Page 33 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate

She grinned performatively. “Why, I don’t know what you mean, Darling.”

“You sound drunk. Do I need to call your ex-husband?”

“If I wanted to have a bad time, I would call Donnie all on my own.”

I tried to hide my knowing grin. “Dad hates that nickname.”

“He hates anything that comes out of my mouth.”

“Is that how you want me to be?”

She turned to me with a shocked glare. “What are you saying, Robyn Wade?”

“I’m saying that you and Dad were matched together—and you ended up divorced.”

“Thank the great Gods around us that we were divorcedbeforehe decided to mark me with the mate bite.”

I sent a concerned smile to my daughter, who was too occupied with her dolls to notice that we were having a troublesome discussion over here. That was for the best. She had enough things that were scaring her.

With the lightest touch, I reached for my bottom lip. “Hey, can you tell me about that? How big does the bite have to be?”

Mom plucked a silver flask from her breast pocket and dribbled liquor into her tea. It must be close to five if she’s doingthat now. “I don’t know. Some people make giant marks that look like hickeys. Gross.” She set the flask down and lifted her teacup. “Others do little nips or whatever. I don’t know.”

She slurped her tea, sending me into a mild spiral as I tried to figure out whether Cliff had possibly given me a mate bite or had just broken the skin on my lip by accident. I tapped the area again, flinching subtly at the soreness. The slightest touch sent a sting to my slit and made me reconsider touching my lip again.

I sighed as I reached for my cup once more. “Why did you two get a divorce?”

“We were fighting all the time.” She avoided eye contact as she lifted her teacup like she was getting ready to make a toast. “You were complaining about it. We got divorced. Problem solved.”Slurrrrp.“But that’s nothing our Alpha can’t solve by choosing the best mate for you, right?”

Irritated by her hypervigilant commentary, I turned back to Sydney, who was now holding her dolls to her chest and staring listlessly out the window. I wanted to pick her up and run as hard as my legs would allow. My poor, sweet girl was waiting in limbo for things to get better. I could tell she hoped for that funny man to come back soon.

I need to tell her that Cliff is her father, I thought.And I should tell Cliff that Sydney is his daughter, too.

My mother kept flapping her jaws, but I couldn’t hear a word. I didn’t care about that when I was more worried about what was to come. If it was five o’clock, then that meant Cliff would be here shortly. He said he would come by in the evening to challenge Bill. I checked my phone a few times. No texts.

I sighed.

“Robyn Wade, are you tuning me out again?”

I smiled sleepily at my mother. “No, I’m just trying to stay awake. I’ve been losing sleep.”

“You need a good man here. That’s why you’re losing sleep. Sydney is too much for you.”

I laughed while motioning toward my perfectly well-behaved daughter. “You must be mistaking your granddaughter for a changeling.”

“Don’t be naïve, Robyn. You’re not getting any younger. Why do you have to be so picky about a mate?”

“I’ll marry Cliff if that’s what you want.”

She cackled. “If he were interested in you, then he would have proposedyearsago.”

“You know what? I’m tired of your half-baked opinions and fake smiles. It’s gross.” I stood up and tugged on my mother’s arm. “Get up. Get out. I’m not doing this.”

“I beg your pardon.”

I smiled fiercely. “Beg as much as you want, then.Out.”

Mom gaped at me for several seconds before gathering her pocketbook and shuffling angrily to the door. Sydney stood up with Mr. Charles under her arm while watching her grandmother stomp onto the porch.

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