Page 52 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate

“Robyn, are you alright?”

I raised my eyebrows at Faye. She was so pretty, so motherly, so faithful to her mate. The way she carried herself with confidence made it look like she had this whole mated-to-an-Alpha thing figured out.

I breathed deeply and smiled. “Yeah, I’m just fine.”

Faye nodded with a knowing grin and then turned to Hector. “Why don’t you take Sydney and Sierra outside with Cliff?”

“I was going to start the burgers.” He pointed at the stove. “I know how you get when you’re hungry and—”

Faye cleared her throat and nodded to the living room. “I think the girls would love to go outside and bond with their uncles.”

Hector squinted at his mate, chuckled softly, and then kissed her forehead. “Yes, Dear.”

I stared at Faye long after everyone left. “Alright, you have to teach me whatever spell made that happen.”

“Made what happen?”

“Made him listen to you.”

Faye laughed as she settled in at the table. She pushed out the chair closest to her. “Come on. Sit down. I know you’re exhausted.”

“I’m just fine.”

“Respectfully, Robyn, if you say that one more time, I’m going to put you into a headlock and wrestle you all the way to a dang sauna to get you to relax.Sit down.”

It seemed her magic worked on other people, too. I took a seat without argument. The stories I heard from Cliff were aboutthings that would makeCarrielook like child’s play. I drummed my fingers on the table. “So, what’s up?”

“You don’t have to wear the mask with me. I get it.”

“I’m not wearing a mask.” I forced a smile. “I’m just rolling with the punches.”

She nodded. “I know how hard those punches can be.”

“You’re his sister. You don’t get it. You’re too close.”

“I’m just far enough away to see that you don’t know how to tell Cliff no.”

I let my attention drift to the window. “It’s hard to say no when he’s snapping his fingers at me to do things.”

“He can be hard-headed. You need to push back.”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried?”

She nodded. “I think you’re afraid to try.”

“And I think you think you know more than you think you—” I crossed my arms over my chest as I closed my eyes. “I made myself confused.”

“I love my brother.” She paused for a beat, letting the sentence hang in the air. “That means I love you, too.”

I focused on her with blurry vision. It was about time for the crybaby to make an appearance. Wasn’t I just thinking about how I used to sob all the time?

I sniffled. “I don’t even know you.”

“That’s okay. You can get to know me. And you can get to know the new Cliff who cares a lot about your daughter.”

“He doesn’t…” My face scrunched uncontrollably as a wave of grief smacked into my side. “How?”

Faye took my hand in hers. “Hector is going to help him adjust to becoming an Alpha without any training, okay? I promise. We’re not going to leave until you two have the hang of things—together.”

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