Page 5 of Rejected By Blood (Mated in Silence 2)

Although this did affect us…

I swallowed and turned the board toward myself again. I wiped it clean with the little cloth then considered what to write. I had never made a demand up on the alpha, never requested anything more than a little food, the occasional garment… For the most part, I took care of myself before Dean came to help. After I was sent to my cabin at least. I was an orphan who relied upon the goodness of the pack members. They had raised me, even though I was not a child of any of them, nor a grandchild or any blood relative as far as I’d been able to determine. In fact, now that I thought of it, I hadn’t asked questions about my parents since I was very small.

Maybe after we got Dean reconnected with his, I could pursue that further. Or maybe what happened to them was so horrible everyone was shielding me? Was I strong enough to face the truth.

“Jillian? Did you have something else to say?” The alpha’s glare was directed at me, something nobody wanted to happen to them. “Did you want to speak with this man?”

I shook my head emphatically. Even if I had the full power of speech I would not. Something about being called by a different name set off so many red flags or maybe flares? My peace of mind was in danger, and I already had something else doing that. Why couldn’t I have a normal life. Get up, eat, work, make love, maybe shift and run through the woods and hunt some stuff. Shifer normal.

“I did not grant this wolf permission to set foot upon our lands.” The alpha stood up and pressed the button on his desk, summoning a beta. Jared, who had no doubt followed us here and probably had his ear pressed to the door, opened it way too fast.

“Alpha?”

“Escort this stranger to the border of pack lands. I don’t expect to see him back here again.” Dismissing the matter from his attention, he rounded his desk and sat down.

But the outsider was not quite ready to be dismissed. “Alpha, this isn’t over. I am not sure why her highness is denying her identity, but I will return with proof. Please ensure that Cal...that Jillian remains here. I will return with proof of her identity.” He turned and moved out the door, followed by Jerad.

The alpha bent over a stack of papers on his desk as if my whole world hadn’t been set on its ear. What did he mean, her highness?

“Alpha, what does this man want? Why did he say that about my mate?” Bless Dean for having the words I did not.

“Who knows why people do what they do. You may leave.”

I stumbled out of the alpha’s house onto the porch and stopped there, my mind circling around those words. Her highness? Denying who she is? I’d been with this pack since I could remember, since I was very tiny at least. If any of what he was saying held truth, wouldn’t it have come to light long since?

Ridiculous.

“Let’s go home, Jillian. The man was clearly out of his mind. Maybe this Callista whoever she is left him for some other wolf or something. We needn’t let it ruin our day.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t let it go. He might be out of his head, or there might be something to it. If he returned, I’d talk to him. Fear couldn’t rule my life forever. But it wouldn’t be in the alpha’s presence. He hadn’t been nearly weirded out enough by what the stranger said.

Chapter Six

Jillian

We didn’t let the strange man in the alpha’s office ruin our day. Well, on the surface we didn’t.

There was a palpable tension between us, though Dean tried to squash it with kisses and sweetness. He was talented in that department.

“What should we read tonight?” he said, pulling me from my thoughts and back into the present. I knew that tone from my mate. He was baiting me, and I fell for it every time. “I got this today. It’s one of my favorites and very romantic. What do you think?”

I plucked the book from his hands after wiping my fingers on a cloth napkin that used to be a dish towel.

The first word was pride. I knew that much. But the second I pointed to and shrugged. Shrugging was the best non-verbal way to ask Dean a question. That and a cocked eyebrow.

“Prejudice.Pride and Prejudice. It’s pretty long, but I really think you will like it.”

I flicked through the pages and immediately knew he would have to pause almost at every sentence and explain a word. Still, I couldn’t tell him no. His green eyes shone brightly, and his smile melted me in place. No way I would disappoint him. He was so damned cute when he was like this.

Nodding, I pointed back to my bowl. Though the stew was cooked over the fire again, against my mate’s protests, it was foreign to me. Dean called it chili and had torn through two bowls full.

I didn’t really care for it, but food was food. I wasn’t picky, not by a long shot.

We had a secluded spot in the forest where a small layering of rocks made a waterfall and, for us, a shower. It was on the edge of the pack’s lands and I knew no one would ever come there. At least I hoped. Some of the places I’d sworn that about were now filled with traffic it seemed. But I wasn’t going to give up the magic of skinnydipping with Dean. Voyeurs beware. Interrupted shifters tended to grow fangs.

“I never knew simple could be this amazing,” he whispered in my ear. I had my legs wrapped around his torso while my arms were rounding his neck. My face must’ve given me away again because he chuckled, jostling us both as the water swirled around us. It had been cold at first, and we both gasped as our dry bodies hit the cold water, but after a while our shifter temperatures kicked in and the chilly pool was refreshing--comfortable even.

My breasts were pressed against his chest and, when we were close like this, his heartbeat soothed me, drumming with mine.

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