Page 10 of Rejected Mate

“You think you’re so smart,” I shot back, “but you don’t know my pack’s strength. Our will. You don’t know what we’re capable of under pressure. Mark my words. I’ll get free.”

“I can’t wait to see you try,” he replied, still smiling that smug smile. He stepped through the barrier and walked towards me, stopping when he was within arm’s reach.

“If this is a game, I’m not playing. There’s no way I’d willingly participate when a worthless bloodsucker is the prize!”

The words cut through his calm exterior. The smile fell from his face as his mouth and fists tightened. Would he try to fight me now? Well, let him. I was ready.

But Mr. Eligible Bachelor had better control over his vampire emotions than most. He merely sniffed and shook his shoulders out. When he spoke, his tone was calm, which made him even more infuriating. The playfulness was gone from his voice, and I had a feeling I was finally seeing the real Ares Raith.

“I don’t know what you think this is, Wren, but it’s not a game.” His eyes darted back and forth as if checking to see if any cameras were around before continuing. “From what I understand, your pack has grown too weak and everyone knows it. Unless you want something terrible to happen to your family, you’d better get it through your skull that this is happening.”

I stared at him, speechless. That wasn’t possible.Everyonecouldn’t be aware of our precarious situation. We’d done everything in our power to keep things secret. We couldn’t risk losing our lands, our status, or… worse. Grandfather was growing older, and my father had shown no interest in following in his lead as Supreme Alpha. Dad had always been a quiet, sensitive type. The kind the other packs would eat for breakfast if they had the chance. So we’d been cautious, keeping our vulnerabilities close to the vest. But if everyone knew then… my family was in greater danger than we’d imagined. Especially since Ares’s words had sounded like a threat. Would they really try to harm my family if I didn’t do as they said?

“Go get changed for dinner,” Ares commanded as my thoughts spun. “And maybe be a good girl and show up with a new attitude.”

He whirled and walked away as I stood there, shocked by his words. I clenched my fists, wanting to show him a thing or two about my attitude, except maybe he was right. I was trapped here, and I needed to be careful about my choices. I couldn’t risk putting my family in danger, especially when I didn’t know exactly what was going on. These were The Mating Games, after all. I needed to play smart.

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