Page 14 of Impregnated By the Alpha

She handed me a fluffy brown bear with a green bow. I held it out for Violet to take.

“And this one is for you,” I said to her.

“I don’t want it. I can win my own prizes, thank you very much,” Violet said proudly.

“I’m sure you can, but that’s not necessary,” I said. “There’s a perfectly good stuffed bear right here.”

She ignored my offer and walked to the next stall—a balloon pop. She exchanged tickets for five darts, and Violet got into a throwing stance.

Five loud “pop” sounds later, Violet came away with an even larger pink bear, which she handed to Penny.

“Thanks, Violet! I love it!” she said with a squeal.

Next to the balloon pop game was a strength tester. I was prepared to pass it by when Violet stopped, handing the worker more tickets. She lifted the wooden mallet and swung it down on the strike plate, lighting up the vertical screen almost to the top.

“Better luck next time,” the worker said.

“Can I try?” Penny asked.

“Sure,” I replied, handing over the tickets to pay.

Violet held onto Penny’s prizes while Penny grabbed the mallet. She could barely lift it, so I helped her get it into position against her shoulder. As soon as I released it, the mallet came down with a resounding slam on the strike plate. A bell rang out as the lights made their way to the top of the screen.

“You won!” Violet said enthusiastically. “Great job, kiddo!”

By the time we had finished with the games, Penelope had earned one bear, a pair of sunglasses, a whoopie cushion, and three fidget toys in addition to the monkey I had given her and the bear from Violet. My mate had ignored all my offers but had gotten herself a baseball cap and a small stuffed penguin.

“I think we’re all out of hands to carry our prizes,” I pointed out to the girls. “Shall we find a spot to sit down and get some lemonade and funnel cake?”

They agreed, so we found an empty picnic table to unload our haul and rest our feet.

“I’ll go grab the food. Be back in a minute,” I said.

When I returned, I set the snacks and drinks down, then pulled Violet to the side.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked.

“Sure,” she replied. “Be right back, Penny.”

Our table was off to the side of the eating area in a less populated part of the fair. I knew we weren’t in any danger of being overheard by the packs, and I couldn’t wait any longer to figure out what Violet’s attitude was about.

“We’re supposed to be showing people how happy we are,” I pointed out. “But you’ve been rejecting my gifts and being… well, sassy. What’s going on?”

“At least I’m rejecting them with a smile. Isn’t that all you need from me?” she teased.

“It’s not funny, Violet,” I said seriously. “We need this marriage to make the alliance work. Not just for us, but for Penny—for all the pups who are growing up in these packs. I thought you said you could handle this, but with each passing day, you are just getting more upset with me. I’m trying to be nice, but you aren’t letting me.”

“I’m doing the best I can,” Violet said, but I could tell she was struggling to keep calm.

“This is the best you can do?” I questioned. “Come on, I know you better than that. I’ve already explained that I only leftbecause I had to protect you, and I’ve tried to explain more. Why won’t you let me? You can’t hold a grudge forever. What about our situation are you not understanding?”

“Oh, I understand,” she bit back. “You’re the one who doesn’t understand. I’m not yourrealwife, and I don’t want special treatment from you.”

The emphasis she put on the word “real” was like a slap in the face.

“You’re my mate. Your anger at me will never change that,” I assured her.

“Don’t you understand how hard this is?”

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