Page 23 of Rejected Wolf's Secret Baby (Rejected Moons 4)

“Yeah, we are,” he says. “I’m not going to be able to see you around here every day and not at least try to get in your pants. You should be ready for that.”

“Well,” I say, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see each other a little more regularly. See where things go.”

Not that they can go anywhere serious, of course. A relationship with Emmy’s father is absolutely not in the cards, given that he doesn’t know she’s his. But the occasional fuck? Yeah, I could be down for that.

Oh, who am I kidding?

I’m not going to be able to resist any more than he is.

13

BRANDON

“Soshe’ssingle?”Lonnieasks.

“She’s single,” I confirm. I’m trying not to feel too bad about telling him this, because honestly, it doesn’t really matter. If anything, it’s going to help Alicia for Lonnie to know that she’s not involved with anyone. If she’s not a threat to his power, he’ll stop thinking about her and turn his attention to something else.

At least, that’s what I’m hoping is going to happen.

He frowns. “Yeah, but she could still hook up with someone. She could hook up with someone here on the pack territory. That’s probably worse, now that I think of it. At least if she had a human boyfriend, I would know he wasn’t after my position in the pack. But if someone here gets interested in her, they might make a move.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. She’s back to look after your father, not to find a mate. Plus who would ever want to be a stepfather to a part human child,” I try to convince him.

“Oh, you don’t know her like I do,” Lonnie says. “She’s always trying to turn every situation to her advantage. She might have come back for Dad, but if she sees any kind of opportunity in being here, she’ll grab it.”

That sounds more like Lonnie himself. He’s the opportunist, not Alicia. He’s totally projecting his own megalomania onto her. One of these days, he’s going to have to face that truth about himself, but it’s not my responsibility to wake him up to it.

Instead, I say, “I don’t think you need to worry about it, Lonnie. I did talk to her last night, and she didn’t seem interested in relationships.”

Fucking, yes. Mating, no.

“Well, it’s not like I think she’s going tofindsomeone,” Lonnie says. “Not someone who really wants her. Who would? Old slut.”

For a moment I see red. My wolf is rising to the surface and he wants blood. I have to take several deep breaths and remind myself that murdering Lonnie now would have consequences for Alicia as well as for me. She’s dealing with her dad’s mental decline. I know she doesn’t like Lonnie, but she hasn’t given me any indication that she wants her brother dead.

The fact that Lonnie thinks we’re friends, that he confides in me like this…it will always baffle me, but at the same time, it works for me. He’s going to be alpha, so for me to be on his good side is just objectively useful to me. Even if it does mean I have to put up with an abnormal amount of bullshit.

“What are you worried about, then?” I manage after a moment.

“Guys who want to be alpha,” Lonnie says. “Anyone who wants to could come for her now, could seduce her and make her want him, and then he could use that as leverage to challenge for the alpha seat. You know all someone has to do is be mated into the bloodline to qualify.” He chuckles. “I guess you know that better than anyone.”

“You’re really hilarious,” I growl. I’ve had about enough of Lonnie’s bullshit. “Nobody’s coming for the alpha seat, Lonnie. No one is going to take it from you. And even if someone tried, even if Aliciadidmate with someone, all they could do is challenge you. You could just fight them off. You can handle that, right?”

He snarls at me. “You don’t think I could win a fight againstanyonein this pack? Of course I fucking could.”

“So why worry about it?” Goading him might be a mistake, but I’m not about to sit here and listen to his mouth anymore. A physical fight will lead to bloodshed, and I don’t want that, but I’m not just going to let him talk shit.

“I don’twantto fight them,” Lonnie says. “I don’t want a challenge. If an alpha has to defeat another contender to claim his spot, the pack will always question whether things would have been better under the one who lost. I don’t want the pack to ever question that I’m the best person to take leadership when the time comes. And the time is comingsoon.My father’s going to have to abdicate before long, now that his mind is starting to go.”

He sounds almostgleefulabout that. It’s fucking sick. Lonnie is going to be a terrible leader, but there isn’t anything I can do about that. I’m certainly not going to attempt his mating with Alicia just so I can challenge for alpha. That’s even more sick. IlikeAlicia. I’d never play her like that.

“You’ve got to keep hanging around her,” Lonnie declares. “You’ve got to make sure no one else gets any ideas about her. You’re the only one I can trust not to make a play for her as your mate, because she’s already rejected you.”

“And I’m supposed to do this just because you say so?”

“Iamgoing to be your alpha,” he points out. “I can make your life very hard. On the other hand, I could make your life veryeasyif I decided that was what I wanted. That’s something you should keep in mind. It’ll benefit you to be on my good side.”

I hesitate, debating. Iwantto keep spending time with Alicia. And if I’m doing it because Lonnie tells me to, that’ll mean he thinks he’s got someone loyal managing her. It means he won’t start trying to get directly involved in her life. I’ll be helping her out by doing this. Lonnie will onlythinkthat I’m helping him.

---