Page 43 of Rejected By the Alpha

I rolled my eyes but did as he asked. Soon, we were sitting in Nile’s front room.

“You wanted to see me?” Killian asked.

“Yes, but let’s wait for Jasper to get here,” Nile said.

A knock on the door came, and we all looked at each other in confusion. Jasper rarely knocked.

Nile left to answer it, coming back into the room followed by a man who looked suspiciously like my mate. The only differences were in hair and eye color. In place of Killian’s light blond locks and hazel-green eyes, the stranger had darker blond hair with eyes the color of a winter sky.

“I told you I’d find you,” the man said, staring at Killian with a dangerous look.

“Franco,” Killian replied, his jaw locked. “Welcome to Alpha Nile Pinedale’s home. Nile, this is my brother.”

“Half-brother,” Franco corrected. “I believe we’re waiting on one more?”

“I’m here,” Jasper said from behind him.

Franco’s mouth broke into a sinister smile as he turned to greet the newcomer. “Excellent,” he said. “Why don’t we all sit?”

The ease with which he commanded the room unsettled me. Here was a man who had never been in town before, ordering around three powerful alphas.

Killian said down next to me and placed his hand on mine. I hadn’t realized I was shaking, but his closeness comforted me enough to halt the unbidden tremors.

“You must be Killian’s pet,” Franco said to me lasciviously, eyeing our enclosed hands.

“Leah,” I said coldly. “I’m his mate.”

“Ah, how wonderful. Congratulations.”

Although his words were kind, the tone was anything but. I felt a shiver of fear run up my spine as he locked eyes with me, but I held his stare until he broke it.

“If I had known I was going to have a guest, I would have prepared better,” Nile said nonchalantly, ignoring the tension in the room. “But we didn’t know you were coming.”

“Yes, what exactly are you doing here?” Jasper asked Franco, getting straight to the point.

“I’m here to let the three of you know that I’m in town,” Franco began. “I know that alphas are territorial, so I didn’t want my presence to come as a surprise and invite any… violent attention toward myself.”

“Have you done anything that might encourage us to use violence against you?” Nile asked politely.

“Of course not,” Franco said. “But you know how it can be. A strange man comes into town, and everyone’s emotions run a little amok. But I assure you, I mean none of your packs any harm.”

“As long as your presence here is peaceful, you have nothing to fear from us,” Jasper said. His voice sounded as though he doubted that Franco’s intentions were anything but malicious.

“I’m so pleased to hear that,” Franco said. “All I want is to catch up with my big brother. It’s been so long since we had a chance to spend some quality time together, hasn’t it, Ki?”

Killian’s hand squeezed mine, and I knew he was struggling to control himself. I had known he had a brother, one who had chosen a much different path than Killian. But theremust have been many more details that Killian hadn’t shared with me yet for him to react so strongly to this man.

“Yes. It’s been a long time,” Killian finally said.

“Well then! No time like the present, I say,” Franco slapped his knees jovially, at complete odds with the tension in the room. “Would the three of you mind giving us the room? I think Killian and I should have a private talk before I head out.”

The alphas exchanged glances, and Killian nodded to them, letting them know he was on board to talk with Franco alone.

“Feel free to let yourself out when you’re done,” Nile said to Franco. “And next time you need to talk, give us a call. No need to come all the way here.”

Franco’s parting smile didn’t reach his eyes as Jasper and Nile left the room.

“You too, sweetheart,” Franco said, jerking his head for me to go.

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