Page 39 of Alpha's Rejected Mate

Harper didn’t want advice.

“What do you want to do?”

“That’s not advising me.”

“Yeah, it is. Forget about all the crap connected to knowing who Mateo is. Ignore it all. None of it matters anyway. All that matters is you, and what you feel for him. Once you forget all that bad negative shit, and you think about Mateo, what do you feel?” Franny asked.

She looked toward her friend and took a deep breath. “I … want to be with him. Doesn’t that make me weak? He did reject me.”

Franny took hold of her hand. “Yes, he rejected you, and I can’t imagine what kind of hurt that was like, but—and this is what you need to consider—is there any way you can forgive him? He was a fool and he knows it. He could have left here, but he hasn’t. Even when you didn’t show any signs of forgiving him, he stayed.”

“But what if it makes me weak?”

“You’re not weak, and besides, isn’t there something about being able to forgive that makes you strong?” Franny asked.

****

“Thank you,” Silver said.

Mateo turned toward the other alpha and nodded his head. “Think nothing of it. I’m glad I could help.”

He got the call that drew him away from his mate early this morning. A newly transitioned wolf was struggling to put his wolf back into the cage. The boy’s family were terrified. They had attempted to give him time to try and fix the problem himself, but that hadn’t worked. The stress and pain had resulted in a dangerous combination where the boy had been close to wanting to end his own life.

Silver had called him to help because the boy had been left, hoping the wolf would rescind.

It was a bad case, but not one of the worst Mateo had seen, which had been a surprise. There had been one case, a young girl, who had come to her transition early. She’d been fourteen years old, but her body had matured, and Mateo, along with his father, on every full moon, had to help guide her through the transition. Seeing a young girl beg for them to end her life during that first time would stay with Mateo forever.

“It was a pleasure to have you here,” Silver said, and offered his hand.

Mateo shook it.

“I don’t suppose you have any idea what you and Harper will be doing through the next month?” Silver asked.

“I don’t know.” He didn’t want to say that he might have to consider leaving Harper here. His pack was going to need him. Even though his father could handle anything the pack threw at him, he knew he was needed.

Staying in Silver’s pack wasn’t going to be good. They were both alphas, but the biggest problem was the fact they were alphas in different packs. If he’d been born within Silver’s pack, it would be different.

He wasn’t. His pack needed him.

But, he needed Harper.

“I’ve got to go,” he said, giving Silver a slap to the arm, and then he took off, heading toward Harper’s home.

On the way there, he saw Franny coming toward him, and he stopped.

“Hello,” he said.

Franny offered him a smile. “Hello, rather polite this morning,” she said.

He forced a smile to his lips.

“Did you and my father deal with whatever problem called you away from your mate?” she asked.

“Yes. How is Harper?”

“I’m not divulging any of her secrets, but I will let you go and see her.”

That didn’t exactly fill him with confidence. Now, he felt that knot of fear working up his spine, threatening to strike him down.

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