Page 3 of The Alpha's Rejected Arranged Mate

“Finn. You know that we’ve been looking to learn more about demons,” Hayden said, launching into it without a preamble. That was what Finn liked about him. He was direct. “I want you to return to the orphanage and investigate your past. Learning about your origins may open a new path to greater understanding of how demons get to our world in the first place.”

What the fuck? Finn’s hands clenched into fists. Hayden’s expression was completely serious, his brown eyes not moving from Finn’s face. Beside him, Ryder’s expression was slightly more sympathetic.

“So, you want me to go back to the orphanage and look through my records?” Finn asked, his voice tight. “If there was anything we could learn from them, the military would have already found it. They’re the ones that brought me into the special ops in the first place.”

Hayden straightened. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you. But there is going to be information that only you can find, Finn. The team and the military branch we serve under are on the back foot. We react to the demons rather than being able to stop them before they start creating chaos. We need to know more.”

Finn leaned his palms against the table, staring at the grain pattern. “So, to be clear, you want me to seek out my demon parent.”

“Yes,” Hayden answered. “And I wouldn’t ask if we could see any other options.”

“Are you asking?” Finn looked up at his Alpha.

Hayden nodded. “I won’t order you to do this.”

Finn closed his eyes. Fuck! Hayden wouldn’t ask if there was another way. They needed information about the demons. If Finn could find his demon parent, he might be able to trick that parent into thinking he was looking to connect.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll do it.”

***

Christine, the human doctor Finn had convinced Hayden to hire for the pack, greeted him as he approached the passenger van that’d take him to the old orphanage. Her curly dark hair framed her round face, and her large brown eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at him.

“Mica said you’d be coming with us.” She hugged him. Christine was a larger woman with a round face, thick arms, and a sizable chest.

Behind her, Derek slid several duffle bags into the van. The orphanage was where the three of them had grown up. They’d all joined the military at the same time and had ended up in the demon-hunting branch. Derek and Finn, being shifters, had been trained to fight them. Christine’s human status meant her training was more medical.

Any hope that Finn had for Derek and Christine to be getting along again was dashed when Derek nudged her in the back and grunted. Christine sent a glare over her shoulder but stepped out of his way. Finn never fully understood their falling out, but he hoped this wouldn’t get too awkward. He’d long given up in the hope that they would ever become the happy trio they’d been as kids.

“So, you two are going to Moon Lake, huh?” Finn asked, trying to ease the tension. “I thought Hayden would send more warriors to help Alpha Seth against the rogues he’s having trouble with.”

“Hayden doesn’t want to have a show of force. We’re supposed to establish the terms of an alliance so Moon Lake doesn’t think Bluebell Valley is trying to invade,” Christine answered.

Finn nodded his understanding. The human village with the orphanage was close to Moon Lake’s central town. So, atleast they’d be close by if he needed backup. It helped ease some of the knotting of his stomach. Finn didn’t want to go back to that orphanage. He didn’t want to learn more about his past and heritage. Imagining what happened was bad enough. As soon as he knew the names of those who were involved in bringing him into the world, it would make it more difficult to shove into the dark recesses of his mind.

A sweet, floral scent caught his attention. He turned to see Elin heading for the van. Her pale cheeks were flushed with pink, her eyes downcast as she carried a duffle bag over one shoulder. Finn’s wolf reacted instantly, wagging its tail and hopping up on two hind legs in his chest.

Her brown hair was pulled into a small knot at the back of her head, and the jeans she wore emphasized the generous curves of her ass and thighs. She was wearing a sports bra, judging by the compressed look of her chest… Finn turned his gaze away.

He’d thought it was clear to both of them before they fucked the first time that it was just physical between them. He thought he’d been clear that he wasn’t looking for a mate. He never thought he needed to reject her. And even though rejecting her was for the best—for her as well as him—it still made the knot in his stomach harden. She’d looked so heartbroken…

He shook himself. It was for the best. No matter how attractive she was, it simply wouldn’t work between them. Even if his wolf was excited at the mere scent of her. It would have been far more cruel to string her along and let her continue thinking they were mates.

He was feeling so guilty now because he hadn’t been clear enough to begin with. They were just hooking up casually; he should have been clearer about that.

His gaze flickered back to her as she tossed her duffle bag into the van. Her shoulders were tight, her head slightly bowed. Finn had watched her long enough in the pack to know that Elin wasn’t the same type of she-wolf as Mica or Tess. She wasn’t bold and confident in herself and her own decisions. She was the sort of woman who kept things bottled up inside.

Her visual discomfort was tantamount to a flashing neon sign over her head, screaming betrayal at him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, and in his own inner turmoil, his tone came out sharper than he intended.

“Oh, don’t you know?” Derek asked, leaning against the van.

Finn turned to him. “Know what?”

“Mica is sending Elin as part of the ambassadorial team. Since she’s a close friend of the Luna, apparently, there’s something about appealing to the Luna of the Moon Lake pack.” Derek waved a hand and smirked. “I guess they thought I needed a softer touch to back me up or something. Makes you wonder if Hayden thinks I’m unable to get the job done.”

Elin had been busy arranging her duffle bag, but at this, she turned toward Derek. “That’s not it at all! Hayden has every trust in you. It’s just that we all know Alphas can be a little hard-headed, so Mica thought it would be best to get the Luna on our side, too. If what people say about the Moon Lake pack is true, Alpha Seth is very suspicious of outsiders.”

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