I Rejected You, Alpha

ELEIA’S POV

—

Waking up in the arms of my mate is one of the best feelings, the feeling I missed every night. I missed the feel of his touch and I love the feeling of his warmth pressed against my back, the lingering feeling of electricity coursing through me is satisfying.

I scoot back into his embrace and his arm tightens around me, pulling me even closer.

I smile and turn onto my back, glancing at him…I don’t even remember falling asleep and when I notice the sky darkening.

I sit up, holding the duvet to my chest.

“Shit.” I throw the duvet to the side and Aiden g****s as I tiptoe across the room to my closet and I get dressed into a pair of light blue jeans and black long-sleeved shirt that had a v neck line.

“Where are you going?” Aiden asks while yawning behind me.

“We need an update, we fell asleep for goddess know how long, but it was stupid.” I scoff as I brush my hair behind my ears and slip my feet into a pair of sneakers and I leave the room, rushing to the floor beneath me and I march into the play room, “Can you take Arlen, he’s in my room.” I ask the nanny and she nods before I run down the stairs.

‘Where are you?’ Aiden mind links me. ‘I’m going to talk to the guy in the hospital, find out if the guards have seen anything.’ I request as I make my way out of the castle.

Guards automatically join my side, walking behind me as I glance the grounds.

A few guards come up to me, bowing in front of me, “My Queen, there were no sights of the hunters.”

“Walk with me.” I demand and they all fall right behind me, the one who spoke to me walking beside me, “Has anyone went out to patrol.”, “No ma’am.” , “Can you find a qualified team to scout?”, “Yes ma’am.”

“Don’t take a team less than twenty people. Don’t split up and gear up.” , “Yes ma’am.”

Goddess, it sounds like a record player that’s broken.

“Move out.” I wave them off and the sound of footsteps behind me lessen.

I enter the hospital and everyone around me bows, everyone who passes greeting me and this is nothing like being just a luna, to run just one single pack…The people feel the need to bow, but I don’t want them to. “Please, stop.” I smile, resting my hand on the nurse’s shoulder, “I’m here to see the man that the king carried in.”, “Yes my queen.”

I wish they’d call me anything but their queen…I know that is what I am…but it’s annoying.

“This way.”

I follow the nurse and gulp when I enter the room where the man that once saved my life, lay with bandages around his abdomen and he’s asleep.

ELEIA’S POV

—

Waking up in the arms of my mate is one of the best feelings, the feeling I missed every night. I missed the feel of his touch and I love the feeling of his warmth pressed against my back, the lingering feeling of electricity coursing through me is satisfying.

“Thank you.” I nod as I stand in the door, frozen in place, staring at him…

“You’re here…” he breathes out in a whisper before his eyes slowly flick open, “Of course I am.” I smile, “I would bow…but it hurts.” he chuckles and I roll my eyes before sitting down on the chair beside his bed. ” No need to…” I wave it off, sitting upright with my one knee over my other.

“Did you find them?” his voice is groggy, “No, which makes me think they were never there.” I cross my arms over my chest.

His arched eyebrows furrow together, “I didn’t make it up.” he tries to sit up. “I know, but where are they then?”

I stare him down, his eyes frantically flick between mine, “I don’t know.”, “Well my men will find out about that.” my fingers tap against my arm, “No, they’ll get killed.” , “I’m positive they won’t in a big group.”

“If you have so much faith…” he shrugs, “They are castle guards, trained to be the best, the fastest…”, “I killed one a few months ago and I’m not a big shot.” the smirk on his face makes me uncomfortable, “You killed one of our guards. Why?” I stand, frowning at him. My hooded gaze makes him roll his eyes and he glances towards the window, “He wanted to bring me in because he thought I was a rogue.”

“That was no reason to kill the guard. You could have pleaded your case.”, “It wasn’t intentional.” , “So an accident? Did you kill him by accident?”, “Yes.”, “With what?” I grill him.

“I shoved him and he hit his head against a large sharp rock, dead on impact.”, “What did you do with the body?”, “Guards took him.”, “How do you know?”, “I watched from a tree.”, “You mean behind a tree?”, “No, in one.”, “Is that how you hide?”, “Yes.”

Smart, people won’t look for us in trees, it’s a good tactic. I’d have to bring it up in training.

“What’s your name?”

Silence fills the room as he just stares at me as if he’s thinking about trusting me.

“My name is Eleia, so why can’t I know yours?”, “I don’t trust you.”, “Then why save my life? To gain a favor? Did you know this would happen?” I glare at him. If he was brave enough to stop and warn me to save my life, why wouldn’t he just tell me his name unless he has something to hide?

“No. You think I’d plan getting stabbed?” He growls lowly, “Well tell me your name then.”, “Zac. Goddess, you are needy.” , “I get what I want.” I grin at him before sitting down again.

“Spoiled too.”

I growl at him, my hooded gaze growing dark, “You don’t get to say that.”, “Why, did the princess who became queen have traumatic issues?” his tone is teasing. “No, I just found my family and I was enslaved, whipped forever when I didn’t listen or do anything right, and starved, but no..no trauma.” the sarcasm in my tone makes his eyes grow hard.

“So it’s true…You are the lost daughter of the dead prince.”

“I see news travels fast.”

“People are looking for you.” , “They can get in line…what people?”, “The hunters…”

“And how would you know that?” Aiden’s voice appears beside me and I glance over my shoulder at him, “Relax, I got this.” I mutter and he just glares at Zac.

“I heard them while hiding right above them, but they can’t seem to get close without being seen and there are thousands of people here, wolves that they know can kill them.”

Aiden steps forward, standing right beside his bed, “You seem to know a lot.”, “I track them. I know everything, every trap, every hiding point. It’s my job.” he sits up and Aiden grabs his throat, “I’d lay back down, doctor’s orders.” he grits out irritably.

“Aiden.” I stand up and he shoves Zac back down onto the bed, “Do you honestly believe anything he is saying?” Aiden raises his voice at me and my gaze flicks between my mate and the man who potentially risked his life to warn me.

“Why would they want me?”

Zac glares up at me, clearly pissed off and in pain while his body is slowly healing, “Because you are the heir, now the heiress and they wanted a bargaining chip.” , “Come on, he’s one of them. He’s working for them!” Aiden seethes, growling lowly.

His eyes are dark and I get where the distrust is coming from…Zac knows a lot and he makes sense, but we don’t know enough about him to trust him…So how could I just blindly trust his word?

“I’m sorry Zac, but unless we can’t trust you by your word.” I shake my head, “I can show you. I swear.”

“You can show me.” Aiden growls at him, “That’s fine too, but we can’t be a big crowd.”, “Two guards can follow, and trail you from a distance.” , “No, we’re already a lot. They can spot us.”, “Aiden, you’re not going alone with this man.” , “I have to, I’m not sending someone into the slaughter.” , “You are the king.” I argue, “And you are the important one, stop arguing. I am not letting anything happen to you.”, “And you think I’m just going to let you walk into a trap ? No.”

“Well, I’m not letting you go with this man.”

“Then we both go.”, “No.” Aiden snaps, glaring at me.

“Then what do you suggest?”

“I have a plan…” Aiden grins, his eyes flicking from me to Zac.