stay.

Keep your enemies close.

“We appreciate the hospitality for the night. Any information you can give us on Emerson’s successor will be appreciated, and then we’ll be on our way,” I said diplomatically, trying to let him know that I wasn’t here to challenge him as alpha.

He didn’t even begin to relax. “Let me show you to your rooms.”

There were enough rooms that nobody needed to double up, but the alpha didn’t blink an eye when I quietly requested it. He also didn’t seem surprised when I ordered Maya into my room, although his eyes did flicker over her with some concern.

After Jax left, I called everyone to my room and shut the door. “Thoughts,” I asked.

“First of all, this mountain is weird as fuck,” Juniper snapped. “That witch teleported us, and she didn’t even look winded afterward.”

“I think,” Duke said quietly, “that we’ve arrived either in the middle or at the tail end of something very messy, and until we learn what that is, we’re moving blindly. Finding Marrow’s killer is our objective, however…”

“Learning what we can of this mountain is also important,” I finished. “And for all we know, it’s all tangled together.”

I looked at Paisley. His eyes were clear and studying us with some intelligence. “It’s clear that not all the rogues are in on whatever happened, so at least that’s in our favor.”

“You’re really not from around here,” the teenager whispered. “And what you did…you’re really powerful. Who are you?”

“Rhyson,” I reminded him. “How do you feel?”

“Better than in a while,” he admitted.

“If I were you, I’d consider myself a lucky boy. I doubt very many wolves or people have been gifted the clean slate that you have, and I seriously doubt you will get another chance. Stay clean, especially when you’re with me. Do you understand?”

He cleared his throat. “I thought I was just supposed to lead you through the magic? You’re not going to dump me?”

“I promised Gideon I would return you, and we are not quite ready to go back, so yes, you’ll be with us for a little bit longer.” I cocked my head. “Unless you don’t want to return?”

His eyes widened just a little bit. “I never said that.”

“Hmm. Perhaps a conversation for another time. All right, get some sleep, but be on alert, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything that could help us. It seems like we might not be here long, but I want to be armed with all the information possible before we’re kicked out.”

Everyone nodded and dispersed. I looked over at Maya. She hadn’t said anything during the meeting, but I could tell her mind was whirling. Without a word, she stretched out on the bed and sighed. It was the most comfortable thing we’d slept on since starting this journey, and she was clearly comfortable.

“Does it compare to the princess bed you have at home?” I asked her sourly. I regretted the words as soon as they were out of my mouth. It was petty and unnecessary, but I hated the way seeing her stretched on the bed stirred me.

With an annoyed look, she got off the bed, flounced into the bathroom, and slammed the door. A moment later, I heard the shower running.

Stripping, I followed her and stepped into the steamy shower. She didn’t even turn around. “Fuck off,” she muttered.

“You may have saved my life today,” I said as I grabbed her hips and pulled her up against my chest.

“Can’t have you killed just yet. What if I’m not safe here?” There was no sarcasm in her voice, and I couldn’t tell if she was serious yet.

“Is that what you’re looking for? Safety?”

Snorting, she turned around. Annoyance flashed in her eyes. “It was, when I first sought you out. Hasn’t exactly happened the way I thought it would.”

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