Page 6 of Alpha's Unclaimed Mate

I exhale slowly. “Is there anything else?”

He takes his hand away, but I know he’s not done. “I haven’t questioned your choice of beta, even though I don’t agree with you choosing someone with alpha blood, even if that blood comes from his mother’s side. You’ve made your decision, and I hope your instincts are right.”

“Well, thank you for your approval.” I grab the armrests, ready to get up and leave.

“However,” he adds, and I force a smile, placing my hands back on my thighs. “Since you still haven’t found your mate, I hope you remember what we discussed before you left.”

My smile vanishes.

“And I hope you aren’t keeping any secrets from me, son, because secrets have a way of coming out.”

CHAPTER 3

SEREN

Shoving another bite of Ella’s famous blueberry Danish into my mouth, I force a smile as I add a few heart emojis to my comment on Jane’s post about her new home. Glancing out the window, I look down at the road, squinting at the harsh afternoon sunlight. The iron gates of the estate remain stubbornly closed, with no sign of Theron’s car. He didn’t come home last night, just like he’d said.

Where has he been? Or rather, who with? A bitter taste coats my mouth. Suddenly I’m not hungry at all. I push the breakfast tray away, grab my bag, and head for the service entrance, determined to find some professional clothes for my upcoming interviews.

As I round the corner, I collide with a solid wall of muscle. The familiar, warm scent of pine seeps into my skin, momentarily easing the knot in my stomach. But then reality sets in—he hasn’t made a single effort to see me on purpose.

I try to slink past him, but he’s faster than me. His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest.His touch sends a shiver down my spine and makes my head feel fuzzy.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this, don’t you think?” His voice is a low rumble as he holds me tightly against him. Despite myself, I giggle as he rubs his thumbs on my bare waist, a spot he knows always tickles.

“Wait. N-not here,” I stammer, my breath hitching under his intense gaze.

He leans in, his lips brushing my ear. “No one’s around,” he teases, sending a delicious heat through my body. Suddenly, something in his expression darkens.

“So,” he asks, his voice clipped, “where are you rushing off to?”

The question catches me off guard. “I was thinking...maybe I should get some new clothes for my job interviews.”

His eyes narrow and I see the muscles in his jaw clench. “Have you already applied somewhere?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, feeling a flicker of defiance. Why does this feel like an interrogation? I haven’t done anything wrong.

“And?”

“I’m hoping to have a job by next week.”

He takes a deep breath, his gaze searing into me. “You’re not working somewhere far from the house. I don’t want that.”

My brows furrow, a mix of surprise and uncertainty swirling in my stomach. “I can’t just sit at home, Ron.”

“Come to Blackwood,” he says, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “I can have a job for you by tonight. What do you think?”

My heart thumps a frantic rhythm against my ribs. How will everyone else see this? His parents, especially.

“Any objections?” he asks, his eyes holding mine.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I whisper, more to myself than him, hoping a good answer will spring to mind.

He leans in close, his voice a husky murmur. “I need you near me, Seren-hen,” he says before brushing his lips against mine. “There’s no two ways about it.”

A flicker of something dark crosses his eyes, but it’s gone as quickly as it appears.

His kisses me hungrily before I can raise any more objections.

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