Page 92 of Rejected Mate's Baby for the Alpha King

My wolf would deteriorate, even go insane. I would not be king for much longer. “I need to apologize to the witches, and then I need to see about the details for leaving for the Snake River Pack.”

The sooner we got off this mountain, the better.

It was several hours before I went in search of Maya. I found her back in our room, staring out the window. She was in the same clothes she’d been wearing during the ritual. Guilt overwhelmed me. I’d left her alone too long. Had she been sitting here the whole time?

“I have apologized to the witches,” I told her in a low voice. “I’d like to apologize to you, for interrupting your progress.”

“Nothing to apologize for,” she said tonelessly. “It wasn’t working.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I pushed you even though you were done. I shouldn’t have done that.” Unable to keep myself from touching her, I walked over and pulled her into my arms. I half expected that she’d pull away, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to handle it. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she practically poured into my arms. Carrying her to the bed, I cradled her in my arms as I sat and let her lean against my chest.

“I wanted to try one last thing,” she whispered. “It wasn’t your fault. Janelle was just so sure. I think I may have broken her. I think I break everything that I touch.”

“That is not true,” I growled.

“You lost control of your wolf, Rhyson. I made that happen. You swore to protect me, and I keep making that job harder and harder for you. I’m starting to think this future you see of us is a little too idyllic.”

Beneath her, I stiffened. “What are you saying?”

After a beat, she sighed. “Nothing. I’m just wallowing and feeling sorry for myself. I don’t mean to drag you down with me.”

“I want you to talk to me, Maya.” Feeling my wolf’s anxiety, I rested my chin on the top of her head. She was mine. Here and now, she was mine, and I would do whatever it took to keep her.

She was my mate.

“When are we leaving?”

Damn it. Well, if she didn’t want to talk, I couldn’t force her. I wouldn’t force her. She had to come to terms with what was happening to her on her own time. All I could do was support her and make sure she was safe.

“Tomorrow.”

“Anna can’t go. She was going to be our bridge. What if we’re walking into a trap?”

“You should stay here, Maya. London is supposed to be impartial, but I don’t know him, and I have no idea what Elonso is planning.”

“I’m not leaving,” she said softly. “And if you try to leave me behind, I’ll just follow you. You might as well bring me along. I won’t do anything to put the baby in danger. I swear.”

“Even if I’m in danger.”

Finally looking at me, she gave me a cheeky smile, and for a moment, I felt like everything would be all right. “Don’t do anything that would put yourself in danger, and I think we’ll be all right.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

In an instant, the smile was gone. “I know,” she said quietly. “Believe me, I know.”

51

Maya

Even with the vehicles, it still took four days to travel to Snake River Pack. We didn’t run into any trouble, but camping out in the open was tense. I shared a vehicle with Rhyson, and he was rarely not touching me. I think he expected me to have a breakdown at any moment.

Meanwhile, I was worried that he’d lose control of his wolf, and I wasn’t the only one. The others kept shooting him furtive looks as well.

Jax, Anna, and the witches all stayed behind. Jenson was our only emissary, and he was clearly not happy about it. I didn’t know for sure, but it felt like he still hadn’t healed from Gideon’s torture. At least, not mentally, and he was clearly reluctant to leave his witch.

They clearly had a bond. Was it a mating bond? If so, how did it feel to not have the bond reciprocated? It wasn’t like Irene could grow a mate bond. She wasn’t a wolf.

I needed to do my research. Now that I knew what was wrong with me, I needed to know how to best handle my situation. If others could find their mates and not form a full bond, then maybe I could as well.

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