Page 75 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate

I glowered. “Yes, I have. I left you to rot with a demon inside you and barely even noticed.”

“You have to stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control.”

I grasped her shoulders. “Don’t you go Full Throttle Therapist on me.”

“Don’t youmake medo it.”

“I’ve missed you so much.”

She smiled weakly as she threw herself in my arms, shrinking into me like she was a scared child. “Can you get me back?”

“I’ll try to.” I turned to find the hallway. “This place is nice.”

“Yeah, I found it while trying to hide from that…thing.”

I located the painting of the hallway, eagerly tugging Jillian through the shallow water to get back to it. “Well, you don’t have to deal with it much longer.”

“Robby, wait. It’s out there.”

“I didn’t see anything when I was out there.” I paused in front of the painting, watching it warble like it was the surface of a calm lake. “Hang onto me. I’ll get you out of here.”

“And then what? I get a new body?” She shrank back. “This is a bad idea.”

I extended my hand. “Do you trust me?”

She stared at my hand. “Do you have a plan?”

I chewed on my lower lip. “I have a general idea of what to do. But we have to get into the hallway to do it, Jilly. You can’t stay here forever.”

“I can if I want to.”

“I guess you can, but then we’ll lose each other.”

She focused on me with a torn scowl. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“Take my hand. We’ll take it from there, okay?”

After a moment, she nodded with determination and placed her hand in mine. I clasped my fingers around her andjerked her through the painting before she could change her mind. She fell on top of me, causing my ribs to ache as I broke her fall. I groaned while struggling to get to my feet. Then, I helped Jillian stand up like she had for me so many times.

We both froze when we saw what was waiting for us at the end of the hallway.

Jillian grabbed my bicep. “Robby, is that…my aunt?”

I hauled air into my lungs as I grabbed my best friend’s hand. “Looks like it.”

The tall woman wore a black pantsuit and a wide black sunhat with dark glasses and sharp heels. She gritted her sharp teeth, holding up talons for hands. “You didn’t lock the door, Muffin.”

Jillian shuddered with a croak. “Aunt Sylvia, I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

I held out my hand to her. “No, don’t apologize. That’s not your aunt, Jillian.”

Sylvia—thethingthat looked like Sylvia smiled and clicked her tongue a few times. “Robyn was never a good influence on you.”

“Jillian, look at me,” I urged. “Don’t listen to her. Hang on to me.”

Quiet tears streaked her cheeks. “I can’t move, Robyn.”

Sylvia clicked her heels and floated toward us. About five feet away, she landed on her sharp heels, giving them another pointed tap. “Muffin, you don’t want to disappoint your family by leaving them to stay poor.”

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