Page 26 of The Alpha King’s Rejected Mate

She nodded, but could barely look me in the eyes. “It just feels like something more is going to happen tonight.”

That was exactly what I wanted to hear. I was dying to have her, and even though I hadn’t been waiting very long, it still felt like an eternity.

“What do you think is going to happen?”

She smiled, and got a strange look on her face. “Do you really want me to say it out loud?”

“Yes.” I thought hearing her say such a naughty thing would be even better than what I came up with in my mind.

“I think you are going to try to seduce me, Sterling. That’s what I think is going to happen.”

“Try to, huh?”

“Well, don’t take it as a challenge, but yeah, isn’t that what’s on your mind?”

“I told you that I’m pretty sure you are my mate.”

Snow shook her head. “You know people only have one mate, and I have already been rejected by mine. Don’t mistake me for who you’re actually supposed to be with.”

“You are worthy of being my mate and I know it. I have never felt this way about anybody in my life, just you. You think that’s a coincidence? Do you really think I couldn’t tell the difference between lust and something more?”

She didn’t answer me, just started on the steak I set in front of her. After a while, she said, “This is delicious. You are really good at this.”

“Why do you sound so surprised? I own several cattle ranches. Pretty much all I eat is steak. I would be worried if I couldn’t make it taste good after all this time.”

“I know, I’m just saying that I’m surprised you can actually cook, I guess.”

“It’s not something I do very often, but I wanted to do it for you.” There was a lot that I wanted to do for her, if she would just give me another chance. I was honestly going to take the fact that she hadn’t brought Dutch up sixteen different times already as a good sign. Maybe she was thinking about him less and us more.

After she was done, I knew that she would like to go for a walk. Snow was like many of the shifters in my pack, they would rather be outside than cooped up. She got this antsy look on her face when she was ready to get out, and she had it now.

“Do you want to take a walk?”

She smiled. “Are you reading my mind?”

“Something like that,” I her. “Dutch isn’t the only one who has been keeping an eye on you, Snow. I want you to know that you are safe here. Whether you’re in my pack or not, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

It was the truth, and whether she believed me or not, I needed her to know there was no way I was going to let anybody get their hands on her. Even though she didn’t believe we were destined to be together, I knew better. I knew somehow that Snow would be the one to carry my pups. Snow was to be my mate.

Maybe, though, I wasn’t going to be her only mate. I didn’t like to think about it, but at the end of the day, sharing her was better than not having her at all. It didn’t make any sense for me to accept such a fate, but I did. For her, I would acclimate. I just had to convince her of what I was so sure of.

We walked for a while, going in the complete opposite direction of Dutch’s house. The last thing I needed was for the two of them to run into each other and for her to change her mind. It wouldn’t be because she didn’t want me, it would be because she did want him. She was mine, and a fated mate couldn’t be changed or rejected. She was never Bane’s mate. Snow was always mine and no one, not even Dutch, could change it. He might be a part of it, but she was mine.

When the walk was over and we were back at my place, Snow talked about going back to Dutch’s, but I wasn’t going to hear it. Her place was with me, in my bed, underneath me. How could I prove to her what I knew to be true?

My first instinct was to force her. A hard kiss and a few touches and I doubted she would be able to tell me no after that. It wasn’t what I wanted, though. I didn’t want to make her, I wanted her to want me just as badly as I wanted her.

“I really want you to stay with me tonight, Snow. I want us to be together.”

“I don’t know if what you have in mind is a good idea or not, Sterling. It’s going to hurt a lot of people’s feelings.”

I understood that, but I didn’t care. I wanted Snow and I was convinced that she was supposed to be mine. “Forget everyone else, Snow, it’s just us two tonight.” I took her hand and led her to my bedroom. I was shaking a bit at the thought that I was finally going to have her.

When we got into the bedroom, my inner beast took over. I kissed her, and Snow mewled and made all the greatest sounds of desire I’d ever heard. I pulled her shirt off and then kissed the bare skin that had been revealed to me. I was standing behind her, tasting her, undressing her, and watching her body tremble as I kissed it. Snow acted like she’d never been loved properly, and I wanted to make sure that she was now.

I took off my clothes and pulled her against me tight, feeling her smooth skin.

Snow was just as ready as I was, I could smell it. My hand went to her center, rubbing on her nub hard, letting her jerk as much as she needed to. Snow was already on the verge, and I said something about how she’d probably never been fucked right. She gasped at my words, but I knew it was true.

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