Pregnant and Rejected by My Alpha Mate

Chapter 18

#Chapter 18 I Want To Reject

Bastien’s POV

Five Hours Earlier

I stare at the flier in my hands, my hackles raised. It’s a reward poster, not the kind people pin up to find lost pets or missing children, but the kind law enforcement agencies use to locate wanted criminals. It has precisely the same format, asking for tips or any information regarding the whereabouts of Volana wolves, listing details on how to identify them and promising monetary compensation for any solid leads.

A crude illustration was plastered beneath the words, displaying a woman with black hair and two-toned eyes. She looks nothing like Selene, but the descriptions provided offer enough details for even the most clueless wolf to identify members of her lineage.

“Where the hell did you find this?” I ask Aiden in horror. When he’d called me right before my father’s celebration insisting it was an emergency, I’d known something had to be terribly wrong. Aiden knew how important this event was, he would not call me away for no reason. Even so, this was worse than I’d imagined.

“One of our spies in the East came across it just outside of Calypso territory. Thankfully it doesn’t seem to have spread any farther than that.” His warm brown eyes survey me curiously, “Do you have any idea why they’re looking for Volanas?”

Everyone in Elysium knows what Selene is, but I’ve gone to considerable effort to gloss over and downplay her lineage, and no one knows the secret of her blood. I study my right-hand, hating myself for questioning whether he can be trusted. Other than my family, I trust Aiden more than anyone, but Selene’s safety is too precious to risk.

“I know that Blaise Denizen is a cruel and twisted man.” I say, referring to the Calypso Alpha, “If he wants Volanas, I guarantee it isn’t for anything good.”

Aiden eyes me for a second, and I know he caught my evasion. Instead of looking offended he simply asks, “You have reason to believe he’s a danger to Selene?”

“I know he is.” I admit.

“Is that why we sent spies East in the first place?” Aiden questions, “You thought something like this might happen?* Now I do hear an edge in his voice, and I can’t blame him for being annoyed. He can’t do his job if he’s working with incomplete information.

“Yes.” I concede softly.

“What the hell, Bastien?” He snaps, “Do you really trust me so little?”

“It isn’t like that.” I promise tiredly. “I promised her I wouldn’t share this secret with anyone, even you.”

“When it comes to the safety of my Alpha’s mate – my best friend’s mate – I need to know what’s going on.” He declares harshly. “I don’t have to know the details, you don’t have to betray confidences, but I can’t protect this pack if you’re withholding intelligence.”

“I know brother, I’m sorry.” I reply honestly, “The fact is simply that Blaise will kill Selene if he finds her, he’ll kill any Volana he finds.”

Aiden scrubs a hand over his face. “We need to be proactive.” He waves the flier in the air, “This reward is only going to get higher and spread farther. We either need to neutralize Denizen, or make sure the truth can never get back to him.”

“I’d like nothing more than to get rid of the man.” I grumble, “But I’m not Alpha yet, and even if I was – he’s the most powerful pack leader on the continent. We‘d need an army to take him down.”

“You’re right.” Aiden agrees, “We couldn’t win a war against the Calypsos. But who said it has to be a war?”

I snort, “So what, you want to assassinate him?”

Aiden grins, “You have to admit the idea has its merits.”

can’t help but laugh. “That’s true enough.” I mean it, I’m already fantasizing about disemboweling the cruel leader. But for the time being let’s focus on increasing surveillance and spreading counter-propaganda. Publicize some of Blaise’s less

18 I Want

more unpopular we make him, the less

reminds me, “Money is. Few people actually like the man, but plenty would help the devil himself if he

the poster again, a new thought crossing my mind. “Who do we have that’s good with

shrugs. “Eddie’s pretty good in a

Set up a new phone line devoted to tips and replace it with Denizens.” I say, the plan coming together as I speak it. “Put them up

brow furrows, “Why would you

we can help them.” I explain. And third, because if people think they’ve already reported a tip, it won’t matter if Denizens real posters actually spread this far,

in agreement, “I’ll get Eddie

the meantime we need to figure out security for

to go through with this?”

my head over and over again these past few

happiness?” Aiden demands, “Don’t you deserve to be

for her protection. “If

so, it’s a fitting

this really isn’t your day.” Aiden says, standing over me with his arms crossed over

swat at him from my position sprawled out over his couch. I feel as if I’ve

straight to my Beta, who welcomed me in

drugged

is they?” I ask

He answers, referring to Amanda, who almost killed my mate with her little

I repeat in

know the ones,

even know about the rejection?” I snarl, “We

here,” Aiden admonishes

“We need to find out who is responsible – and what the

it.” Aiden assures me. “I nabbed your glass from the dinner table.

sigh with relief. “When did you figure it

reflects uncertainly, “About the time you started growling at the waiter for refilling Selene’s water glass.” I wince, not remembering that particular detail. “Don’t worry about it too much – you were behaving oddly but

I was getting ready to cart you out of there but

should have acted faster,” I grouse unfairly. “I shouldn’t

“I acted the best I could based on the

marked her!” i

Aiden reasons coolly, “If you’d gone away with anyone else it would have been a disaster. You would have caved to one of the harpies and created a scandal or lashed out at one of the men for trying

“Barely 1 mutter mutinously

important things to worry about. Someone in this pack thinks they can drug their future

out my phone, finding Selene’s photo plastered across the screen, announcing an incoming call. Guilt swirls

Selene’s POV

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