Page 58 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate

I pulled her over toward the desk and sat her down, leaning against the desk to keep the girls within my line of sight. While I was sure Hector and Faye were watching from the kitchen, I didn’t want to assume they would just watch my daughter without me asking.

When I was sure that the girls were sufficiently entertained, I focused on Robyn. “It’s a glorious ritual thatbrings the whole pack together. We separately prepare for the night with our friends before heading for the woods.”

“Sounds like a kegger.”

I chuckled. “Sure, if you want it to be.” I shrugged. “I’m sure someone has done it.”

“So, we convene in the woods. And then?”

“And then I chase you.”

She smiled, licked her bottom lip, and then nipped the right side as her cheeks flushed red. “You chase me?”

“While you wear a doe mask.”

“And do I want to be caught?”

I smirked. “I don’t know, Robyn. Do you want me to catch you?”

“That depends on what happens when I get caught.”

“I guess we can always find out.”

Her smile radiated excited curiosity as she took my hand. “Alright, let’s do it.”

Chapter 18 - Robyn

It was a crisp and flat sixty degrees when I reached the edge of the woods that separated the neighborhood from Bill’s old home. Cool soil met my bare feet as my thick robes made of evergreen fabric billowed around my ankles. I glanced left to see Jillian wearing much the same as me, with a plastic doe mask on her head.

She snickered while tugging the mask over her face. “Good thing you didn’t have to marry that old man to save him.”

“What old man?”

“Bill.” She held up her left hand, inspecting her nails casually. “Probably wasn’t much left to save.”

I gaped at her. “Jillian, what’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing that hasn’t gotten into you.” She winked at me. “Isn’t that the goal tonight between you two lovebirds?”

When she blinked, something in her honey-brown eyes shimmered like a black scale made of opal. It was gone when I searched for it. What had I just seen in her eyes? Mischief?

I sighed as I tugged her mask aside to check her forehead. “Did you have too much doe wine?”

“Youhad too much doe wine.”

I rolled my eyes with a knowing grin. “I’ll see you at the camp.”

She kissed my knuckles and waved for the other women to gather close. This was supposed to be the exciting part of the ritual—but my toes were frozen, my teeth were chattering violently, and my heart was surpassing a new record for most beats per minute. Jillian started clapping. Sonya joined in. Thefour other women surrounding us did the same, creating a chaotic crescendo of cheers that lifted my eyes to the sky.

I raised my fists above my head as I released a guttural roar. My bellowing cry echoed over the soft earth, carrying me toward the thick trunks, waiting quietly for me to join them. Darkness patched the spots between branches, growing chunkier the higher the trees reached. Moments later, I was standing on a bed of soft needles that poked my toes. Silky leaves caressed my forehead. It was nearly time. I just had to wait for the signal.

“Ah-oo!”

I pumped my hand into the air and cried, “Ladies,let’s fool my mate!”

Laughter exploded in musical bursts around me as I darted forward with my mask fixed over my face. I lifted my hood to cover the back of my head, knowing that Cliff was clever enough to focus on my unique hair color to find me. Most of the women had already taken off, with Jillian surpassing Sonya in a giggle fit that sounded like the wine wasn’t wearing off anytime soon.

With a burst of energy, I sprinted to the right and sailed past my mother’s backyard, the miniature gazebo, and the cul-de-sac entrance, and hauled it over to the woods on the right side of Bill’s house. Back here, it was much quieter, farther away from the encampment and anyone who might be trying to find me.

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