Page 43 of Rejected Mate's Baby for the Alpha King

“Don’t stop,” I said, avoiding the question. “I’m close. Just finish me.”

Wrapping his fingers in my hair, he pulled me out, keeping a hand on my chest to guide me. As he kissed my neck, he started pumping his hips again, a little bit slower this time, and I reached between my legs, running my fingers over his cock and then finding my own pleasure. I rubbed my clit and he fucked me, and the world fell away again. His teeth sank into my shoulder, and I came hard.

Pushing me back down on the bed, Rhyson stroked me through my orgasm, roaring before he pulled out and came on my back.

“Why did you do that?” I muttered as I collapsed on the bed. “Can’t get me pregnant twice.”

Rhyson didn’t say anything as he stepped off the bed, picked up his shirt, and wiped my back. When he tossed the shirt in the corner of the cabin, I realized what he didn’t want to say. He’d done it to leave evidence.

To let Gideon and everyone else know that he’d claimed me here.

Claimed my body at least.

“Marrow was a good wolf. A good brother. We were outsiders. Part of a pack, but our parents were distributors, so we traveled. When I was fifteen, Marrow stayed back to do something for our alpha, and we traveled without him. We were ambushed, and they were killed. They never did find out what happened, but Marrow blamed himself. He looked after me for a long time. He helped me heal.”

My back was still to him, but I didn’t dare turn around. I wasn’t certain why he was opening up now, but I wanted to understand why he was risking everything for his vengeance.

“It took a long time before he could move on. He got a girl pregnant, and she died in childbirth. Marrow blamed our alpha for not protecting her and challenged him. In one fell swoop he became a single father and an alpha. I became his enforcer and traveled for him. I would have done anything for him. Then, one day, he left on a job that I should have done. A wolf had lost his mate and was going feral. Marrow went to take care of him, and he was murdered within twenty feet of our pack line.”

Pain broke his voice, and I closed my eyes. He’d experienced so much death. No wonder he thought he had nothing to lose. “I realized that my brother was investigating this mountain. He’d written a single name down: Emerson. It became my mission to learn what happened to him, to figure out what the hell he was doing. I took over as alpha until I could control myself to take the crown. I needed all the power I could get to make my way through this mountain. With the exception of Duke, the wolves that are with me owe Marrow their lives. They’re willing to do whatever it takes to find the truth.”

“And Duke?”

Rhyson chuckled. “He seems to think I’m planning on killing myself on this mountain. He came to make sure I make it out alive.”

Sitting upright, I turned. “Is he right? Is this a suicide mission for you?”

His cool gaze met mine. “We walked in blind, and every day, I realize we are in far more danger than I could have ever anticipated. It’s probable that none of us are going to make it out, including you. You should never have chased me down.”

“Yeah, well, I guess you should have been more upfront about who you were. I never would have touched you if I’d known who you were, and we wouldn’t be here now. That still doesn’t answer my question. Whether you want to believe it or not, you have a child on the way. You believe in family.”

“You want me to give up my mission? To abandon what I’ve spent years trying to achieve because you may or may not be carrying my child?”

Rising from the bed, I started to pick up my clothes and get dressed. “You want some truth, Rhyson? I’ll give it to you. I’m not a slut. I’m not a whore. I went to that ball to marry Alpha Larson, but my cousin got to him first. She spread lies about me. I know that this child is yours because until that night with you, I was a virgin, and I wasn’t exactly in a position to sleep with anyone else afterward. You’re the only man I’ve ever been with. This child is yours. Don’t abandon it.”

23

Rhyson

My eyes narrowed, but before I could say anything, there was a shout from the cabin next to us. I raced to the door and threw it open just as Duke and Nash came out, dragging a young teenager with them.

“What the hell is going on?”

Duke threw the boy at my feet. “We caught him breaking into the cabin.”

“Fuck off. It’s my cabin,” the boy slurred. Bending down, I caught his chin and stared down at him. His pupils were the size of saucers.

“Gideon,” I roared.

He cringed. “Wait, no, you don’t need to call him. We’re all good here.”

“Then explain what the fuck you’re doing in my cabin.”

The boy started to shake. “Your necklace. Looked expensive. Wanted to pawn it.”

The amulet. I narrowed my eyes. “Bullshit. What do you need money for?”

“The serum. I need the serum,” he whispered.

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