Page 49 of The Wolf's Pregnant Rejected Mate

“If you’re looking for information, you’ll be sorely disappointed,” Ryder said. His wolf urged him to attack, but he held himself back. This was the most dangerous part—he had to play the line. Don’t make it so easy that they’d be suspicious, but give crumbs, too.

Jace continued to walk around him, his hands clasped behind his back. “You want that girl as your mate, yes? I can make it happen. So long as you do as I say.”

“I don’t take orders from demons or even half-demons,” Ryder spat.

Jace lifted an eyebrow toward his hairline. “What makes you think I’m only half-demon? Oh, is it because of the little trick of keeping my clothes while shifting? It’s not a matter of being half or full or anything like that, Ryder. Funny how your little hybrid friend doesn’t even know the extent of his own power. It’s a shame I’ll have to destroy him and the rest of your special ops team. I think I know who his father is.”

Ryder paused, drawn to a halt. Finn didn’t even know who his parents were. Didn’t know if it was his mother or his father that had been the demon. He’d never spoken about it or said he wanted to know.

Would he want to find out? Would he want to meet them if his wolf parent was still alive?

He shook himself. This was just a distraction. He had to stay focused. “And just what do you think you’re going to get from me, huh?”

“I’m interested in how far pride is willing to take a disgraced Beta,” Jace said, stroking his clean-shaven chin. “So I’ll give you a choice. Surrender and follow me, or be torn to shreds.”

Ryder grinned as he met the demon’s eye. “Go to hell.”

Jace laughed. “I’ve been there, thanks. This place is much more pleasant. I think I’ll stay.”

He stepped back and snapped his fingers. As one, the gathered demons bolted for Ryder. Before the first attack, he barely had time to shift back to wolf form. Fuck! He snarled as he twisted, driving them away from him. But there were so many. Every time he managed to grab one, another was on him. They were relentless, biting and buffeting him this way and that.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Had he made a mistake by challenging Jace? Should he have done more to make it seem like he was more open to revenge? His injury hampered him, and he disappeared under a pile of fur and gnashing teeth. Their weight forced him to his belly, and he rocked his body, throwing them off. They had another thing coming if they thought he would go down that easily!

“Careful, don’t kill him,” Jace called over the sound of snarls and growls. “I still have use for him.”

Ryder was crushed to the ground. He bit hard on the nearest wolf. Blood filled his mouth, but it wasn’t enough. Within moments, he’d been immobilized. Several of the demons shifted to human form and retrieved ropes from the surrounding forest. They lashed Ryder tightly, completely binding him.

Jace crouched over Ryder, his long ponytail falling over his shoulder. “We’ll see how you take orders once you learn the rewards of following a demon.” He patted Ryder’s head like a dog and laughed again as he stood.

He shifted back to wolf form, the Demon Seed flaring brighter as he did so. Then he loped off into the forest. The demons grabbed hold of the ropes, binding Ryder and dragging him along. It felt as though they found every rock and tree root to bang him up against as they followed their leader.

Ryder growled low in his chest, holding onto the image of Tess’s lips on his, the feel of her body against him. These bastards would kill her and their baby if they had a chance.

So long as she got out unscathed, it would be worth it. He just had to play his part. For her.

Chapter 27 - Tess

Tess didn’t sleep. She tossed and turned, images of Ryder’s face when she’d rejected him a second time playing through her mind. Despite how hard he held himself, she was certain she’d seen hurt in his eyes. It had been so much harder to say it again than it had been the first time—especially after their last intimate encounter. It had felt so different from the previous times.

Morning was a relief. Though her body dragged with exhaustion, at least the dawn meant that she could find something to do besides lay there, trying unsuccessfully to sleep. She dressed, got herself an easy breakfast of fruit and toast, and then headed out. The morning was crisp and cool, the valley still cast in the shadows of the mountains. A dampness to the air spoke of the possibility of rain.

She was halfway to Hayden and Mica’s home when a shout stopped her. Dread washed through her as she turned to find her parents coming at her. Hilda had Lenard’s arm as though she was thinking about pulling him back.

The fury on Lenard’s face said it all. Tess released a soft sigh. Of course, they’d accost her before she made it to the Alpha’s house. If they started screaming at her with Mica in earshot, they might end up faced with an authority figure standing up to them.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Lenard snarled as he came to a stop in front of her. “Look what you’ve done! You turned down a perfectly respectable match and now you’re used goods and caused a rupture in the pack.”

Tess wasn’t going to argue—but neither was she going to let them blame her for all the shit going down here. “I’m not responsible for anyone’s actions but my own.”

“Like fuck you aren’t! It’s a female's job to keep the men in line. And you humiliated the Beta in front of the whole pack. Even after he was generous enough to accept you as his mate.” Lenard’s fists shook as he shoved Hilda off him. “You were always a disappointment, but I didn’t raise you to be so selfish!”

“It’s not selfish to refuse a mating that would make me miserable,” Tess answered, her voice flat. “Things are changing. I’m not ashamed of who I am. Ryder’s responsible for his own actions. It’s not my job to keep him from challenging the Alpha.”

Lenard’s hand snapped out. He slapped Tess’s face with a loud crack. Pain exploded through her jaw as her head was jerked to the side. Tess stumbled back, clutching her face. Her heart pounded. It had been years since Lenard had hit her!

What if he went further? He might hurt her baby. Tess’s wolf snarled, wanting to give back as good as he gave.

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