《Rejected My Alpha Mate》


 #Chapter 1 Get away from me

    #Chapter 1 Get away from me


    ####WARNING This story will contain: Strong Sexual Content, Strong Language and Scenes that may


    be triggering, Viewer discretion is advised.#########


    "Get away from me!"


    I kick at the three men trying to hold me down and il my arms as hard as I can. My fingertips have


    be ws as I try to reach for my inner wolf to shift in self-defense. I only just had my eighteenth


    birthday a week before; I haven''t gotten good at shifting on my own yet and it is nowhere close to night


    much less a full moon so instinct alone won''t let me shift.


    ''Rayne?''


    I try to get my wolf to wake up in my mind.


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    ''Rayne? Wake up!'' I try again to call her.


    One of the men has my arms stretched over my head while the other two have got my legs. I struggle


    against them, but it''s useless without my wolfing to my aid. I''m too small to cause much damage.


    They have me beaten with numbers as well as size.


    A fourth man steps into my view with a clear ss in his hand. It''s full of some kind of dark-colored


    liquid -Wine? Surely not blood!- and I can smell it from across the room. Its bitter odor stings my nose. I


    feel tears welling up in my eyes and I hate myself for them.


    What good is crying going to do me?


    "You do have spirit! I like that in a girl. Now drink this. Trust me: you''ll like me better after some of our


    magic potion."


    I don''t know what he means. I do know I don''t want whatever he has in the ss.


    All my intentions to keep my mouth shut, to spit it out, to refuse to swallow, go away as he cruelly


    pinches my nose shut, cutting off my air.


    I hold out as long as I can until my head aches and lights are shing in my eyes fromck of oxygen.


    The moment I open my mouth to take in a breath he is pouring the liquid between my lips, flooding my


    mouth, filling my throat, choking me. I gag and gasp and grunt to try to get air while getting rid of the


    rusty-tasting concoction.


    "That''s a good girl! Give it a few minutes. Everything will seem so much better."


    I try to free myself from the hold of the men. It''s still useless. I''m getting so hot. Why is it getting so hot?


    I remember I was on my way home from school. I was grabbed off the sidewalk and thrown into the


    back of a white van.


    "Your daddy wasn''t lying when he said you had a lot of fight in you. He owes me a considerable


    amount. Depending on how tonight goes? I just might even let him have credit left over to hit the tables


    again. It isn''t as if he''ll pose much of a threat to the house. I doubt he could win if we rigged every


    game in his favor."


    I want to scream when his hands move up my legs to raise my uniform skirt. I try to shout for help, but


    my tongue is thick and useless in my mouth. I can barely move my limbs as heat seems to be racing


    through my body spreading out from my stomach making me pant.


    "That''s a good girl," he mutters as his hands grasp my panties, dragging them down my thighs while I


    scream at the nothingness in my mind where my wolf usually waits, "You just lie there. I''ll take care of


    you. I''ll give you what you need."


    Sweat has beaded on my brow. I know I''ve been drugged. What was in the cup? What did I drink?


    A thick finger forces its way inside me and I struggle anew at the invasion.


    "Nnnn---"


    I keep trying to say ''no'' even though I''m pretty sure it''s useless. No one in this room is interested in


    what I have to say.


    "Un-fucking-believable. She''s pure."


    I have no idea what he means. I''ve only dated one boy before and all we''d done was kiss even though


    we were in love. I am saving myself for my mate.


    His face fills my vision as he looms over me. His skin is reddened with broken blood vessels over his


    wide, bulbous nose. His cheeks are more like jowls which wobble as he breathes in and out of his


    mouth; his hot breath stinks of liquor and cigarettes.


    Pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger, he leans down to kiss me. His lips are thick and


    wet as they move against mine.


    I am going to vomit. He takes his finger out and traces my sex with it as if he has every right to touch


    me as intimately as he wants.


    I am saving myself for my mate!


    "I never would have believed you were pure with Pat Flores as your old man. I owe him big for you. I


    can''t remember thest time I had a virgin."


    I can feel his paunchy belly pressing against me as he moves between my legs; I know I have to fight


    harder or it wouldn''t matter what I wanted for my first time because it was going to be taken from me.


    His words rattle around in my head until I finally find myself furious at the realization all this is


    happening to me because my father can''t stay away from the gaming tables.


    He was supposed to be my father! He''d sold me to this man!


    Rayne stirs in my mind as fury burned hotter through my veins than whatever evil drug they''d forced on


    me. She''s a strong wolf with an indomitable will. I feel her strength flood my body as my anger


    impossible to hold down.


    ''Kill him!'' Rayne growls in my mind, ''He wants to take what belongs to our mate! He wants to grind us


    down beneath him like an unmated bitch in heat.''


    Rayne wants me to go for his throat, but I only manage to get a mouthful of his shoulder as I surge up. I


    bite hard enough to taste blood and release him from my fangs quickly before the bloodlust can


    overtake my mind. I am a medium sized female with long limbs and the coloring of a timber wolf; I have


    been told I will growrger as I get older. I only hope I get the chance to reach full maturity.


    I have no idea what the consequences will be if I manage to kill him. I do know I don''t want to be a


    murderer if I have the chance to simply get away. My long limbs give me speed over strength. I am fast.


    I am very fast.


    With my wolf senses, I can now tell the three men who have been holding me were only humans. The


    yelling beast who has assaulted me is a wolf though I can''t tell anything about his power. He could be


    weak or my senses could be too dulled by his drugs or abination of both.


    I run for the door to the room.


    Luckily the handle is easy to press down and the door swings open to let me sprint out into the hallway.


    My paws skid on the slick floor, sliding me into the opposite wall where my head strikes another door


    hard enough to make me dizzy.


    I can hear the men in the room scrambling toe after me. They might catch me if I don''t keep


    running. I can barely hold onto my connection with Rayne as my blood boils in my veins; I can tell my


    wolf wants nothing more than to bite, w, tear the men chasing us.


    I push my body to race down the hallway. I stretch myself out with every leap to cover as much ground


    as possible. I have never run so fast before.


    A maides out of a room with her arms full of linens. She walks to her cart and I can see the door to


    the room she''s left out of is still cracked open.


    I don''t think about the consequences or what could be waiting on the other side of the door. I just push


    my body through the crack and kick with my back legs to close it behind me.


    The poison in my system cut my connection to Rayne, forcing me to release control of my wolf form


    and shifting me back into my human body as Iy panting on the floor of this strange room.


    "I agreed to maid service. I''m not sure what service you''re supposed to offer, but I know I didn''t ask for


    it."


    I look around the room until I see a man standing in a hallway in nothing more than a low-slung towel


    about his middle. He is tall, even by werewolf standards, and broad in the shoulders. His dark hair curls


    around his forehead, his ears, down his neck; he looks as if he hasn''t been to a barber in far too long.


    His blue eyes meet mine and I lose all concept of time or ce.


    "Who are you?"


    I heard him ask the question even as the men chasing me began to bang on his door, demanding to be


    let in to retrieve me.


    I''m tired. I''m confused. I''m burning from the inside out from their drugs and I''m naked on a stranger''s


    floor because my own father sold me to pay his debts to his bookie.


    Feeling hot tears leaking down my face, I manage to rasp out, "Please. Help me?"

 # Chapter 2 Half a million dollars

    # Chapter 2 Half a million dors


    The Next Morning


    "Who are you?"


    I came awake with a jerk, disoriented and aching all over. A heavy male bodyy beside me---we were


    both naked except for the sheet covering our bodies.


    Embarrassment stained my skin bright red. I searched my memories of the night before, trying to figure


    out how I had gotten here while attempting to wrap the sheet around my body. I stopped when I


    realized I''d leave my bed partner totally nude.


    My skin felt too hot and too tight as I tried to work out how to get myself out of the situation.


    I wasn''t used to being around naked men even if I was a werewolf. We cared about propriety no matter


    what humans thought!


    I remembered myself saying over and over, "I''m your mate!"


    I eased myself off the bed to look for clothes. I tried to be as quiet as I could so I didn''t wake up the


    stranger. I didn''t take the sheet to spare his decency, instead sacrificing my own modesty: I''d rather be


    caught naked than have to face a naked man I''d evidently seduced with all the subtlety of a bitch in


    heat!


    His scent was all over me, all over everything really. Rich and masculine, every time I breathed I felt as


    if I was being surrounded by the forest with hints of wood and a warm spice I couldn''t name. I wanted


    to crawl back into bed beside him and never leave.


    My wolf, Rayne, grumbled in my head, "We shouldn''t leave! He is our mate!"


    An open suitcase was on the dresser. I took a white button-down shirt out to cover myself. He was


    hugepared to me; his shirt was long enough on my body to cover me almost to my knees. I took a


    necktie to act as a belt around my waist.


    "We have to get home to Ethan! He''s only fourteen, Rayne! What if Patrick''s debtorse for him?"


    "Our mate matters more! Can''t you tell? He smells so good! He''s the strongest Alpha we''ve ever met."


    Shock had me turning to look at the male asleep behind me.


    He was an Alpha?


    Rayne groused louder in my head, "Of course he''s an Alpha! Take a deep breath! No one will dare hurt


    us with his scent marking us as his."


    Was he Alpha to a whole pack?


    I looked at the collection of personal belongings littering the top of the dress beside the suitcase. I left


    his wallet, keys, and money clip alone. I was no thief!


    A gold card case had the initials "TW" on it; I found business cards inside all saying they belonged to


    Tyler Wright of Moonrise Entertainment.


    House Wright was the Alpha House of Moonrise Pack.


    They were the biggest werewolf pack in the USA in both members and resources. They could buy and


    sell any of the other packs without breaking their bank ounts.


    Every wolf knew them; their Alpha was an older male, older than my father even.


    I supposed this meant the man in the bed was rted to them somehow, but he wasn''t their leader


    which was a relief.


    Knowing in part who he was helped shake off some of my fear though my hands wouldn''t stay still,


    trembling from nerves as I prayed with all of my strength I would get away before he awoke.


    Rayne continued to insist we stay with our mate. I took one of his cards so we could contact himter.


    We had to get to our brother. Ethan was only a child!


    I couldn''t stop worrying over my fated mate being a real, fully grown Alpha. He might even be the Alpha


    of a sister pack to House Wright. I didn''t know enough about Moonrise Pack to know their lower


    houses.


    I knew I had to leave before he woke up though. An Alpha would stop me from leaving until we were


    properly marked as each other''s mate. His wolf instincts would insist I stay with him no matter how


    worried I was about my baby brother.


    Ethan was too young to fend for himself, period, and I knew our father wouldn''t protect him. Patrick -I


    refused to call him ''Dad'' after what he''d done to me- had proven he didn''t care about his children when


    he sold his daughter to pay his gambling debt.


    I couldn''t find a phone in the room other than the man''s personal cell phone which was locked.


    I left the room after checking the hallway was clear; I took the elevator down to the lobby level where I


    saw the word ''LUST'' on the wall. I blushed again as I realized I was in a ce famous for pleasure.


    As I got off the elevator, a woman in a skintight ck dress came over to greet me, holding a tablet in


    her hands, "May I be of service?"


    I steadfastly refused to consider what sort of ''services'' she might offer.


    "Yes. Can you please call me a ride?"


    "Of course," she replied smoothly, pulling up a rideshare app on her screen, "What''s the address?"


    I started to give her my home address only to stop when I realized it probably wasn''t smart to go there.


    I gave my best friend Be''s address instead as I knew I''d be safe with her family. We had only met our


    freshman year in high school, but Be was more like a sister to me than a friend.


    On the ride to Be, Rayne fussed, "I want to go back! We left our mate with neither of us marked.


    What if he thinks we''re rejecting him? What if he thinks we aren''t proud to belong to him?"


    "What if he thinks the sun no longer rises in the East or sets in the West, Rayne? He''ll get over it.


    Ethan is only a boy. He needs us to make sure he''s safe because Patrick isn''t going to protect him."


    Rayne would get over leaving our mate this once.


    We''d have the rest of our lives to be with our mate.


    Ethan would only have a life at all if we took care of him.


    Be surprised me by giving me my cell phone as soon as I came through the door.


    "I found it with your backpack outside school. I went to my parents, but we didn''t know what to do


    except call Patrick. He told us---"


    She stopped talking and looked away from me. The look on her face made it clear Patrick hadn''t said


    anything nice to her family when they''d called worried about me.


    "It doesn''t matter. Thank you, Be. Thank you so, so much."


    I straightened my shoulders as I pulled up Ethan''s name to call him. The phone only rang once before


    being answered.


    "Ethan! Are you---"


    "It''s about time you called!"


    Patrick''s voice stunned me into silence.


    "I hope you''re happy! They took your brother after you ran off. If you had just stayed the night with


    them, shown ''em a good time, you''d be home by now and your brother wouldn''t be missing."


    "A good time?" I repeated.


    My lips felt numb.


    "They said you ran off to some Alpha. Figures you''d find the only single Alpha in the ce. I knew you


    were a slut just like your mother. Did you have fun with him? I hope you had fun. They''re going to kill


    your brother if you don''t get the money they want."


    "If I don''t get the money? How am I supposed to get them any money?!"


    Patrick snarled, "That''s your problem! I did my part. I gave them you. The debt became yours the


    second you ran out of the room! It''s five hundred grand. They get it or they kill Ethan."


    I had never hated anyone as much as I hated Patrick in that moment; Rayne growled inside my head


    with the desire to tear out his throat. He was no father. He wasn''t even a man.


    "You---you don''t even deserve to be called an omega! You deserve to die for refusing to help your own


    family!"


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    "Ask your new Alpha for help! What''s his name anyway? Did you even bother to get it?"


    "Tyler Wright," I snapped.


    "Tyler Wright?" Patrick practically yelled, "You''re lying! Whatever. Call Mr. Tyler Wright to help you get


    Ethan back. The Wrights can afford it."


    "Ethan is your son!" I cried, refusing to even consider using my new mate for money.


    "And I can have another one! I''ll send you the details. Good fucking luck."


    He hung up before I could say any more and my phone buzzed in my hand as messages began to


    Be asked, "Are you sure they''ve taken Ethan?"


    I opened the messages Patrick sent, reading them quickly as feelings of dread swept over me.


    Thest message was a video clip.


    "It''s a video."


    I showed Be the message; she took a deep breath before taking my phone to hold between us. Her


    hand was steadier than mine.


    Ice started to race through my veins as I saw Ethan bound to a chair. My shaking hands froze as I took


    in his bloody face; my body was an ice sculpture by the time I noted his battered face and taped mouth.


    A man in a mask exined Ethan was safe for a week---"Then we send you more of these little home


    movies. You''ll get another seven days to get the money or he dies. You''ll get a video of that, too. Two


    weeks, Pat. Or else."


    The message cut off and left us staring at each other, both too frozen with fear to speak.


    We were both crying when Be''s parents came home. They asked what was going on and it took


    everything in me to answer.


    "I have to get half a million dors or my brother Ethan dies!"

 #Chapter 3 I am pregnant!

    #Chapter 3 I am pregnant!


    13 Days Later


    "I''m nowhere near close," I groaned, rubbing my forehead as I leaned away from Be''sptop.


    Be admitted, "I don''t know where else we can look for money. We''ve mortgaged all the properties


    avable to you, Patrick, anything we had records of from your mom''s estate, and everything my


    parents can offer. Our house is already under mortgage. We only have two days left."


    Time was not on our side.


    "What about the banks? No. We''ve talked to every bank. What about other lenders?"


    I was panicking, nearly hyperventting.


    The kidnappers had been sending video clips of Ethan being beaten every day.


    "Yes. We talked to all of them except---"


    "Nathan can''t help. I can''t even ask. House Lewis isn''t involved in this. They don''t need me dragging


    them down too. Besides. How would I exin this to him?"


    I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I was capable. I had always been good at finding a way to


    do whatever needed to be done.


    I had never used a boyfriend to fix my problems before. I wasn''t going to start now I''d found my fated


    mate!


    I hadn''t told Nathan anything about finding Tyler. The only contact I''d had with my boyfriend had been


    to tell him we were over. He''d asked me why -Nathan had deserved a reason why- and all I could think


    to tell him was because we had to be.


    I supposed it said something about the strength of my character Nathan epted my response with no


    further questions.


    Be gave me a worried look as she asked, "Have you considered asking Patrick again?"


    I realized now I''d made excuses for Patrick all my life. I had wanted to believe my father was a better


    man than he was, but now my eyes were wide open.


    I went to Be''s bedroom with my phone. I sat on her bed, looked around at all her things and wished I


    could trade ces with her. The room obviously belonged to a teenaged girl whose biggest interests


    were K-Pop boy bands, clothes, and makeup.


    I couldn''t even remember my room at home. All I saw when I closed my eyes was the mate I had left


    sleeping in a room at LUST.


    Patrick answered on the first ring and I humbled myself to say, "Ethan deserves your help. Tell me what


    to do. Please."


    I felt myself getting sicker and sicker the more Patrick talked. His proposition to steal from my mate was


    more disgusting than the man who had tried to im me as payment for Patrick''s debt.


    Mates weren''t supposed to betray each other. Ever. The Moon Goddess gave wolves a fated mate to


    be their other half, toplete them, to protect them and love them and keep them from ever feeling all


    the negative feelings which overwhelmed a wolf alone.


    How could I ckmail my mate?


    I listened close as Patrick exined how it should go down. I had to admit he was clever for a


    worthless bastard.


    I found myself hopeful I would save my brother, but at what cost to myself? How could my mate ever


    forgive me for this kind of betrayal?


    I knew I already had a lot to answer for just because I had run out on Tyler Wright while hey


    innocently sleeping at my side. I hadn''t even left him my name.


    I saw thest clip of Ethan being beaten y again in my mind and realized I had no choice except to


    try Patrick''s n.


    I couldn''t let my brother die.


    Once the call ended, I helped myself to a yellow sundress from Be''s closet. I put on light makeup


    before going downstairs to get my bag. I hugged Be as if I''d never see her again. If this didn''t work, if


    I didn''t save Ethan, I wasn''t sure if I would see her again.


    I called a taxi to take me to the Moonrise Entertainment corporate building.


    Tyler Wright was the CEO of his family''s business enterprise. Or at least that was what we had found


    out from the inte.


    I felt nauseous while thinking about my mate being the future Alpha of House Wright. I''d be Luna of


    House Wright! What did I know about being a Luna?


    The taxi driver asked me if he should wait when we got to the main office building. I told him no with a


    shaky smile in answer to his skeptical look.


    I doubted I looked good enough to be meeting the CEO''s secretary much less Tyler himself, but I didn''t


    have any choice.


    Patrick had given me to his debtors to settle his ounts and I had run out on them. I didn''t regret


    running, but I did regret ying a part in putting Ethan in danger.


    My brother was only a boy. He deserved a chance to grow up no matter what the cost was to me


    myself.


    "No, thank you, sir. I''ve got it from here."


    I got out of the cab and straightened my shoulders as if I had the confidence of a person with an


    appointment. Maybe if I yed the part well enough, they''d believe me.


    I didn''t know what floor Tyler was on. I figured the CEO would be close to the top though, so I made for


    the elevator banks only to be stopped by a security guard.


    Patrick had warned me I might meet resistance getting into the building.


    It was easy to sound upset with the guard for holding me up.


    I was upset.


    If I didn''t get a meeting with Tyler Wright and if he didn''t help me, my brother was going to die.


    "Excuse me! I have to see Tyler Wright."


    "Do you have an appointment?"


    "I don''t need an appointment."


    I tried to put as much scorn into the words as I could. I called up the way the meanest girl in my school


    talked as an example. It must have worked because the guard dropped his hands from my arms even if


    he didn''t move out of my way.


    "Everyone needs an appointment, ma''am. Please give your name at the desk and they''ll give you an


    elevator card."


    Just then the elevator opened to let off a party of people.


    A pregnant woman came out with several men. She wasughing at something they were talking about


    and one of the men courteously took her arm while another hovered his hand over her lower back to


    make sure she was able to step out of the lift without harm.


    Patrick had told me all I would have to do would be insist on seeing Tyler in person.


    "Tyler didn''t say anything to me about an elevator card."


    I bluffed the guard based on the fact I didn''t see anyone leaving the elevator with a card in hand. He


    looked more annoyed with me and I knew I would have to keep him off-bnce or I would get myself


    thrown out before I had a chance to ask for help.


    "The security desk will call ahead for you, ma''am. Please go give them your name to announce you."


    Giving them my name wouldn''t help at all.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    My memories of the night I had spent with Tyler were hazy at best. I couldn''t recall the exact sound of


    his voice, but I remembered him asking me my name over and over while I insisted it didn''t matter.


    The drug in my system was potent enough to strip away all my inhibitions. I''d writhed against him,


    under him, over him. My wolf hadn''t fought back because she had recognized her mate in him. Names


    didn''t mean anything to Rayne.


    I felt anger flicker through me as Rayne came closer to the surface. I knew my eyes were going to start


    glowing if I wasn''t careful.


    "Tyler is my mate and I am going to see him!"


    The guard stepped back and raised his hands cautiously.


    I guess Rayne made a better impression than I did.


    "I really can''t let you get on the elevator without checking in. Mr. Wright hasn''t announced a mate. Yet.


    Ma''am," he added.


    I felt proud at the way the guard was nearly stuttering to appease me, but I didn''t have time for pride or


    anything else.


    I had to save Ethan.


    Patrick had told me to insist on seeing Tyler himself. I was going to make sure I saw him in person until


    someone physically dragged me away from the building.


    I knew nothing about the drug I''d been dosed with and Patrick imed he didn''t either. I only believed


    him because he had sounded irritated about it when I pressed him; irritation was a sure sign of


    ignorance in Patrick''s case.


    Patrick insisted Tyler would give me the money I wanted -all the money I wanted- if I was really his


    fated mate.


    All I had to do was let him get a whiff of me, he''d said, and I recalled how strongly Rayne had reacted


    to being covered in his scent in the room at LUST. If I was so taken with his scent, surely he''d be taken


    with mine.


    "I am Tyler Wright''s mate and I am pregnant! You will let me see him now or you''ll exin how you let


    his mate and his child die!"

 #Chapter 4 I, Rachel Flores, reject you, Tyler Wright, as my fated mate.

    #Chapter 4 I, Rachel Flores, reject you, Tyler Wright, as my fated mate.


    3 Years Later


    "Happy Third Mating Anniversary!"


    Tyler didn''t reply to me as I mind-linked him. I knew he heard me all the same. As my mate, he couldn''t


    block my messages even if he didn''t choose to reply to them.


    "Pleasee home right after work today. I''m preparing a special surprise to celebrate the asion.


    You''ll love it. I promise."


    I could feel a spark of interest from Tyler''s side of the bond though he remained silent.


    Most females would have been at least a little concerned if their mate refused to respond to them, but I


    knew my situation wasn''t ordinary.


    I was the offspring of an omega father from a lower pack who had ckmailed my alpha mate into


    epting me by faking a pregnancy.


    The fact I hadn''t known if I was pregnant or not at the time didn''t matter. I had said I was pregnant; I


    wasn''t. It was a lie. It was a lie I told for money.


    Money Tyler Wright had given me to pay off my father''s gambling debts in order to save my younger


    brother from kidnappers.


    No one cared what the money was for though.


    All anyone cared about was the lies I had told to get money from a mate who had been surprised to


    find me in the first ce.


    Tyler could have loved me, I think, if I hadn''t told my father''s lie. I had been drugged on our first night


    together as mates; I didn''t have clear memories of my first time making love. I thought Tyler had been


    gentle with me. Generous. Kind.


    It was hard for me to think of Tyler before I met him in his office. He''d been closer to a stone statue


    than a man as he listened to me ask him for money. His cold expression had never changed as he''d


    written me a check in the amount I named.


    Every experience since then had been the same: an exchange of something for something else.


    Tyler touched me when he needed release. Tyler spoke to me when he needed me to respond verbally


    to a question. Tyler gave me money to ensure I had no reason to talk to him.


    Our mating was colder than winter in the Arctic Circle.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    I twirled as I set the table for our mating anniversary dinner. My skirt flew out around my legs and I


    were dancing on air as I hummed a tune I hadposed myself as part of my thesis.


    Tyler had not attended my graduation even though I hadpleted my studies on the Dean''s List.


    I would never aplish enough to make Tyler proud of me. I would never be able to erase the


    grudge he held in his heart against me---and I was done trying.


    cing the covers over the tes to keep the heat in, I moved to open the bottle of wine we would be


    sharing.


    The wine was the most luxurious part of the meal. Tyler preferred simple foods which I had learned


    from his household staff rather than from him directly. All the years we had spent together felt as if they


    were melting away as I poured two sses of the rich Malbec.


    Hearing the door shut, I picked up a ss in each hand and offered one to Tyler as he came into the


    room, "Happy Anniversary!"


    He sneered at me before his eyes flickered to the bottle on the table. I knew he only took the ss from


    me because the wine was his favorite and it was too valuable to waste.


    "What is it you want now?"


    Tyler scorned my offer to sit at the table to share a meal with me. I wasn''t surprised. I couldn''t stop


    smiling which was probably as confusing for him as it should have been for me.


    I had been given few reasons to smile during our mating.


    "I want to celebrate this anniversary as ourst together."


    Swallowing more of the wine than was socially eptable, Tyler drained his ss before reaching for


    the bottle to fill it again. I drained my ss and epted the refill he offered with my smile intact.


    "Ourst together? Is that what you''re after? You want your own house? This mansion isn''t good


    enough to share with me?"


    I shook my head negatively.


    Tyler was very good at provoking me.


    I finished my wine and ced my ss back onto the table. Tyler finished his as well then he surprised


    me by grabbing my wrist and pulling me against his chest.


    My nipples peaked at the friction of his suit rubbing against my blouse.


    We hadn''t been fully naked together in so long I couldn''t recall ourst time. I was touch starved and


    my body yearned for his as my wolf, Rayne, nearly howled at the attention.


    We kissed hungrily for minutes, sharing the vor of the wine between us as our tongues danced with


    one another in the way we had never bothered to do with our bodies.


    Gasping, I broke the kiss with a smile before heading for the stairs up to our bedroom.


    Tyler slept beside me every few nights to keep our wolves at bay. The mate bond demanded he have


    me close while his personal hatred of me kept us worlds apart even when we shared the same bed.


    "What? Are you going to tell me you don''t want this? You always want it on ''special asions'' so here I


    am!"


    Tyler followed me up the stairs and I avoided looking back at his disgruntled face. I knew it would only


    upset me and possibly send Rayne into a frenzy of need to please our mate.


    I almost felt sorry for his confusion. He really had no idea what was going on.


    "I do always want it, don''t I? I''m sorry about that, Tyler. I can''t imagine how hard this has been on you


    all these years. I suppose you were right at the start. I do want something. I want my own home. You''re


    right about that, too. What you''re wrong about? You''re not going to have to deal with any more ''special


    asions'' with me ever again."


    Tyler grabbed my arm to reel me back to him. His mouth fell on mine to start kissing me again and he


    used his free hand to grab my ass, grinding his hips into mine as he tried to sate his body.


    All our physical encounters were fast and hard in order to get them over and done with as quick as


    possible. Originally, Tyler had been the one who wanted things that way, but, now, I wanted it over just


    as soon as he did.


    For a moment, I let myself give in to the feeling of my body crashing against his, drank in his wine-


    vored kisses and pretended it was passion we shared instead of alcohol, and I buried my fingers in


    his thick hair which he never remembered to get cut.


    I could have loved him.


    We fell onto the bed. His weight was heavy on top of me, but I didn''t mind. My body was strong and


    young and I was in remarkable health for all I was the daughter of an omega. I was an excellent match


    to his Alpha physique no matter whether he wanted to admit it or not.


    Tyler began to push up my blouse, palming my whole breast in his hand over my bra. Our mouths


    devoured each other as we lost control of our bodies. I didn''t consciously spread my legs, but I came


    back to myself as I felt him reaching for my panties under my skirt.


    I pressed against his chest to get some distance between us and Tyler raised up to take off his suit


    jacket. He opened the bedside table to grab a foil condom packet; I shook my head as I stopped him


    from opening the wrapper.


    "What now, Rachel? What is it?"


    Desire made him snappier than usual.


    "I promised you a surprise, Tyler. Don''t you want it?"


    "Right now? No. I think you know what I want right now."


    For a moment, I thought about giving him what he wanted---one more time sharing his bed wouldn''t


    hurt, would it?


    Except it always hurt.


    Every time he touched me as if he hated me, I died a little more inside.


    I was tired of dying. I wanted to live for a change.


    "I, Rachel Flores, reject you, Tyler Wright, as my fated mate."


    The words held an ancient kind of magic in them which caused my inner wolf to fall quiet in my mind. I


    wasn''t worried about Rayne. She would wake up. She would wake up and she wouldn''t yearn for this


    male any longer because our side of the bond was severed.


    "What?"


    Shock nched Tyler''s tanned face, his eyes going wide as his wolf tried to respond to his mate''s


    sudden silence.


    "Surprise!" I crowed as I scooted from underneath him and straightened my clothing, "I am truly sorry I


    kept you for so long, Tyler. Three years with me? That was wrong. I shouldn''t have insisted on this


    mating all this time. I can''t give you the time back, but I can give you your freedom now. All you have to


    do is finish the rejection on your side and you''ll be rid of me forever. I hope you find happiness. I truly


    do."


    "You''re rejecting me? What are you ying at?"


    "This isn''t a game, Tyler. This is goodbye."


    Tyler remained on the bed as I gathered up my suitcase to make my way back to the stairs. I had


    packed only the very essentials. Everything he had ever given me -designer clothes, shoes, jewelry- I


    had left behind with him where it belonged. I took only as much as I had brought to our union in the


    beginning.


    I had the reputation of a gold-digger, but I would be damned if I proved myself to be one.


    Tyler must have still been stunned on the bed as I left out the door. He didn''te after me and I had


    already dismissed our staff for the day so there was no one to send for me either.


    I got into a private car and closed my eyes as I focused on surviving the ride to my friend Be''s


    apartment.


    Be was waiting in the doorway with a concerned expression when I got out of the car. I made it inside


    the door and into her arms before breaking down in tears. She held me as I wept, rocking me against


    her as she tried to hold me together as I was being broken apart by my emotions.


    "I can''t believe she''s pregnant! I''m so, so sorry, Rachel!"

 #Chapter 5 Accept the rejection, swap a little blood

    #Chapter 5 ept the rejection, swap a little blood


    "I can''t believe she''s pregnant! I''m so, so sorry, Rachel!"


    I trembled from the force of my emotions. My tears washed away years'' worth of stress and frustration


    and pain. I felt myselfing alive again as my sadness melted away to reveal hope for a different


    future for myself.


    No one had ever told me a mate could cause so much unhappiness to their supposed ''other half.''


    Be led me to the sofa where I copsed into a corner, kicking off my shoes so I wouldn''t dirty her


    cushions. I drew my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. I thought maybe if I


    could make myself small enough, I could contain part of my feelings or at least shrink them down to a


    more manageable size.


    "I thought The Model was just supposed to be a cover story for the events you ''couldn''t'' attend?"


    I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand as Be''s air quotes surprised a chuckle out of me as my


    tears dried.


    Tyler had made plenty of excuses over the years as to why his mate "couldn''t" attend events with him.


    His disgust with me was enough we had never married in the human way; I was not featured in the


    papers as his mate.


    I hadn''t cared.


    I didn''t need publicity to solidify my knowledge of myself.


    Jenny Wand was a human model of astonishing beauty. Tyler took her to all the functions he was


    expected to bring apanion. She looked as if she belonged with him in the photos taken by the


    press or paparazzi.


    A rumor had started a year ago saying House Wright was being slow to announce their future Luna


    because Alpha Tyler was mated to a human.


    Jenny the Model made no effort to dissuade people from the belief she was the human mate Tyler was


    going to introduce.


    "I thought so too," I sniffed, taking a tissue from the box on Be''s coffee table, "I thought it was only


    dancing and drinking. I thought I''d know if he did more. Shouldn''t I have felt it if my mate cheated?"


    Be gave me a worried frown, "I don''t know. I could ask my mother. You''re the only one I know whose


    mate isn''tpletely obsessed with them."


    In the early days of everything, I would have broken down at a mention of how awful things were in my


    mate bond.


    Now I was used to it.


    "I know. My mating was a mess. I pretended to be pregnant only for my mate to knock up his human


    girlfriend! Hello, Irony, I have only myself to me!"


    "I know Patrick needs to be med! If he hadn''t gotten buried under his gambling debt, you wouldn''t


    have needed to ask Tyler for ransom money. You did what you had to do. For Ethan. What choice did


    you have? Let your brother die?"


    I shrugged while I wiped my face. We had gone over this same argument so many times I was tired of


    it. I wanted to stop the conversation before it went any further.


    "It doesn''t matter. None of it does. Jenny showed me her pregnancy test. It was positive. She actually


    showed me the word ''Pregnant'' on the screen right in the middle of the department store while I was


    shopping for Tyler''s anniversary gift."


    "That''s insane! Who has that kind of luck? I can''t evene up with the odds of her running into you."


    Be made a good point. Had Jenny known where I would be?


    Tyler stepped out with several women on a regr basis. Models, singers, and even movie stars had


    appeared on his arm at parties or awards ceremonies or fundraisers.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I''d never appeared in public as his mate, but Tyler had taken out plenty of other females besides Jenny


    the Model. The only courtesy he showed our mating was never using another wolf as his escort.


    He had spared me and my wolf, Rayne, that one indignity at least though I thought it was more likely


    his wolf, Wynd, who''d refused to allow him to betray his mate more than any kindness on Tyler''s part.


    Wynd and Rayne were going to be the ones to suffer from the rejection. Their mating had not been


    burdened by the betrayal Tyler and I shared. For our wolves, their mate bond was the gift it was meant


    to be from the Moon Goddess.


    "Do you think Tyler told her? Did you leave a note for him?"


    I shook my head, "No, I didn''t leave a note. I texted him. She may have seen his phone."


    "She was---with him then? All night?"


    Be sounded shocked though I wasn''t sure if it was because she couldn''t believe Jenny the Model


    would stay the night with my mate or that Tyler betrayed his mate bond. My casual shrug in response


    was enough of an answer for her. What was I supposed to say? My mate felt only hatred and


    resentment for me?


    "It doesn''t matter now. None of it does. He can have as many models as he wants. I gave him my


    rejection. Rayne is sleeping it off. She won''t be happy, but she''ll survive. She''s strong."


    "What about Wynd? How did he take it?"


    I shrugged again, "I don''t know."


    "Well, what happened when Tyler said it back?"


    "Nothing."


    "Nothing?" Be asked, confusion clouding her expression, "What do you mean nothing? I''ve never


    seen a formal rejection, but I know it''s supposed to be intense for both mates."


    "No, Tyler didn''t say it back. He''ll do it when he''s ready."


    A formal rejection was a serious mark of shame for a wolf. I wasn''t surprised Be knew little about the


    specifics of the act. Most wolves would never even say the word ''rejection'' much less ask how to go


    about performing one.


    "Yes. I went to Alpha Wright and asked for his help to be certain I did everything the proper way. I didn''t


    want to mess it up. I want to spare us both what pain I can from here on out."


    Be reached across the couch to squeeze my arm. Her friendship was more than I deserved. I was


    lucky to have her in my life.


    "He was really happy to help, too."


    "Alpha Wright?"


    "Yes," I murmured, thinking back to my meeting with Tyler''s father, "He has hated Tyler mating me from


    the beginning. It''s bad enough Tyler came from an omega mating, but to have a mate of his own from


    an omega family? His pride couldn''t stand it. He told me we had to exchange the words then we''ll have


    to break the seal with a blood exchange."


    "Alpha Wright has only ever looked out for House Wright. He''s the reason Tyler never announced you


    as his mate."


    I disagreed immediately, "No. Tyler never formally announced our mating or married me in the human


    ways because I betrayed him. I tricked him into our mating for his money. Alpha Wright wouldn''t have


    had to tell him to be quiet about me."


    "Who said he had to tell him? Maybe he just wanted to?"


    Rachel rolled her eyes and startled anotherugh out of me.


    She wasn''t wrong.


    I noticed her touching her neck and found myself enthralled with her mating mark.


    Be had found her mate Jack recently. Theirs was a whirlwind mating, but most were when it came to


    fated mates. She was still in the stage where everything was lust and love and building a life together.


    Jack was looking for them a ce to share since both lived in apartments too small to share


    moved in with Jack.


    Busying myself with my phone, I sent a text to Tyler asking him to finish his side of the rejection. I could


    still feel him in my mind as a buzzing nuisance.


    "Tyler, please finish your side of the rejection ritual. I''ll meet you wherever you choose to do the blood


    exchange."


    No reply came and I was getting a headache from the partially severed bond.


    I called his number for the first time in months only to go directly to voicemail.


    "Tyler! I need you to ept the rejection. I am getting a headache and I doubt you feel much better.


    Reject me then meet me to do the exchange and that''s it! You''ll never have to see me again.


    Guaranteed."


    Be looked at me in confusion as the phone cut off on me.


    "I don''t know. All he needs to do is ept the rejection, swap a little blood, and it''s over! He''s never


    wanted to be with me. Why isn''t he jumping at this chance?"


    "I don''t know, Rachel. Maybe he''s thinking? Or he''s---busy."


    I caught the way Be looked away from me before pointing out Tyler could be ''busy'' and it urred to


    me he might be with her.


    "Jenny."


    Be nodded, biting her lip and covering her mate mark with her hand as if she wanted to spare me the


    pain of seeing it.


    I went back to my phone with a new wave of fury. He could celebrate with his model after he rejected


    me! I deserved my rejection.


    Dialing Tyler again, I put the phone on speaker so Be could hear only for the call to cut off with a


    message from the phonepany!


    "We''re sorry, but your call cannot bepleted as dialed. Please check your number and make your


    call again."


    I stared at the phone in shock. I had just called that number! It was his personal line! I hit his contact


    name again only to get the same message. I let out a sound of pure rage as I realized what it had to


    mean.


    "He blocked me!"

 #Chapter 6 Ill let you go when and if I want

    #Chapter 6 I''ll let you go when and if I want


    "What a filthy dog! I absolutely cannot get over Tyler blocking your calls! Does he think the mate bond


    will break on its own?"


    Focusing on keeping my hand steady, I traced the shape of my eyelid. Be had given me free rein in


    her makeup drawer; she was always the bold one though she didn''t really need cosmetics.


    I had spent the night alternating emotions. Be and I ate too much junk food whileining about


    men. We had decided I would be single forever sometime between thest of the potato chips and the


    first carton of ice cream.


    "I don''t know what he''s thinking," I answered her honestly, "It isn''t like I can hear his thoughts. I can


    barely feel him outside the headache he''s given me."


    Was that what Tyler wanted to do? Make me miserable? Physically wear me down after all the years of


    mentally breaking me?


    I finished my eyes and put on a tinted lip gloss. I didn''t want to go too heavy with my makeup when this


    job interview was already a longshot for me.


    Be worked at a fine dining restaurant with live entertainment called Blue Diamond. Their pianist had


    ran off with one of their waitresses after discovering they were fated mates.


    "You look great! Stop worrying. You were on the Dean''s List every semester and you have a degree in


    music! No one will be able to believe you''re serious about working at the restaurant."


    I smiled though I knew it didn''t reach my eyes.


    Be always knew what to say to make me feel better. I was overqualified, but I had never had a full-


    time job. There was a good chance I would be rejected based onck of practical experience.


    "Are you sure you''re okay going on in for the interview alone? I could call Jack. Tell him we could meet


    for dinner tonight instead."


    "No, no, don''t do that," I protested, "I''ll be fine on my own and you''ll being in to start your shift in a


    few hours anyway. It isn''t as if the ce can function without their best pastry chef, right?"


    Beughed, "Right! Well, I''m off! See you in a few hours and good luck!"


    I spent some time trying to get Tyler to respond to me either through mind-link or messages. He had


    blocked me from sending voicemail or texts so I had resorted to email.


    I was sure the only reason he hadn''t blocked me on his email was a fear I would start messaging his


    corporate ount and risk his assistant seeing my letters.


    If Tyler thought I was going to let him torment me with a half-severed bond forever, he was dead wrong.


    I had endured three years of being his unwanted mate. I had learned to cook his favorite meals, sated


    him in his bed even when he didn''t say so much as a single kind word to me, and tolerated him going


    around with other women along with a hundred other indignities along the way. I would admit Tyler had


    a right to be angry with me, but I had my own cause to resent him, too.


    Neither of us had been happy together.


    I chose to take the bus to Blue Diamond. My simple pencil skirt and blouse suited my slim figure. I''d


    gone with a French twist for my hair. My makeup gave me a healthy glow; I felt confident as I caught a


    few passengers giving me approving looks.


    It had been an awfully long time since I hadst felt pretty.


    Entering the restaurant, I kept my hand on my purse to avoid fidgeting. The hostess greeted me and


    directed me to the piano for my interview. I settled on the bench, adjusting my posture before ying a


    quick scale.


    "You look at home there."


    I was startled by the deep voice and turned with my hands hanging above the keys, "I---I''m sorry. I was


    testing the bnce. It''s well-tuned. A fine instrument."


    "Yes," the man agreed, smiling at me in amusement, "I do tend to take care of my instruments. I


    wouldn''t be a very good businessman if I couldn''t do that much, right? I''m Roy. Club owner and


    manager. Be said your name was Rachel?"


    "Rachel Flores. I''m pleased to meet you, Roy. Thank you so much for this opportunity."


    We shook hands and I was surprised to find his grip firm and sure. He treated me as if I were a worthy


    applicant. I hoped he would be serious about the job.


    Shuffling through the music on the stand, Roy selected a piece, "Here. This is a favorite of our patrons.


    y as much as you feel confident about and we''ll talk."


    I scanned the page once before ying. The rhythm was familiar and the tune only of a medium level


    of difficulty. I had no problempleting the two pages Roy had ced in front of me.


    "I can keep ying?"


    Roy shook his head, chuckling, "No need. I thought Be might have been exaggerating when she said


    you had a degree in music. She wasn''t though, was she?"


    "No."


    "But you want to work here? As a piano apaniment in a restaurant?"


    "Yes."


    We were both smiling as I met his questions with only one-word answers. I had always been a bit shy. I


    also didn''t think Roy needed to know about my personal business.


    "Well then, wee aboard, Rachel Flores. Can you start tomorrow?"


    I nodded at him, "I can. Do you have a preferred dress?"


    "White shirt and ck trousers or skirts. You''re wee to wear in ck shoes, either ts or a


    small heel."


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    "Is my current outfit okay?"


    "Absolutely. So tomorrow? Would you be able to do 4 PM to midnight? I''d need you to arrive at 3:30


    PM to go through some practice runs."


    I agreed and took copies of the music back to Be''s with me. I wanted to do my best even if I was only


    the apaniment to the singer. My evening went fast, far faster than I expected.


    Be squealed when I told her I got the job. She insisted I meet her at Blue Diamond for a drink after


    her shift. I hesitated to ept since a lot of Tyler''s social circle came there, but Be was quick to point


    out I would soon be a fixture at the restaurant. Why not celebrate my first real job with my new


    coworkers?


    I didn''t bother to change, feelingfortable enough to settle at the bar to wait on Be. I ordered a


    martini while I waited.


    "You!"


    I jerked at the furious hiss behind me, "What?"


    Turning around, I saw none other than Jenny the Model.


    I knew Tyler and his friends liked Blue Diamond, but to see Jenny there on the day I got hired? What


    kind of luck did I have?


    "What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?"


    I blinked at her inplete confusion.


    "Well! Did you follow me here or what?"


    "How would I have followed you here? I was here before you."


    "Don''t be smart with me! You could have been tracking my phone or reading Tyler''s messages or


    hacking his ounts or anything!"


    I held back until I realized she was going to keep on nagging me unless I cut her off.


    "Why would I hack my mate''s ount to find out anything about his mistress? Do you really think


    you''re that interesting to me?"


    Jenny drew in a shocked breath as if I had pped her and snapped, "I am not his mistress! You''re


    barely even his mate! He hates you!"


    My head hurt too much from the lingering mate bond and dealing with this stupid woman''s usations.


    I was finished talking to her.


    "Admitting I''m his mate means you''re interfering in an established rtionship which means you are a


    mistress at best!"


    Jenny red at me, "He told me all about you! He said you ckmailed him for money and that''s the


    only reason he''s with you. If I''m a mistress, then you''re a whore!"


    I lost control of myself for a moment. Rayne rose inside me prepared to fight and I countered her desire


    to reach out with our ws in favor of throwing the martini into Jenny''s face.


    I said, "I''m his mate by right of the Moon Goddess. You and your child should be thankful I''m not taking


    him before pack court to demand my portion of his assets. Would you be so proud if I left him without


    his money?"


    "You wouldn''t dare sue him!"


    "In our court, I am entitled topensation from my fated mate!"


    "You''re not his wife! You aren''t entitled to anything!"


    "I''m his fated mate, you stupid cow," I snapped,pletely done with her, "No humanwpares.


    I''m entitled to half of everything he has down to his soul."


    "Is that what you''re after? My soul?"


    Tyler''s voice shocked me the same as a martini to the face.


    I whirled towards him. "No! I just want my rejection."


    "What about half of everything?"


    I shook my head ''no'' and Tyler grabbed my wrist, jerking me off my stool.


    He was angry. A blind human could tell he was angry.


    "Tell me the truth!"


    "I told you the truth," I spat, trying to twist my arm free of his grasp, "I just want my rejection! I''ve had


    enough of being mated to you."


    "I''ll let you go when and if I want."


    "You''ll let her go right now," Be snapped from behind Tyler, moving between us to break his cruel grip


    on my arm, "We''re leaving."


    I was in an emotional daze as Be escorted me out. She''d been told someone was harassing me


    while she was straightening up the kitchen. I was grateful for her intervention.


    Why wouldn''t Tyler just reject me already? What did he want from me!?

 #Chapter 7 Id bought her once. I could do it again.

    #Chapter 7 I''d bought her once. I could do it again.


    Tyler''s POV


    "What did she mean when she said ''you and your child''? Hhm? What was she talking about?"


    I missed the beginning, but I had heard enough to know Rachel thought Jenny was pregnant.


    Jenny blotted her face with a linen napkin the bartender offered her. She was looking everywhere but at


    me; I knew her well enough to know she was trying to find a way to get out of the situation sooner


    rather thanter.


    Unlike with Rachel, I didn''t take Jenny''s arm. I only held my hand up to stop her from skirting me to


    scuttle off into the crowd.


    "Don''t even try it, Jenny. What did you do?"


    My wolf, Wynd, was unnaturally close to the front of my mind and I couldn''t help the growl he pushed


    into my words.


    If Wynd had his way, we would turn right in the middle of Blue Diamond and tear the answers out of


    Jenny with our teeth.


    "What did you say to my mate?" Wynd asked, forcing the words out through my clenched teeth as I


    fought for control of my mind.


    Werewolves were tolerated in human society because we controlled ourselves.


    House Wright didn''t need their heir to lose his humanity in the middle of a restaurant. It would be even


    worse after my mate assaulted a human model where paparazzi could get photos of her dripping


    martini from her face.


    We were going to bring the kind of attention to Moonrise Pack my father didn''t like.


    "Tyler," Jenny whined, "You''re scaring me!"


    I snorted at the ridiculousness of her statement.


    Jenny Wand wasn''t afraid of anything except wrinkles and cellulite. She got Botox injections for the


    first and starved herself to avoid the second. I could have shifted into my Lycan form -a form very few


    humans knew about- without making her blink.


    "Talk, Jenny. Now!"


    "I wanted her to go away! Okay? You hate her. Everyone knows you hate her. You wouldn''t leave her


    though because of whatever stupid reason you have so I made her see what you were missing being


    stuck with her."


    That sounded like Jenny: entitled and imperious.


    "And what am I missing?"


    "The chance to have a real life with me! The chance to have a family," Jenny coaxed, giving me a


    coquettish look as she tilted her face just so.


    Jenny was exceptionally good at posing. She lived up to her status as a top model and the camera did


    love her even if I never could.


    Damnable mate bond, I thought to myself before dropping my hand to my side.


    "You''re not interested in starting a family, Jenny. You told her you were pregnant?"


    Jenny gave me a re which would have scorched earth if she weren''t human.


    She answered cautiously, "Yes. Why?"


    Wynd rumbled in my head, practically foaming at the mouth to tear her apart. He couldn''t tolerate the


    idea of Rayne thinking he had betrayed her for even a second. His devotion to Rachel''s wolf was so


    deep I couldn''t even attempt to bed another female.


    "So why would she believe you?"


    Rachel had used a fake pregnancy to enter my life. I wondered if the irony had urred to her.


    "I showed her a positive pregnancy test," Jenny shrugged, looking away from me as she schooled her


    expression into one of indifference.


    "Where did you get a positive pregnancy test?"


    "They sell them on the inte. For jokes. It''s not my fault she''s stupid enough to believe it. She didn''t


    even try to fight for you either! So it''s good, right? We''re good? I did the right thing for us to have a


    future together."


    Humans faked pregnancy tests for the purpose of humor? Who knew? They really were ridiculous.


    I pinched my nose and sighed from the headache I had been sporting since Rachel''s rejection.


    "No, Jenny."


    Her face had paled as I stepped closer to her, close enough for her to see the glow in my eyes from


    how close to the surface Wynd was pushing.


    "No female will ever share my bed except my mate. Do you understand?"


    "I understand," she said, unspoken emotions coloring her words and her expression.


    I used one finger under her chin to tilt her face back to mine as I whispered to her, "I would kill you,


    Jenny. I wouldn''t be able to stop myself."


    Her eyes remained fixed on mine until a tear tracked down her cheek. I wiped it away with my knuckle


    before stepping back.


    "It''s time for you to leave."


    Jenny nodded before sliding around me, scurrying away into the crowd with more speed than skill.


    I drummed my fingers on the bar as I tried to find a way to salvage my evening. The headache crashing


    through my skull was endless; I could feel every beat of my heart in my temples.


    I was on edge enough to have me gnashing my teeth. My wolf, Wynd, felt almost rabid in my mind.


    "Whiskey. House well. Neat."


    I looked over at my friend Dn Roberts with a wry grin which he returned.


    "Is that for me or for you?" I asked.


    Dn pushed the tumbler at me before ordering, "Another please. It seems we''re both in need of a


    whiskey right now. I''m willing to buy since you seem to have run out of all your stock in patience."


    I swallowed the drink in one gulp. They served only the best at Blue Diamond and I found myself


    feeling dizzy despite my constitution as an Alpha.


    "They serve this to humans?" I rasped, my voice was a low grumble, I could hardly force the words out


    of my burning throat.


    "No," Dn said, grinning, "Blue Diamond''s house well drinks are all for our kind. Good stuff, right?"


    I epted a second tumbler with a cautionary nod.


    I would drink this one much slower.


    Thest thing I needed was to get too drunk to hold my human form. I didn''t want to know what would


    happen if Wynd gained control of my body following our mate''s rejection.


    Besides, I hadn''t been drunk in public since I was a teenager. What was Dn thinking?


    "I think I saw your Rachel leaving. Pretty blonde in a ck skirt and white blouse? Fire in her eyes?


    Thest time I saw her she looked pale as a ghost and like she seriously needed a sandwich.


    Apparently she''se into her own since then! Wow!"


    ring at Dn, I took another deep drink of my whiskey, "Shut up."


    "What? It was her, right? I''ve only seen her twice so I''m not positive. The first time was at your office


    when she was bringing you lunch or something. I don''t know. You threw the whole bowl into the trash


    and she nearly ran to the elevator to get away from you. I didn''t even get a good scent off her she was


    so fast."


    I didn''t remember the time he was talking about.


    Rachel had made me lunch every day for the first few months of our mating. I thought it was because


    of some stupid tradition from her home pack. Who knew? It wasn''t as if we chatted about our


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    childhoods with one another after starting out our life together because of drugs and lies.


    "Yes. That was Rachel."


    Blue Diamond was closing, but Dn and I both were generous enough patrons for them to let us


    remain at the bar sharing well whiskey as we got progressively more drunk.


    Dn knew the liquor would help with my headache---right? That was why we were drinking? Or was it


    because he knew I didn''t want to turn into a rampaging Lycan and destroy a good portion of


    downtown?


    I lost my grip on my reasons for anything except savoring my next sip of whiskey and only regained


    some of my senses as Dn was assisting my driver, Adam, to help me into my car.


    "Do you think she''s doing this because she''s evil?"


    Adam shielded my head as he helped me into the back of the car. He was so considerate.


    "No, sir, I do not think she''s evil. Sir, would you like to take Master Dn to his home first or bring him


    along with us?"


    "Take him home," I decided immediately, Wynd grumbling in my mind loud enough for me to voice his


    concerns regarding how Dn noticed our mate earlier, "I don''t want him looking at our Rachel. She''s


    still ours. I don''t ept her rejection! She''s going toe home! She just wants to torture me first!"


    "And you deserve it!" Dn yelled out,ughing at me as if I had told him the funniest joke he had ever


    heard.


    I nodded along with him even though nothing felt funny to me. I doubted I would everugh again.


    "I did. I do. I think. I''m going to get her back. I bought her! She has toe back! She owes me!"


    Adam drove to Dn''s apartment in the city and helped him inside while I tried to unscramble my


    thoughts.


    "I just have to figure out what she wants. Everything is an exchange with Rachel. She just wants


    something new."


    Wynd only piped up in my head enough to insist I remember to get his mate back then I was alone with


    my aching head and drunken thoughts until my driver settled me into my bed.


    I fell asleep positive I would discover what Rachel wanted in the morning.


    I would get my mate back no matter what the cost. I''d bought her once. I could do it again.

 #Chapter 8 Sir Filthy Doggy

    #Chapter 8 Sir Filthy Doggy


    Rachel''s POV


    My head was pounding so hard I didn''t notice my phone vibrating for a full minute despite it being right


    beside my hand.


    "Hello?" I answered, confusion coloring my tone as I saw Tyler''s housekeeper was calling me, "Magda,


    has something happened?"


    I had left instructions with the house staff to report directly to Master Tyler as I would no longer be in


    residence. They didn''t need to know the particrs of why I was gone. All of them were well-trained as


    house servants who tended to ensure their discretion matched their ability to avoid asking questions


    not rted to their work.


    Work hard and silently was Tyler Wright''s preference.


    "Madam Rachel, we have no hangover cure here."


    "I left the recipe with all the other house favorites. It''s in the binder in the kitchen drawer beside the


    pantry."


    "No, no, I have never made it, Madam Rachel!"


    Magda was a sweet older woman. She reminded me of what a mother was meant to be like, and I


    found myself unable to be sharp with her.


    Gentling my tone, I said, "Can you get the binder, Magda?"


    I would coach her through making the cure this first time. I had a feeling Tyler was on the verge of


    driving the whole staff insane after a night of drinking. Alpha status aside, he acted worse than a baby


    when he was sick or in pain.


    "I can get it. I have it now."


    I could hear her flipping pages until she was able to find the right recipe. She made a sound of distress


    as a crashing noise echoed on her side of the line.


    "Magda?"


    "Madam, there are many steps to this. Master Tyler is not well. Will you please---"


    "Get over here. Now."


    I straightened in response to the sound of Tyler''s angry voice. He was pissed off.


    In the past, I had handmade his hangover cure with fresh herbs from my home garden or bought hand-


    picked from the farmer''s market. I had ground everything with my own two hands and he had acted as


    if it was a worthless drink to be slung back when necessary.


    Now he wanted to order me home to make it for him?


    I didn''t think so.


    "No, Tyler. I don''t need toe to the house for a hangover remedy."


    "Yours is the best and I need one. You have toe make it."


    "No, Tyler, I don''t! That is why I left the recipe there."


    I felt as if I were exining this to an angry child rather than an angry rejected mate. Tyler had scared


    me when he was angry in the past. Now all I felt was annoyance he was trying to boss me around as if


    I were his housekeeper rather than Magda.


    "Didn''t you forget something here?"


    "Yes," I snapped, "My rejection. Are you offering it to me this morning? I''ll be d toe brew you a


    cup of hangover tea in exchange for your side of the rejection ceremony."


    "What about the IOU for $500,000 you gave me three years ago?"


    I shut my mouth abruptly at the reminder.


    Tyler could be a bastard when angry or hurting, too. I always forgot how mean he got until the next


    hangover was on him. I supposed my mind tried to shield me from his cruelty by blocking his behavior


    out from one time to the next.


    Selective amnesia had been the best way for me to cope with thest three years of my life.


    Clearing my throat, I tried to regain control of the conversation, "I can talk Magda through making it


    over the phone. I don''t do anything special or extra, Tyler."


    "Your debt is still waiting here along with my headache. You eithere make my remedy or prove my


    father right: you slept with me for money the same as any street whore and you have no intention of


    ever repaying the debt."


    I remembered standing in front of Tyler and his father three years previously.


    My brother Ethan had been only hours away from being killed; my only chance to save him was to get


    my newfound mate to pay off the gambling debts our father had wracked up.


    I hadn''t wanted to be in their offices asking for money.


    All I had wanted was to save my little brother from certain death.


    John Wright had looked down his nose at me with so much contempt I had wanted to crawl away to


    hide in a hole. All my usual enthusiasm for life had been crushed underneath his disdain.


    I had thought my mate was reacting to his father''s mood.


    Tyler had proven me wrong in the next weeks after he''d given me the check I''d asked for to save


    Ethan.


    I remembered the first weeks of our mating vividly. Tyler rarely spoke to me except to instruct me how


    to do something for him to make him happy.


    We had sex every night no matter whether it hurt me or I wanted to be left alone. Tyler insisted I give


    him my body in exchange for the IOU I had written out for the $500,000 ransom money. I gave in to him


    since I felt I owed him.


    I still owed him---and this was his way of reminding me I always would owe him until I paid him back all


    five hundred thousand of those dors.


    "I''ll be there soon."


    "Sir!" he spat at me from his side of the line.


    "What?" I asked, trying to force away the sense of dreading over me at the thought of going back


    to the house I''d spent three years trying to escape.


    "If you''re going to insist you want a rejection, you can call me ''sir'' when you address me. I require it


    from all my employees."


    I gasped in abination of shock and anger, "You think I''m going to be your employee!?"


    "I know I paid you half a million dors and you haven''te close to working it off. You''re my highest


    paid employee right now. Get here soon."


    "Yes, Sir," I said to him before hanging up the phone.


    I thought if he gave me one more order I would wind up murdering him on my arrival to the house.


    Straightening my appearance before gathering my handbag, I nodded at my reflection before heading


    out to the living room.


    I would need to tell Be where I was going. I had my first day of work looming ahead of me only after


    dealing with Tyler.


    "I will see you at work tonight. I have a change of clothes with me just in case. I need to go fix a


    hangover cure."


    Be looked away from her show, tears streaming down her face, "What? Why can''t you make it here?"


    "It isn''t for me. Why are you crying?"


    Be took a tissue from the box on the table and wiped at her face. She pointed to the screen and I


    suppressed a groan: she put way too much energy into her television shows.


    "Did the girl choose the vampire or the werewolf?"


    I tried to inject some humor into my tone. It wasn''t Be''s fault I was in a bad mood or over my head in


    debt to Tyler.


    "Neither," Be wailed, "She took a potion which put her into a sleep for a hundred years!"


    I wished I could take something to sleep for a hundred years. Knowing my luck, Tyler Wright would just


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    take the same potion so he would be there to torment me when I woke up.


    "That''s terrible! Are you going to be okay? I could try to get back as soon as I finished the tea."


    I wanted her to say she needed me toe home as soon as possible. Be would be the perfect


    excuse to get away from Tyler quickly.


    "Oh, I''ll be okay! I have seven more episodes in this season. If you''re not making hangover tea here,


    where are you going?"


    "I''m going to make it for the ''filthy dog'' who is now insisting I call him ''sir'' as I am his employee if I''m not


    his mate."


    Be screeched in outrage, "You should spike it with something awful! It would serve him right for being


    such a filthy doggy!"


    I grinned at her reaction; I knew I could count on Be understanding.


    "See you at work tonight. I''m going to go treat Sir Filthy Doggy!"

 #Chapter 9 Reject, reject, reject!

    #Chapter 9 Reject, reject, reject!


    Rachel''s POV


    "Magda! Please meet me in the kitchen," I called as I entered the house.


    I was going to make sure the housekeeper knew how to make the hangover cure as well as I could so


    this never happened again. Tyler was not going to turn me into a maid because he couldn''t force me to


    continue being his mate.


    I lined up all the fresh ingredients on the counter with my mortar and pestle. I would grind everything by


    hand. I would dy seeing Tyler as long as I could using the hangover tea as my excuse along the


    way.


    I''d been smart enough to stop by a fresh market on the way over in order to ensure I had all the fresh


    ingredients to hand. Thest thing I needed was to get to the house only to have to turn around to run


    to the store.


    Magda asked questions quietly as I crushed the leaves and ground the fresh herbs. She handed me a


    strainer ball which I packed with the ingredients before closing tightly.


    "Now we need to make sure the water is just under boiling. If it is still at a rolling boil, it will be too hot


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    and will scorch the ingredients so the cure won''t work as well."


    I poured the water over the strainer ball and set a timer on my phone for five minutes.


    "Five minutes to steep seems to be perfect for Master Tyler. It can be longer if the ingredients aren''t


    fresh. When winteres, you''ll want to let it sit longer."


    Magda made notes in a pad she carried with her. She imed writing things down by hand was easier


    for her than trying to use a device; I didn''t press the issue because of her grandmotherly demeanor.


    "You really should start using a smartphone, Magda. There are apps for everything these days."


    I hated to think I was adding more to her workload, but I had to leave Tyler. I''d barely survived thest


    three years with him. I wouldn''t even be a shadow of myself after any more years passed.


    "You worry too much, Madam Rachel."


    "No," I murmured, "I don''t worry nearly enough. I''ll take this up to Tyler. Feel free to get on with your


    chores, Magda."


    I had stalled long enough making the remedy.


    Squaring my shoulders, I settled everything onto a bed tray and walked it to Tyler personally. It was as


    if I had gone back in time; every action was the same I had made before.


    I firmed my jaw as I realized I didn''t have to step back into the role he wanted me in.


    I would deliver his tea, but I wouldn''t pretend I was doing it out of anything other than obligation.


    "Your tea, Sir."


    I ced the tray over hisp and stepped back, offering him a short nod before I made to leave.


    "That''s it?"


    I paused and asked, "Excuse me, Sir?"


    "A single cup of tea and you''re leaving? You know I might need more."


    His tone was cold enough to freeze the scalding hot tea I had brewed for him.


    "I know I was asked toe here to make a hangover cure. I made it. I went so far as to teach your


    maid how to make it. If you need more, you can call Magda or your mistress. I don''t care either way."


    I realized I was telling the truth as the words left my mouth: I really did not care if Tyler Wright called his


    maid or his mistress tofort him.


    I had made my choice when I had rejected my alpha mate.


    "You''re a very understanding mate if you don''t care if I call another woman."


    "I rejected you, remember? Who you call is no longer my business."


    "I haven''t epted your rejection," Tyler insisted, taking a sip of his tea, "That means everything I do


    remains ''your business'' until I reject you, too."


    No one had ever warned me it would be hard to reject my mate.


    Most wolves were overjoyed to find their other half. I doubted any wolf would want to reject their mate


    without very serious reasons.


    Grinding my teeth together, I gritted out, "So hurry up and reject me, why don''t you? You have to want


    to end this as much as I do!"


    "I want you to get in this bed right now and see to my needs! Why don''t you?"


    "Seriously?" I was stunned by his outburst.


    Tyler never yelled at me when he had a headache. I must be angering him very much for him to shout.


    "No," I stated firmly, taking my phone out, "I''m going to call up Jenny. I''m sure she''lle here to brew


    you more tea or get into your bed to see to any needs you have, Sir!"


    I was scrolling through my contacts when my phone was jerked out of my hands.


    I hadn''t even heard Tyler get out of bed!


    I always forgot how imposing he was until he towered over me, all muscles and raw power barely held


    in check by his iron will. Tyler was an Alpha among Alphas. I wished I didn''t find him attractive.


    "Stop this!" he shouted, shaking my phone at me before tossing it toward the door, "I''m sick of this


    game you''re ying. What do you want?"


    Tyler thought I was ying a game with him? What could I possibly have to gain from a game? He


    wasn''t the kind of male who would let a woman beat him in a game.


    "I''m not ying any game."


    "Don''t test me, Rachel! I am not a patient man. Tell me what you want so we can get on with our lives."


    I reeled in my feelings as I realized I was the calmer of the two of us.


    Searching Tyler''s face, I pushed him with a smile, "Well, if this is a game, how about you give me what


    I said I wanted? Everything you have. Sign over Moonrise Entertainment to me."


    I knew John Wright, Tyler''s father, had expressed more than once his worst nightmare was to lose their


    family business to me.


    My father-inw called me a "gold digger" even though I had asked for nothing for myself since mating


    with Tyler.


    "Very funny," Tyler snapped, "Be serious. What do you really want?"


    "I want you to reject me. Sever the mate bond. Finish the ceremony."


    "Reject, reject, reject! Can you say anything else?"


    Tyler grabbed my arm above my elbow and shook me. In the past, I would have been afraid he might


    try to get more physical with me.


    I was a stronger woman now though. I wasn''t going to be pushed back into his shadow.


    Twisting free of his grip, I snapped, "I''ve said plenty! You just don''t listen! What about you, Tyler? Do


    you really want me back here in your bed? You couldn''t have been too satisfied if your mistress is


    having your lovechild. Or is that what you want? To humiliate me? Make me raise another woman''s


    baby?"


    Tyler walked away from me to sit back on the bed. He rubbed his temples with his fingers, looking


    pained. I almost pitied him for the tortured expression on his face.


    "I have to go out of town. I have business to do with my father. You will meet me back here when I


    return and we will talk about this then. Understand?"


    I understood I was being given a reprieve. I would take all the space I could get from Tyler. Even if I


    only got a few days out of his business trip, those days would give me time to settle into my life away


    from him.


    "Yes, Sir."


    I saluted him with a grin though my efforts were wasted as he didn''t look up at me.


    I turned to leave and he asked something too quietly for me to be certain I understood.


    "What?"


    Turning to face him, Tyler''s eyes met mine as he asked again, "Do you want me to bring you


    choctes? You ate them thest time I brought them back for you."


    What a bizarre turn his mind had taken---I shook my head no and said, "No, thank you."


    He nodded and got himself back into bed while I collected my phone from the floor where he''d tossed


    it.


    Luckily it wasn''t damaged. I might not have left so peacefully if he had broken my phone.


    I left the house quickly as my phone began to ring with my father''s number showing. I answered it only


    when I was far enough away Magda wouldn''t be able to overhear.


    "Patrick, how can I help you?"


    Had my father heard about me rejecting Tyler? Patrick tended to always be in-the-know when it came


    to gossip.


    "I need money for Ethan''s college tuition. Send me a check. A hundred grand should cover it."


    I was sick of men telling me what to do.


    "First, Ethan hasn''t chosen a college yet so he has no way of knowing how much his tuition will cost.


    Second, he''s applied for schrships everywhere he has applied. I helped him with them. There is no


    way he will need $100,000 for a school year. Third, if Ethan needs money, I will give it to him directly.


    Do you understand?"


    Patrick roared from his side of the line, "You ungrateful bitch! You think because you mated an Alpha


    you can push your old omega father aside? You can''t get rid of me just like that. I''m your father! I''ll


    always be your father! You owe me---"


    "I don''t owe you anything. Don''t call me again."


    I cut off the call and turned off my ringer because I was done for the day.


    I was going to go to my first day of work with my head held high. All these men in my life could just go


    somewhere else for their needs. I was done catering to them.

 #Chapter 10 Patrick is causing trouble!

    #Chapter 10 Patrick is causing trouble!


    Rachel''s POV


    7 Days Later


    Freedom suited me.


    I smiled all the time now and I took extra care with my appearance because I wanted to, not for any


    other reason. If someoneplimented me, I thanked them and I knew they were being honest


    because for the first time in my life I was only myself.


    Before I had mated Tyler Wright, I had been Patrick Flores''s daughter. People whoplimented me in


    my youth either did it out of pity because they knew my father and his nasty habits or they knew my


    mother had died young leaving me to practically raise my younger brother alone.


    After I had mated Tyler Wright, I had been hidden away except to the closest of family. If any


    Had I ever been free before rejecting my mate?


    I honestly didn''t know.


    My life feltpletely new. The whole world felt wide open to me.


    I spent my daysposing music again out of joy rather than desperation and my nights I worked as


    the piano apaniment to the singer at Blue Diamond.


    Being employed suited me. Being single suited me. Being alone suited me.


    My face hurt from smiling though I was driving Be insane with my humming as I danced around her


    ce straightening, tidying, and fighting boredom.


    I went for a walk for the fresh air as much as to give Be a break. I needed to pick up a few things


    from the market anyway. Who knew shopping could be fun?


    Taking a handbasket at the local bodega, I wandered the aisles with the intention to browse more than


    buy. I knew what I needed without a list and that by itself was almost magical.


    As the mistress of Tyler Wright''s mansion, I had been expected to keep lists of running needs for the


    household: cleaning supplies, cooking supplies, groceries, groundskeeping materials, and on and on.


    I had lived thest three years of my life making lists.


    I was reveling in my freedom when a young woman mmed into me, knocking my basket to the floor.


    I knelt immediately to pick up the items spilled.


    "Watch out! Stupid bitch," the girl snapped and I realized I recognized her---she was Charlotte Wright,


    Tyler''s stepsister.


    A week ago I would have apologized. I would have dropped my head and focused on my feet to avoid


    pissing her off.


    "What did you say to me?" I asked, grabbing her arm before she could walk away.


    "I said you should watch out because you''re a stupid bitch."


    Charlotte smirked at me until she realized I wasn''t letting go of her arm.


    I was stronger than her.


    I realized it at the same time she did.


    Rayne stirred in my mind,ing awake with a hunger for action. My wolf had not been happy about


    leaving our mate. She loved when I let here forward to stretch outside my mind though and I was


    free to let her now I didn''t have to worry about Tyler''s reactions.


    My eyes shifted to Rayne''s golden gaze and my voice dropped a few octaves as Rayne spoke through


    me, "The next time you call me a bitch I''ll tear out your tongue. Apologize or I''ll send you away with a


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    far less pretty face."


    Charlotte whispered at me, "I''m sorry. Okay? I am sorry. Ma''am. Mistress."


    I let go of her arm as I pushed Rayne back down, taking control of my body once more. Charlotte


    probably would have stammered apologies for minutes more if I let her. Who knew she was all bark


    and no bite?


    "Ma''am is fine. After all, your brother has a mistress, but she certainly isn''t me. You''re forgiven. Have a


    nice day, Charlotte."


    Charlotte left her items before she sprinted to the front of the store. I didn''t watch her leave because I


    realized I wasn''t interested in her or even mildly worried about how she reacted to me.


    I was a free woman and Rayne was a free wolf; we deserved to be treated with respect.


    Looking around at the shelves, I noticed I was in the feminine hygiene aisle. I held back a snicker as I


    wondered if Charlotte was feeling hormonal. I noticed my brand of tampons with a twinge of surprise.


    I hadn''t needed any as my cycle hadn''t started. I was a littlete. My period was rarely irregr, but I


    had rejected my mate and my wolf had gone into hibernation for a while afterwards. Was it possible my


    body was reacting to the rejection in its own way?


    Not for the first time, I mourned my mother. I wished I had her to ask for advice. If I had been left with a


    responsible father, I might have been able to go to him, but Patrick was a burden not a resource.


    I picked up a box of tampons for when my body worked itself out again then made my way to the


    counter. I paid for my purchases and walked back to Be''s in a happy haze.


    Who knew it could feel so good to stand up for yourself?


    "Rachel!" Be squealed as I opened the door,unching herself at me while she waved her phone in


    my face, "You will never believe it! My phone has been ringing off the hook since you left!"


    I looked at her in confusion, "What? Who called? Is it about work?"


    "No! An Alpha called for you! Not that filthy doggy either. Guess who! Guess!"


    Iughed, "Is he the star of your favorite show?"


    "No! Even better! Nathan Lewis! Nathan Lewis who was in love with you! He asked how you were


    doing. I told him I''d give him your number so he could talk to you himself. What do you want to do? Do


    you want to talk about it? Or do you want to call him? I don''t know if you should call him right away. It


    might seem desperate."


    Be was her best when excited. I couldn''t helpughing.


    "I think I''ll wait to talk with him. I should probably finish my rejection ceremony first if I don''t want to start


    a fight, right?"


    "Or a war," Be nodded, "You''re absolutely right. House Lewis and House Wright are always looking


    for a reason to go to war. Give me your phone. I''ll put his number in. Guess who else called?"


    I obediently gave her my phone though I couldn''t imagine calling Nathan Lewis. He''d been my first


    boyfriend. He had loved me as I had been when I was a young, confident teenager with a head full of


    dreams. I wasn''t the same girl he remembered and I was sure he wasn''t the same boy.


    I''d believed myself madly in love with Nathan until Patrick sold me to rapists and inadvertently allowed


    me to meet my fated mate, Tyler Wright. I couldn''t even remember Nathan''s Alpha scent anymore. The


    only Alpha I ever thought about was my mate.


    "Let me guess this one: the other call was from the star of that reality show and I''ve just be a


    millionaire!"


    Be shoved me with augh, "No! It was the filthy doggy''spdog."


    "Who?"


    "Adam. His beta?"


    I couldn''t imagine what possible reason Adam would have to call me. I shook my head in confusion,


    still smiling at Be''s enthusiasm.


    "What did Adam want from me? Is our filthy doggy in trouble with a hangover again?"


    Be had loved the idea of Tyler having to humble himself enough to ask me for help with a hangover


    cure. She hadn''t been so pleased I''d went there to make it in person, but it was still a little funny.


    "No. He said something is going on at the office. They want you toe down there to help. I didn''t


    know you were secretly awyer, Rachel! Are you into corporate espionage these days?"


    We shared augh at the idea of me in a boardroom making deals.


    These days I danced around the ce humming to my own tunes. I wasn''t in any shape to be making


    regr business deals much less corporate ones.


    "I''m sure it''s nothing!"


    We were on our way to the couch when my cell phone started going off. I paused to check the caller ID


    and realized it was Adam calling me directly.


    "Adam?" I asked as I answered, cautious and confused at the same time.


    "Rachel, you have toe down to the corporate building. Your father is here and he''s making a


    scene. I don''t know how much longer we can contain this."


    "Patrick? I don''t care."


    I didn''t care either. Patrick could get himself out of trouble for a change. I had washed my hands of him.


    "Please, Madam. I need you toe here. Don''t make this any harder on me. The Alpha has


    demanded I get you here to fix this immediately."


    A hidden threat existed in Adam''s words: if I didn''t go help deal with Patrick, Adam woulde get me


    to have me deal with him. Adam always followed Tyler''s orders. If Tyler had told him to get me there,


    he would get me there.


    I sighed and closed my eyes to regain my calm, then I told Be the bad news:


    "I have to go to Tyler''s office. Patrick is causing trouble!"

 #Chapter 11 Rejection. Tomorrow morning

    #Chapter 11 Rejection. Tomorrow morning


    Rachel POV


    "Come quickly. I''m sorry, but we need to get you in there as fast as possible."


    Adam had never touched me before. I focused on the feeling of his hand wrapped tightly around my


    upper arm as he pulled me out of the cab.


    He had a grip on me strong enough to bruise. I wouldn''t have been able to get away from him even if


    I''d wanted to run off.


    I was d I''d prepaid for my rideshare because I didn''t even have a chance to say ''thank you'' to the


    driver.


    "What''s happening?"


    I felt panic rising as Adam towed me into Moonrise Entertainment by my arm. He was a man on a


    mission; I had no idea why he was in such a hurry.


    Adam shook his head, "Your father has been here for over an hour now. He stopped being reasonable-


    --a while ago."


    I heard Patrick''s voice before I saw him.


    "I am your father-inw! You''ve been fucking my daughter for three years! You owe me!"


    I felt sick to my stomach as embarrassment swept over me: my father was making me sound like a


    whore.


    "Why are you all just standing around? Don''t you know who I am? I can have you all fired!"


    Adam didn''t respond to my efforts to tug against his hold; I stood close to Patrick before I was ready.


    "You!" Patrick yelled, spittle hitting me in the face as he shook his finger at me, "I take care of you all


    your life and this is the thanks I get? Your rich Alpha thinks he doesn''t owe your poor old omega father


    anything. Tell him to give me my damn money!"


    The onlyfort I had was knowing Tyler wasn''t in the lobby.


    Our partially severed mate bond let me sense him enough to know he wasn''t close. Knowing Tyler? He


    was probably still in his office on the top floor, expecting all his subordinates to clean up the mess for


    him.


    My whole body felt hot. I knew I was blushing all over from humiliation and I hated myself for reacting


    and Patrick for putting me in this situation.


    Why was my father so terrible? What had my mother ever seen in him? I wished I could talk to her


    even if it was only one more time.


    "It''s his money, Patrick! Not yours! Not mine! I already told you I don''t owe you anything. I didn''t think I


    needed to tell you Tyler doesn''t owe you anything either, but clearly you need it spelled out for you."


    Fire exploded across my cheek. I fell backward only to be caught by Adam before I could hit the floor.


    "Omega scum," Adam growled, his wolf sounding far too close to the surface.


    I knew I should be at least a little scared of a werewolf close to losing control right behind me, but I


    wasn''t afraid.


    Adam wouldn''t hurt me no matter how roughly he''d grabbed my arm before.


    Adam was trying to protect me---since my father had pped me across the face hard enough to rattle


    my brain. I could taste blood in my mouth from where my teeth had cut into my cheek.


    Guards closed in around Patrick and restrained him by his arms. I was surprised by how fast they


    responded. Why hadn''t they just done this already?


    Adam ordered, "Take him out to the street and let him go. If he''s smart, he''ll get out of here while


    House Wright is still being generous."


    I straightened up, smoothing my hands down my dress as I tried to get myself back under control.


    "Why are you letting him go?"


    Patrick stopped fighting the guards to look at me with his mouth gaping open like a fish. He started to


    sputter curses at me and I turned my back on him to focus on Adam.


    "If he were anyone else, if he weren''t my father, what would have happened to him for this kind of---


    thing?"


    "He''d already be in police custody," Adam answered.


    "Then call the police. This man has no right to be here. He should probably thank you for the safety of


    a prison cell. I imagine there are debtors looking for payment from him. They won''t be able to reach


    you in jail, Patrick. That''s payment enough I think."


    "You dare! I swear you will live to regret this! You can''t do this to me, you little slut! I''m your father! I''ll


    always be your father!"


    His voice trailed off as the guards dragged him out of the lobby onto the st. A police car appeared only


    momentster making me believe Adam had only been waiting for permission to have Patrick picked


    up.


    What kind of trouble was I bringing to Tyler''s ce of business?


    I had to wonder if it was my fault. Patrick wouldn''t have been at their office if not for me. As an omega


    of a minor house, Patrick would have never been brought to the attention of the main house of


    Moonrise Pack.


    The Moon Goddess had strange values. Tyler Wright and I couldn''t be more different. Our families


    wereplete opposites and so were we.


    Rejecting Tyler as my mate was the right thing to do. I brought him trouble he didn''t need and he


    brought me pain I didn''t deserve.


    We were all wrong for each other. No matter what fate said.


    "Are you alright, Madam Rachel? I can escort you up to Tyler''s office if you feel you need toy down.


    That bastard hit you hard."


    "No, Adam," I waved him off, trying to keep my horror hidden at the idea of seeing Tyler after fighting


    with my father, "No need! I''m just fine. I''ll take a walk. Enjoy the sun and get some fresh air. Hopefully


    you won''t have to call me again."


    Adam mumbled something to me as I backed away from him before rushing out of the building.


    I needed to put some more distance between myself and Tyler. Thest thing I wanted was Tyler trying


    to y hero to me after I''d been attacked by my own father.


    Fresh air also sounded good for my nerves. I felt shaky from the confrontation and knew my hands


    were trembling at my sides so I fisted my skirt to keep them still.


    I knew there was a small park not far from Moonrise Entertainment. I''d sat on the benches there many


    times in the early days of my mating, working up my nerve to bring Tyler his lunch.


    Finding an empty bench, I took a seat and tried to remember how I''d felt in those days.


    Hopeful. Excited. Confident.


    I was full of dreams for our future as a mated pair and now I couldn''t bring up even a shadow of those


    feelings when I thought of Tyler. I don''t think he had ever wanted me outside of that first night in the


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    bedroom at LUST.


    My phone buzzed from an iing call and I answered without thinking or checking the caller ID.


    "Hello?"


    "Tell your father that can''t happen again."


    Tyler sounded angry enough to kill. Good. I felt angry about Patrick myself. We were on the same page


    as far as my father was concerned.


    "It won''t. I told the guards to call the police and left instructions he had no business at Moonrise


    Entertainment. He will be arrested immediately if he tries again."


    "I was told he was taken into custody today."


    "He was," I exined, "Adam had the police pick him up as soon as his feet hit the sidewalk. You


    shouldn''t have to worry about my father in the future. He won''t have any reason toe near you or


    your pack holdings as soon as you ept my rejection."


    I heard Tyler breathing on his side of the line; I knew I had struck a nerve by reminding him of the


    hanging rejection.


    "You''re certain you want this rejection?"


    For a moment, I wanted to ask him why I wouldn''t want a rejection from him after three years of misery.


    "I am."


    Tyler said, "Fine. Tomorrow morning. 11 AM sharp at the garden of Our Blessed Goddess."


    I wasn''t surprised he hung up before I could respond: Tyler was used to giving orders then having them


    obeyed. He didn''t ask permission for anything from anyone. He''d ordered me around our entire mating.


    The joke was on him because I was the one who wanted this order more than anything else.


    I was going to be free! I found myself smiling so hard it made my cheek hurt.


    "Damn you to Hell, Patrick. Why did you have to hit me so hard?"


    I was clearly cracking under the excitement if I was talking to myself. My face felt hot to the touch and I


    knew I''d have a bruise for a while until my healing factor kicked in.


    Be would loan me some concealer so no one would notice at work. I stood up to make my way to her


    apartment and everything went ck.

 #Chapter 12 Youre pregnant, Rachel

    #Chapter 12 You''re pregnant, Rachel


    Rachel POV


    Panic caused me to sit up as soon as I came back to consciousness. Everything was white and bright


    and confusing. I tossed the nkets off my body and swung my legs over the side of the bed.


    "What? Where am I? Hello?"


    White curtains parted before me as a woman in a nurse''s uniform came rushing to my side.


    "Hey, there," she soothed, "No need to worry! You''re here at Saint Mary''s Hospital. A good Samaritan


    saw you on the ground in the park. He called 9-1-1. How do you feel?"


    She rubbed my back as sheforted me. Her voice was friendly, calm, and so truly kind I never


    wanted her to go away. Kindness wasn''t something I received often.


    "I feel dizzy. What''s wrong with me?"


    I had been a lot of things in my life, but physically I had always been in good health. I was a strong wolf


    even if I was mostly long limbs and lean muscle. I was rarely sick even as a child.


    "Well, Rachel, can I call you Rachel? We got your name off the ID you had with you in your bag. I''m


    Nurse Betty. Do you feel okay to talk?"


    Nodding, I raised a hand to my face where I felt the fading bruise from my father''s hand. I winced as I


    realized she probably thought I was an abused woman. What else should she think?


    "Rachel is fine, Nurse Betty. Can you fill me in on---whatever I''ve missed?"


    Nurse Betty sat beside me on the bed and patted my thigh before turning to face me. I started to feel


    nervous at how serious she looked. Was I really sick? Had something been building up inside me


    without my knowledge?


    Cancer affected werewolves very rarely, but it did happen. What kind of irony would it be if I escaped


    my horrible mating only to die soon after?


    "Don''t look so grim! We initially treated you as a Jane Doe until your purse went through the nursing


    aides for cataloguing. You''ve been here since yesterday afternoon. Do you remember yesterday?"


    "I had an altercation. With my father. I went to the park. I remember being in the park, but I don''t


    remember an ambnce or being brought here."


    Betty smiled apologetically, "You were very out of it when you came in. Your blood pressure and blood


    sugar levels were all over the ce. I took over your care at 7 AM this morning. This is the first time


    you''ve been awake since your arrival."


    That was somehowforting. I didn''t have gaps in my memory because I remembered everything


    until I''d lost consciousness, but why had I fainted?


    "Why did I faint? Did my father hit me that hard?"


    "No," the nurse shook her head, "We did a head CT to clear you of any brain damage. It was purely


    your blood levels. You''re going to need to be much more careful in the future or you and your baby are


    not going to make it through this pregnancy. Do you understand?"


    "Baby? What baby?"


    "I was afraid of that. You''re pregnant, Rachel. Probably not more than a few weeks. Honey, are you


    being abused? We can offer you help."


    A cold chill washed over me from my scalp all the way down to my toes. I flexed my feet as I realized I


    was barefoot. I hoped they''d kept my shoes because I only had the one pair suitable for work.


    "Rachel?"


    Shock.


    I was in shock.


    "What?" I asked, my lips numb and tingling.


    Tyler and I hadst had sex a few weeks ago. We used protection every time. I had wanted children as


    soon as I realized I was with my fated mate. I''d wanted a big family.


    "Is someone hurting you? The father of this baby maybe? You have options. You may not think you do,


    but there''s help avable if you need it."


    Tyler had never wanted children because he believed children in Alpha households were only used as


    bartering chips. Starting a family was one of the only things he''d ever discussed with me in depth.


    "No, I''m separated from the father. Wait! Wait! What time is it? I''ve been here overnight?"


    Panic shocked me back into motion. I was supposed to meet Tyler at the Moon Goddess shrine in the


    garden of Our Blessed Goddess.


    The tile was cold under my feet. I flung the curtains back from around the hospital bed and stared at


    the bright suning through the window with horror. There was no way I wasn''tte.


    "It''s a little after noon. Rachel, you need to sit back down."


    "No, I do not! I need to leave. I need to use a phone first and then I need to leave. Where is my phone?


    My shoes? Please bring me my things."


    Nurse Betty wasn''t to me for my predicament. I didn''t want to snap at her. I only wanted to get out of


    this hospital as fast as possible so I could meet up with Tyler to sever our mate bond before he learned


    of my pregnancy.


    I wasn''t sure how I felt about the idea of carrying his baby. All I knew was I didn''t want to give him any


    further reason to dy our separation.


    I was not spending any more time being mated to him! I was going to be free!


    "I''ll get your things. First let me do a quick checkup, okay? I''ll help you get out of here if you need to


    leave. I just want to make sure you''re leaving because you want to leave and not because you''re


    afraid."


    "I am not afraid of anything except rescheduling the meeting I missed this morning," I admitted, "Other


    than being pregnant, I''m fine, right?"


    "Yes," Nurse Betty agreed, looking concerned as she made her way out to the hall, "You''re fit as a


    fiddle."


    "Then get my belongings. I need to leave. Now."


    Leaving the hospital took almost an hour in total. I''d been worn down into agreeing to meet with a high-


    risk OB/GYN for a full physicalter in the day because of my blood levels.


    By the time I was wheeled to the entrance to meet my rideshare, I was aplete emotional wreck.


    I waited only until the car door was closed to pull out my phone to call Tyler.


    "Oh, Rachel. So good of you to call," Jenny said as she answered Tyler''s phone.


    I stared straight ahead with a million thoughts going through my mind at once. I had to be careful. I


    couldn''t let her get to me. Tyler had to think nothing was wrong so he would meet me toplete the


    rejection ceremony.


    "Jenny, lovely to hear your voice! Is Tyler avable?"


    "He was avable this morning!" Jenny cooed,ughter coloring her tone, "He''s not avable now."


    I hung up before she could say anything else.


    Jenny could make me angry. I knew she could. I wasn''t afraid of her. I wasn''t even angry Tyler had


    sought out herpany after I missed our rejection ceremony. Tyler could have his other women. He


    just needed to reject me!


    "Hello, driver, could you please take me to this address instead?"


    I gave the rideshare driver Be''s apartment address rather than the garden. I knew I would wind up


    waiting alone at the shrine until I could get Tyler to agree to meet me again.


    All the hospital staff had been adamant I understand I needed to take care of myself while pregnant. I


    hadn''t eaten anything. I would go back to Be, eat something, drink some water, and hopefully have


    my best friend help me figure out what to do next.


    I gave the driver some cash from my wallet. I didn''t count it. I hoped it was a decent tip, but at least the


    rideshare app paid them automatically.


    "Rachel?" Be called as I opened the door with my key.


    "Be! Oh Goddess, I''m so d to see you!"


    "What happened to you? Tyler called and I didn''t know what to tell him. I said you would call him back."


    "I passed out at the park yesterday. They brought me to the hospital via ambnce and I just woke up


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    today a little after noon. It took forever to get them to let me go. You''d never believe all the---"


    "Rachel! What happened? Why were you in the hospital?"


    Be rushed to me and ced her hand on my forehead before gently touching my cheek. I knew the


    bruise there was almost gone -werewolves heal faster than humans- but it was an ugly color without


    any makeup to cover it.


    "I''m not sick. The bruise is from Patrick. He wanted money from Tyler. I told him he couldn''t have any. I


    told Tyler''s beta to let the police have him. Then he hit me. Patrick. Not Adam."


    Be scrunched up her face in confusion as she took my hands to lead me to the couch.


    "You passed out after you got hit? Why did you pass out?"


    I sat beside Be on the couch and faced her. She looked so worried I couldn''t help smiling.


    "Oh, it''s not a big deal. I''m just pregnant!"

 #Chapter 13 I may not keep it

    #Chapter 13 I may not keep it


    Rachel POV


    "Oh, it''s not a big deal. I''m just pregnant!"


    "Pregnant! Blessed Goddess! Is it Tyler''s? Of course, it''s Tyler''s. Who else would it be? What are you


    going to do?"


    Be echoed every emotion I had felt myself in seconds. I couldn''t helpughing. I marveled again at


    how lucky I was to have her in my life.


    She was the best friend anyone could have asked for and I felt as if I could figure all this out with her at


    my side.


    "I have no idea. I have to see a high-risk doctor today. Baby doctor. Will you go with me?"


    "Rampaging lycans couldn''t stop me! Why do you have to see a specialist?"


    "I was told it was because of having lost consciousness. Something about my blood? I''m sure if Tyler


    were to find out, he would me it on my omega bloodline."


    I couldn''t help the bitterness in my tone.


    Tyler had said he didn''t want children but a small part of me wondered if it wasn''t more he hadn''t


    wanted children with me.


    Our entire mating was soured by his father''s disappointment I came from an omega bloodline as much


    as from my own lie.


    John Wright, Tyler''s father, hated his son had not been paired with a higher-ranking mate. In his


    opinion, House Wright deserved better than me.


    "That sounds like your father-inw talking. You know there''s no proof omegas have weak blood."


    Be rolled her eyes and snorted. I grinned at her for bringing me out of my negative thoughts.


    "I know. I''m not sure what I want to do right now. I suppose I want to see what the specialist says. I may


    not keep it."


    "Really?"


    Be looked shocked; I didn''t me her. We had always talked about having children together. She


    was excited by the idea of having a family with her mate the way I had been when I''d found mine.


    Nodding, I admitted, "I''m not in the best position to be a single mom. What if I need a lot of medical


    care? Or if I can''t work while I''m pregnant? And when it gets here, how will I work and care for a baby


    by myself? It''s---a lot to think about."


    "It is," Be agreed, worry coloring her tone, "But I have a hard time imagining you choosing to have an


    abortion. You''ve wanted a baby of your own forever. I just don''t want you to make a decision you''ll


    regret. We could find help for you. Lots of single women have babies, right?"


    "I guess," I shrugged as my thoughts turned back to Tyler and pointed out, "I would also have to deal


    with Tyler. He would find out about the baby eventually and then what? Do you think he''d leave us


    alone?"


    Be continued to look worried but didn''t say anything.


    Herck of response was more of an answer than any she could have given. Tyler Wright was a


    stubborn Alpha and we both knew it. In our world, the higher-ranking parent had the most rights to the


    child.


    Tyler could take my baby if he chose since he was an Alpha and I wasn''t. Packw was on his side, not


    mine.


    I wouldn''t even have the option of appealing in a human court because we had never married.


    "I don''t know what I would do if I had this baby and Tyler took him or her away from me."


    "Would you rather the baby wasn''t born at all? Your baby would be so loved."


    "By me," I pointed out.


    "And me! And my family! We''re here for you too, Rachel. Don''t think you''re alone just because of Tyler."


    My eyes drifted to Be''s mate mark again. I wished I had her life: a mate who loved me, a supportive


    family, and a promising career in the field I loved. If I were Be, I''d definitely keep my baby.


    "How about you go shower and change your clothes. I''ll call work to let them know you need a few


    days off, okay?"


    I nodded my agreement as I went to freshen up. I wanted to feel clean after spending overnight in the


    hospital in the same outfit.


    I chose a simple dress and pulled my hair into a ponytail. I''d never been to a specialist doctor for


    anything. I figured I couldn''t go wrong with ssic styles.


    Checking the time, I took a deep breath and retrieved my phone to call Tyler again. It rang a few times


    before being picked up only there was no answer on the other side of the line.


    "Hello? Tyler?"


    "Who else would it be?" Tyler growled at me.


    I didn''t bother mentioning Jenny had picked up my earlier call. He hated having his time wasted and he


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    was in a foul mood. I bet he wanted to kill me for missing our appointment.


    "I just thought someone else might be answering your calls. You might be busy, I mean."


    "I am busy," Tyler snapped, "Unlike you, some of us have obligations to keep and the integrity to keep


    them."


    I winced. I knew he''d be angry. I hated I couldn''t argue with him or exin without giving him


    ammunition against me to prevent finishing our rejection ceremony.


    "I am truly sorry I missed our meeting. Something came up I couldn''t skip."


    What else could I say? I couldn''t tell him I was unconscious in the hospital due to pregnancy


    Tyler didn''t bother to reply.


    "Tyler, I swear I will meet you tomorrow any time you like. I will go to the garden of Our Blessed


    Goddess first thing tomorrow morning and wait there all day for you to finish the rejection ceremony."


    Tyler made a rude noise, "I just bet you will. All you can think about is this rejection yet when I go to


    give it to you, you don''t bother to show up. Go to the garden then and wait. I''ll see if I can make time to


    meet you."


    "Tomorrow, right?" I prompted.


    "Tomorrow. If I can make time. I''m a busy man."


    Tyler hung up before I could say anything else. I stared at my phone and wished Tyler had greeted me


    with any affection at all.


    Squaring my shoulders, I practiced smiling in the mirror before going out to meet Be in the front


    room.


    "We better go ahead and call a ride. Are you sure you want to go with me to the appointment?"


    Be hugged me spontaneously, nearly squeezing the life out of me! Iughed as I hugged her back.


    "I guess you do want to go, huh?"


    "I love you so much, Rachel. Everything is going to be alright."


    I gathered up my own enthusiasm for the appointment. I had spent enough of my life feeling sorry for


    myself or being miserable. Now I was a free woman, I was going to enjoy all the adventures life had in


    store for me.


    We made it to the appointment a little early; I was grateful Be called off work to go with me. There


    weren''t any single women in the doctor''s office. Everyone had a partner at their side.


    The doctor asked routine questions before offering, "All yourb results show you''re going to be fine as


    long as you take it easy. What kind of employment do you have? What''s your profession?"


    "I work at a restaurant. I y the piano as the apanist to the singer."


    "Good, good. You''re not on your feet all day, right? You''re not turning cartwheels while ying or


    juggling ming swords?"


    "No," Iughed, "I''m on a bench the whole time. No cartwheels or ming swords involved."


    "I will say you need to keep to a schedule. Eat on time. Drink plenty of fluids. Sleep regrly.


    Pregnancy isn''t easy on the body even if you are a very strong wolf, Rachel."


    "I''ll make sure she sticks to the schedule," Be stated confidently.


    Being a single mother was not how I had imagined my life after rejecting my Alpha mate. I squeezed


    Be''s hand before turning toward the doctor again.


    I had to ask the question. I needed to know the answer to make an informed decision.


    "What if I don''t want to keep this baby?"


    The doctor looked surprised, but carefully got his features back under control.


    "You''re still early enough in your pregnancy for abortion to be an option. I would suggest you discuss it


    with the baby''s father first, but the decision is yours alone to make."


    "How long do I have to decide?"


    The doctor looked at the bruise which was almost gone from my face and his eyes seemed to soften


    toward me.


    "A few weeks at most. Wolves have pregnancies the same length of time as humans, but a wolfen


    pregnancy can be harder to terminate. The fetus develops features faster even though it doesn''t reach


    maturity any earlier."


    The idea of the baby developing features had me cupping my free hand over my belly.


    I was still slim with no indication of pregnancy showing. How long would I be able to keep this secret?


    "Rachel, I don''t know your circumstances. I do know you''re young and healthy. You should be able to


    have more children if you choose not to carry this one to term. However. I do urge you to reach out to


    the father or to any family support you have before you make your decision."


    I thanked the doctor and let Be make my follow-up appointment arrangements while I made my way


    out of the office.


    Would Tyler want this baby if I told him about it? Did I care if he wanted the baby?


    I sent a text to Tyler saying, "I will meet you tomorrow for the rejection."


    His reply was simple and to the point: "I won''t be there. Unlike you, I''m very busy."


    Did that mean he was too busy for a child, too?

 #Chapter 14 I was a problem solver

    #Chapter 14 I was a problem solver


    Tyler''s POV


    Letting out a shout of rage, Iunched my phone at the wall where it shattered into pieces. I clenched


    and unclenched my fists at my sides repeatedly.


    I really wanted to punch someone.


    "I''ll get started on recing your phone. Let me guess! Rachel?"


    "Adam? If you don''t want me to beat you like I own you, you''ll shut up."


    Adam snickered, "Technically, you do own me. I sworeplete allegiance to you at my Beta


    ceremony. Remember?"


    Yes. I remembered.


    I remembered everything all the time which was most of my problem.


    I couldn''t forgive Rachel for lying to me. Every time we were together all I could think about was how


    she''d lied to me for money.


    Her father being a worthless gambling addict didn''t help her cause either.


    Every single time Patrick showed up? I had to write a check. I deliberately chose not to keep track of


    the debts I paid off for him so I wouldn''t put a price on his head.


    "Why is she so insistent about this rejection ceremony? What could she possibly get from me? Mate


    benefits only get paid out based on a death."


    Adam stood from cleaning up the broken pieces of my phone. He looked as if he wanted to say


    something. I sighed before waving at him.


    "Go ahead. Say whatever you have to say."


    "At the risk of getting thrown against the wall, I don''t think Rachel wants any benefits at all. She doesn''t


    care about your money."


    "Don''t be ridiculous. Everyone cares about my money."


    My entire world revolved around money and power.


    House Wright had moved up in the world of both wolves and man by conquering the entertainment


    industry to the tune of over a billion dors. Moonrise Entertainment held contracts over too many


    agents.


    My earliest memories were of sitting at my father''s side in his boardroom while he lorded over his


    subordinates.


    I knew how to close a deal before I learned how to drive a car---I had more experience closing deals


    than driving,e to that.


    "I don''t think so, man. She told her dad off yesterday."


    I had seen some of the footage from Patrick''s temper tantrum in the lobby. I had stopped watching as


    soon as Rachel appeared on camera.


    Seeing her upset my wolf too much to risk watching her.


    Wynd only knew he wanted his mate, Rayne, back at his side. He didn''t care if Rachel and I got along


    or not. Life was a lot simpler to my wolf. I wished I could see things the way he did.


    "What? Exin."


    Adam shrugged, "Not much to exin. Her old man was running his mouth about how he was owed by


    you and how you better pay up. She told him your money was yours and you didn''t owe him shit."


    "I somehow doubt Rachel told her father I ''don''t owe him shit.'' What did she actually say?"


    "No, really, she said something like it was your money. It wasn''t her money or his money. She was


    adamant about it."


    Adam tended to be more colorful with hisnguage than any of my other immediate staff. I liked him for


    his honesty. He looked troubled; I wanted to know what he was holding back more than I wanted my


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    next breath.


    "What aren''t you telling me?"


    "He, uh," Adam rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away from me to finish, "He pped the Hell


    out of her. He hit her hard enough to leave bruises."


    Wynd roared in my mind and my vision went dark for a terrifying moment before I regained control of


    my body. I brought myself back under control only to find I had flipped my desk and thrown everything


    close to me not nailed down.


    Adam looked at me from where he was seeking cover behind the bar. I worked on controlling my


    breathing while I listened to my wolf tear me down inside.


    ''You couldn''t even protect her! She is our mate! No wonder she wants to leave you! That omega scum


    should die for touching her!''


    Rubbing my temples, I ground my teeth together, "I need to know what happened. Exactly."


    "He wanted money. She said it was your money and he couldn''t have it. He hit her. I caught her before


    she hit the floor. She told me to call the cops. I had him arrested since she said to treat him like he was


    anyone off the street. She left. That''s it."


    "That''s it? He just beat my mate in front of my beta and you did nothing to stop him and that''s it?"


    "He pped her before I could react! If he''d gone at her again, I would have stopped him. Don''t me


    me for not being psychic! How was I supposed to know he''d hit his own daughter in front of a lobby full


    of people?"


    I growled at him, "You were supposed to anticipate anything from that worthless piece of wolfen trash!"


    "I am not feeding into your need for a fight. We''ll both wind up injured and I''ll wind up pissed off for a


    long time because you''re too much of a control freak to apologize afterwards."


    Adam knew me too well.


    We had been friends since we were children. His father was one of my father''s Betas. No one was


    surprised when I named him as my main Beta.


    I had surprised the pack when I hadn''t listed out more soldiers to take a Beta role.


    Giving some duties to Adam was hard enough for me; I knew I couldn''t delegate enough to need more


    Betas. I was a control freak that way.


    "Help me with this desk."


    I didn''t really need help with the desk, but it was as close as I coulde to admit I was wrong to snap


    at Adam. He took the offer as the olive branch it was designed to be and helped me right my furniture.


    "Some of this will need to be reced. What time are you meeting Rachel tomorrow? We might be able


    to go furniture shopping before or after. Take your mind off the ceremony."


    "I''m not meeting Rachel tomorrow."


    Adam quirked a brow at me, "You aren''t? Why, pray tell, are you not meeting her for the rejection


    ceremony you agreed to today?"


    Rachel had been given a chance at rejection and missed it. My wolf yearned for hers with a passion so


    intense it was causing me to have a migraine.


    I had no idea how she was able to stand it, but, then again, Rachel had alreadypleted her side of


    the rejection.


    "I''m a busy man."


    "You''re not that busy."


    "I will be tomorrow. Like you said. I have to buy furniture."


    Adam paused to think about what he was going to say next. I could practically see the gears in his


    head spinning. He was careful when he responded.


    I don''t know if he was afraid I would lose control to my wolf again or afraid I would keep control and


    start a fight with him anyway.


    "Have you considered Rachel might just want you to show her you care?"


    My brows drew together as I tried to understand his logic.


    "What do you mean? How does agreeing to a rejection ceremony show I care about her?"


    Adam straightened a chair then sat in it, "She might not want the rejection at all. When was thest


    time you were nice to her? Bought her flowers? Took her out on a date? Literally showed her you


    cared?"


    The answer was ''never'' and we both knew it.


    Rachel and I had never been on what would be considered ''a date.''


    I met her when I was at LUST for the night. I had drank too much to drive home so the club owner had


    offered me a room upstairs. She''d been something out of a dream when she''de into my room and


    shifted into my beautiful, naked mate right on my floor.


    Rachel had run from me after our one night together.


    A need for money had brought her back to me and the check I''d written to buy her brother''s freedom


    had sold any tenderness I might have felt for her.


    "That sounds ridiculous."


    "Women can be ridiculous. To us. It makes sense to them," Adam shrugged, "What have you got to


    lose? She''s already rejected you. If you don''t want to reject her, be nice to her."


    The idea of being nice to Rachel was ludicrous to me.


    I snorted, "She wishes. Find out about Patrick''s debt. Pay it. Make sure he knows this is thest time


    and Adam? Make sure he knows he is to never, I mean ever, put his hands on Rachel again."


    Adam gave me a grin, "With pleasure."


    Wynd mored in my head for attention, ''It isn''t enough! Find him! Let me tear him to pieces! She''s our


    mate to protect!''


    I closed my eyes as I silently told my wolf, ''She says she doesn''t want to be ours. We have to find out


    why.''


    I would set Adam to checking up on Rachel after refurnishing my office.


    I''d see if she was serious about her ridiculous insistence on a rejection ceremony or if my Beta was


    right and she only wanted some sort of sign of affection.


    Rachel was a problem right now, but I was a problem solver. I''d figure her out and things would go back


    to normal.

 #Chapter 15 Love At The First Sight

    #Chapter 15 Love At The First Sight


    Rachel POV


    The Next Night ¨C 8 PM


    Tyler had been true to his word and never shown up at the garden for the rejection ceremony. I had sat


    there for the entire day until time for work. I kept thinking he might be testing me.


    I should have known he would do exactly as he said.


    Tyler Wright was a man of his word if nothing else.


    Be had tried to convince me to take several days off work. I was having dizzy spells if I stood too


    quickly and I often felt nauseated though I had yet to begin having any vomiting.


    The obstetrician had suggested I eat small portions many times a day to keep my blood sugar up. He


    had also said to drink fluids regrly as well as to stay off my feet.


    I knew I wasn''t far enough along with my pregnancy to have swelling yet, but I did notice my feet more.


    I felt clumsy in a way I had never been in my life.


    Oddly enough, I still found I wanted to dance throughout my day. I loved the idea of being a mother.


    If I were to have this baby? I would love him or her with all my heart.


    While waiting on Tyler to show up at the garden, I hadposed more music to pass my time. I''d


    added lyrics to a song and found myself surprised I was writing about being in love.


    I thought I had forgotten how it felt to be in love after three years of being despised by my mate, but my


    heart was warmed by memories of my first love, Nathan Lewis.


    Nathan had called Be''s apartment again though I had been in the shower at the time. I wished I had


    gotten to speak with him. Be had taken his number down for me.


    Calling Nathan felt possible as I was humming my own love song while sorting the music on the stand.


    I wondered where the singer had gotten off to, but my boss showed up in a panic.


    "Rachel," Roy asked, breathless for unknown reasons, "Can you sing? Please tell me you can sing as


    well as you y the piano."


    "I can sing. I took vocal lessons as part of my studies to get my music degree. What''s happened?"


    "The singer is sick. She''s been feeling off all through the set and she just totally lost it backstage. I


    need a love song. Do you know one?"


    Love songs were the mostmon kind of music aside from religious hymns.


    I rifled through my memory for my favorites, already preparing to y a piano bad the audience


    would recognize. Those did well in the restaurant.


    "What kind of love song? Does it matter?"


    "Table Six is having a proposal. The groom-to-be paid a deposit to make sure we yed something


    romantic and sweet. He wants his girl to say ''yes'', you know?"


    I actually didn''t know.


    No one had ever asked me to marry them.


    Nathan Lewis and I had been in love in high school.


    We had joked about having a family together. A dozen children. A house with a white picket fence. Two


    dogs so they could y with each other when everyone was busy.


    I remembered dreaming about a marriage proposal from him even though I knew he wasn''t my fated


    mate.


    "How would you feel about me ying one of my original pieces? I put words to it today and I think it


    would work for a proposal."


    Roy nodded vigorously, "Absolutely! A Rachel Original! I love it. I''m sure they''re going to love it. Let me


    get the guys to move the mic over here and send the spotlight over you. You''re fine with performing,


    right? No stage fright?"


    Iughed and shook my head, "No. I don''t have stage fright. I often had to perform for entire concert


    halls as part of my degree."


    Recitals had never made me ufortable. Music was as natural as breathing to me. I enjoyed


    sharing my craft with others.


    Staff moved the spotlight to shine down on me from above, illuminating me in a warm glow. I


    straightened on the bench automatically in reaction.


    Roy himself moved the microphone to where it was angled down to allow me to sing into it while


    ying the piano.


    "Hello, Blue Diamond," I greeted my audience, beginning to y the opening melody to my song, "I


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    wrote this song about falling in love and I want to share it with you tonight. The name is ''Love at the


    First Sight'' and I do hope it reminds you of your first loves, too."


    As I sang ''Love at the First Sight,'' I closed my eyes to better feel the mood of the music. I poured all my


    love into every word while letting my passion empower my ying.


    The sounds of the restaurant faded away as I got lost in the song. I let my final bars trail off into silence


    for the span of several heartbeats before apuse burst out from every table in the dining hall.


    Blushing, I said, "Thank you, everyone. I''m d you were all able to feel the love tonight. Speaking of


    love, I believe there''s a gentleman at table six who would now like to borrow our attention for his love."


    I gestured to the table and the spotlight operator swung it away from me obediently.


    The gentleman who stood up from the table appeared close to my age. He was in a nice, crisp suit


    which he straightened before going down on one knee before the lovely brte sharing his table.


    I cried a few tears of joy alongside the bride-to-be as she joyfully epted his proposal.


    Both of their hands were shaking as he gave her his ring. The diamond solitaire was stunning under the


    lights. I pped along with everyone else when the two shared a lovely kiss.


    I hoped, in that moment, I would one day experience the kind of love they shared---the kind of love I''d


    found myself singing about.


    Everything went smoothly for the rest of the night. The only difference from any other shift I''d had in the


    restaurant was I switched from piano apaniment to piano entertainer for the duration of the


    evening.


    I stood up from the bench as my final set finished only to have to sit right back down.


    Dizziness washed over me; I remembered it had been a longer time than suggested since Ist ate


    anything or had any water.


    "Are you alright?"


    Turning to my right, I saw an older gentleman approaching me, "I just need a ss of water. I let the


    music take over tonight. One of the pitfalls of being the main act instead of just the backup music."


    We shared a chuckle as he waved one of the waitresses over. He whispered to her for a moment and


    she disappeared. I figured she was going to bring me the water I''d asked for and thanked him in


    advance.


    "No, no, thank you for performing tonight. I''m Howard. Cecilia, the singer tonight, is one of my acts. I''m


    a producer for Camelot Records. Are you looking for representation?"


    I sucked in a breath as I recognized the name. Camelot Records was a very well-known music


    production firm. Getting an offer from one of their agents was a dreame true.


    "I haven''t thought about it, sir."


    The waitress brought me the ss of water and I used it as an excuse to get myself back under


    control.


    "What are you offering exactly?"


    "I''m offering a meeting with our team to see if you would be a good fit for our group. We''re always on


    the lookout for new talent and ''Love at the First Sight'' had the audience all moved to tears. Hell, I cried


    a few myself!"


    My hand went to my belly as I realized I wasn''t only thinking about a future for myself.


    I hadn''t decided on the baby, but I had to consider there was the chance I would soon be a single


    mother who needed to provide a good life for an infant.


    Working with a famous music production firm would pay me much more than being a backup pianist in


    even a ssy restaurant like Blue Diamond.


    "I would love to meet with your firm, Howard. I''m Rachel, by the way. Rachel Flores."


    Howard handed me a card and told me he would be in touch to set up the time for the interview. He


    was kind enough to wait until I finished my water before heading back toward the bar area.


    I went to the kitchen to find Be, practically dancing all over again.


    My smile was beaming bright as I found her and grabbed her to spin around in a hug.


    "Guess what just happened?"


    "What? What?" Beughed.


    "I''ve got an interview with Camelot Records! They want to sign me!"


    Be cheered with me and we made ns to celebrate with some chocte cake.


    If I were to get signed, I could get my dream job as a full-time songwriter---and maybe earn enough to


    support myself and a baby.


    Could it be possible? Could I have two dreamse true?

 #Chapter 16 Singer, Songwriter, Star!

    #Chapter 16 Singer, Songwriter, Star!


    Rachel POV


    One Week Later


    "I think you really should let me put your hair up at least partially. In case, you know," Be mimed


    throwing up, "It has been happening a lottely."


    Iughed easily because she was right. Morning sickness was troubling me more than expected. I still


    had dizzy spells and was forced to keep a tight check on my diet, but my whole life had changed in a


    week.


    Joy was my constantpanion.


    "Go ahead! I''ll just sit here and pretend I''m at the salon."


    Sitting on the couch, I turned so Be could reach my hair. She and I were around the same size which


    hade in handy in the past when sharing clothes.


    Our mothers had joked we only became friends to double our wardrobes.


    I missed my mother terribly. Tears prickled my eyes and I sniffed at the sudden realization my mother


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    would never see my child.


    "Seriously? You''re crying? You''re going to give Salon Be a bad name! Stop right this instant!"


    "The hormones are getting to me! Salon Be is providing excellent service. Does the salon offer


    cosmetic assistance too?"


    I really didn''t want to go do my makeup. Standing in the bathroom for any length of time made me feel


    ill. My suspicion was the room had poor airflow with only a small window which didn''t open.


    Be tugged my hair gently, "Needy much? You''re lucky you''re my favorite customer. Plus, I do not


    want you going on camera looking like a ghost."


    I grinned, "I know, right? I didn''t think it was possible for me to look so white. I was born with a natural


    golden tan!"


    All the morning sickness inbination with the problems I was experiencing with my blood pressure


    caused me to look pale, almost ashen, all the time. Fatigue wore on me often, but I worked my way


    through it by focusing on the positives in my life.


    Of which there were many!


    "I can''t believe they''re doing a press conference."


    "I can''t believe it''s taken this long for you to realize you''re a superstar!" Be cheered as she fetched


    her cosmetic bag from the bathroom, "Did you check the numbers on YouTube recently? You''ve gone


    over 100 million views on the proposal video!"


    "I haven''t checked. I don''t want to let it go to my head!"


    Iughed, but I was telling the truth about trying to avoid bing too impressed with myself. My


    natural confidence had returned in full force since I''d rejected Tyler. Living with Be allowed me a


    freedom of expression I had lost for the full three years of my mating.


    I felt slight guilt Be was dying moving in with her mate, Jack, but they were both being supportive


    of me above their own needs.


    "Enjoy it! Girl, you are on fire! me on!"


    Be was the world''s best cheerleader.


    I cheered alongside her as I thought on all those people listening to me sing.


    My performance at Blue Diamond had been magical for me because it hadn''t been nned. All I put


    out there was myself: only me and nothing else.


    Feeling epted, embraced, even adored by millions of people made me feel vindicated for every hour


    I''d spentposing music alone physically and mentally.


    My mate hadn''t wanted me. My father hadn''t wanted me. My first love had been taken from me by the


    cruelty of fate.


    Music had been my only outlet and finally I could prove to the world I was a true musician!


    "Do you think I should wear something more shy? I don''t look too fiery," I admitted.


    I had left my designer clothes with Tyler. My wardrobe was helped with Be''s due to her generosity of


    spirit, but I didn''t have anything I would consider attention-getting.


    Not for a press conference!


    My wolf, Rayne, stirred in my mind, offering to me, ''I think we should go with blue. Red is gawdy.''


    "Rayne says I should go with something blue. Do you have anything I could wear?"


    My simple dress was too boring by far. The press were looking for a woman who brought a whole


    restaurant to tears with her music. Showing up in a cotton sundress wasn''t captivating to anyone.


    "Rayne is right, as usual," Be agreed, stopping her work on my face, "I think I have something which


    will work! Give me a few minutes!"


    Be hurried to her bedroom closet while I picked up apact to look at the work she''d done on my


    face. I had more color with the concealer and foundation.


    I didn''t have to check the lipstick to know it would be a deep red, rich and bold.


    I wished I had someone to talk to about my sudden stardom.


    Be cheered me on as did her mate Jack. My brother had called me to tell me I was amazing after he


    watched my performance.


    Patrick, my father, hadn''t bothered to reach out at all. I knew he would onlye around after the


    press conference since he''d be sniffing after any hint of money I could offer him.


    "Tell me this isn''t perfect! I double-dog dare you!" Be crowed as she showed me a gown I''d never


    seen her wear before.


    She brought it to me to examine and I noticed the tags were still on it.


    Raising a brow, I asked, "Never found a reason to wear it yourself?"


    "Can you me me? It isn''t exactly the kind of thing I could wear out for coffee or for a bite at a diner


    with Jack."


    I was a little intimidated by the sleek satin sheath with its ultra-thin straps.


    Be was offering me a dress daring even by her standards---and I was going to wear it!


    "It''s perfect!"


    I was not going to cower in any corner any longer. My music had finally been noticed. I stood up and


    stripped, slipping the dress on only to realize I would have to forgo my bra.


    Fine! I would go without!


    I was a bold, daring woman whose music moved mountains and the hearts of my audience. I shimmied


    out of my undergarment, then smoothed my borrowed gown into ce.


    "This was made for you, Rachel. Absolutely made for you."


    Be sounded breathless. I called it a victory.


    "I think we should go meet my agent now."


    I straightened my spine, drew my shoulders back proudly, and made my way to the door. I could still


    enjoy walking in heels even if I did worry my stomach might rebel at some point.


    We wound up arriving at the auditorium of Camelot Records early enough to only be snapped a few


    times by the most ambitious paparazzi. Howard, who remained my agent, ushered us over to an area


    in the wings off the edge of the stage.


    Camelot Records did private audiences at their headquarters to promote new acts.


    I would be singing my song ''Love at the First Sight'' for the press before they were going to be allowed


    to interview me.


    "We have you a seat reserved upfront," Howard directed, pushing Be off to her ce and me


    towards the piano as if we had done this a thousand times before, "Go to Brent -Head of Security- and


    he''ll bring you back to the mixer afterward, Be."


    I hugged Be once, tight, before taking the stage with the gait of a woman walking toward her destiny.


    I wasn''t an unwanted fated mate. I wasn''t a pregnant woman facing raising a child alone. I wasn''t the


    sad, small woman I had let Tyler Wright turn me into for three years.


    As I settled on the piano bench before my audience, I was Rachel Flores: singer, songwriter, star!

 #Chapter 17 This is my song

    #Chapter 17 This is my song


    Tyler POV


    Camelot Records Auditorium


    "No wonder you''ve kept her hidden all these years! I wouldn''t want the world trying to steal my woman


    all the time either."


    Dn Roberts had been my best friend since we were boys. He was the youngest son of House


    Roberts who were the Alpha House of New Moon Pack. My father had wanted me to have strong


    friends; all the boys put into my orbit growing up had been potential new Alpha leaders or betas at


    least.


    The merit of a friendship was judged based on how useful the friendship could prove to be in the future


    as far as Alpha John Wright was concerned.


    I doubted my father had ever had a conversation without first weighing whether or not he could benefit


    from the exchange of words.


    "Thanks for letting me sign her. I gotta admit I was surprised you agreed to it with the travel involved in


    her tour package, but it''s a very generous---"


    "Travel?"


    Dn looked at me with a short bark ofughter, "Tyler, have you heard anything I''ve said? We signed


    your wifest week with one of the most ambitious tour schedules in years. People are hungry for


    exactly the intimate performance experience Rachel delivers and she does deliver every single time,


    man! She''s a natural!"


    ''Silence!''


    I closed my eyes in frustration as I ground my teeth together. My wolf was getting away from me again.


    Wynd hadpletely taken over to snap at Dn.


    "I apologize, Dn. Wynd is not keen on the attention Rachel is getting. He''d also like it noted she is


    our mate, not our wife."


    "Understandable," Dn agreed cautiously, edging back toward the stage as he eyed me, "I''m going to


    go check in with the team. Make sure everything is ready to go."


    I let him run while he could. Wynd radiated a smug aura in my mind which I couldn''t fault him for as he


    was a strong Alpha. Wynd had not been the one to lose our mate: I shouldered the me alone for


    Rachel''s absence.


    ''Damn right you do. It''s your ce to get her back, too!''


    ''Do you have any suggestions for returning her?'' I asked my wolf, feeling a fool for having a


    conversation with myself in public even if it were entirely confined to my mind.


    ''Why would I have any idea how to get your mate back? My mate didn''t leave me. Your mate left you!''


    Wynd had a point.


    Rayne had gone with Rachel the way Wynd would always have to go with me. Our wolves were


    trapped inside us as much as we were trapped with our wolves. I sometimes envied the silence


    humans must enjoy inside the sanctity of their private minds. I knew the quiet wouldn''t be worth the


    tradeoff though.


    Humans were an overall weak race and I had not been bred to tolerate weakness.


    Dn had not returned in some time and the stage remained empty. I was growing more restless than


    the reporters. Unsurprising, I supposed, as reporters were regrly expected to wait while I waited for


    no one.


    Moonrise Entertainment handled many press conferences every single week. I was annoyed over the


    extensive dy in presenting the talent.


    I told myself I was frustrated by theck of professionalism, but Wynd gave a snort inside my mind to


    prove he knew my irritation was fueled solely by my impatience toy eyes on my mate again.


    Dn was shaking hands with an older man by the wings. I couldn''t see Rachel. My view was


    obstructed as my stepsister Charlotte made her way in front of me.


    "Tyler! You have to meet Nathan Lewis. He''s Alpha heir to Full Moon Pack. He says he knows Rachel!"


    I didn''t care if Nathan Lewis knew the location of the Holy Grail, the Fountain of Youth, and Osama Bin


    Laden''s weapons cache. If he kept blocking my view of my mate, I was going to kill him.


    Holding his hands up jokingly, Nathan offered, "Easy, big fe. I''m only here as a friend. I promise I will


    leave your little sister in the same piece I found her in."


    "I don''t give a damn how you leave Charlotte. She''s capable of handling her own affairs."


    Charlotte had never needed a male to take care of her. She wasn''t delicate the way Rachel had always


    been. I suppose my father was lucky in his daughter because I''d never been responsible for protecting


    my sister.


    "Ouch. Char, you sure big brother has your best interests at heart?"


    "Don''t worry about Tyler. He''s all bark and no bite."


    I had plenty to say about her description, but, right then, Rachel appeared on the stage and the world


    fell away.


    A slip of blue silk whispered over her body, molding itself to her curves and moving as smooth as water


    being poured into a ss. Her skin glowed with health. She''d paired a set of red stilettos with the dress


    for a pop of color; I couldn''t stop staring at how long and strong her legs looked.


    Apuse sounded throughout the audience as she settled on the piano bench.


    Dn returned to my side and bumped my shoulder with his own, "She''s a real showstopper, right?"


    Rachel had a natural maism to her. I''d thought it was a sign of inheriting her grifter father''s thieving


    ways, but there was almost no deception in Rachel at all.


    She didn''t even tell polite lies gracefully so she''d mastered the art of creative omission.


    I had been the reason she''d needed to learn the skill. I wasn''t proud of how I had treated her. I wasn''t


    ashamed of it either.


    Rachel had been cared for from the first moment she had entered my life. I could have done better, but


    she could have done worse as well.


    "Stop growling, would you? You''re going to ruin the atmosphere."


    I mped down on my emotions, forcing Wynd back to the farthest reaches of my consciousness as


    Rachel began to y.


    Closing my eyes, I let myself feel the music. Her voice was a gentle breeze on a hot summer day. The


    piano was rain sprinkling down in spring.


    My wolf preferred to sleep with his mate at his side; I had indulged my nature by ying the YouTube


    video of Rachel singing "Love at the First Sight" as I readied myself for sleep at night.


    With my eyes closed, I could remember the exact moment I had firstid eyes on her in LUST.


    I knew this song was about her love for me.


    "I can''t believe it! You really like this one!" Dn chortled in my ear.


    "This is my song," I told him confidently, "Rachel is singing about the first time we met. I can tell."


    Dn was grinning from ear to ear as I opened my eyes at the end of the song. The audience went


    crazy. They loved Rachel! She was a star.


    My father was going to have plenty to say to me about not handling her contract myself. Who knew


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    what was included in the fine print?


    Dn wouldn''t try to take advantage of my mate out of malice, but there were business standards in


    entertainment which were epted practice to try to arrange for the good of the productionpany.


    Dn and I were the best of friends---yet friendship did have limits within the business realm.


    He was going to try to do right for Camelot Records the way I would always try to do my best for


    Moonrise Entertainment.


    "We''re going to start the interview now!"


    "Shh," I heard, looking over to find Nathan Lewis patting my sister Charlotte on the arm to try to settle


    her down to better hear the reporters up front.


    "Rachel Flores everyone! Rachel, I think the question on everyone''s mind has to be: what was the


    inspiration for Love at the First Sight? Have you felt love at first sight yourself? Are you singing from


    experience?"


    Rachel gave a throatyugh I hadn''t heard in far too long. She stood from the piano bench to share the


    standing mic with the famous announcer who represented Camelot Records in their press junkets,


    Carlton Joy.


    "I have, actually, felt love at first sight. This song was inspired by my own life. I consider myself blessed


    to have the memories."


    "So you''re not with your first love?"


    "I am currently single," Rachel allowed with a toothy grin which earned her some wild apuse.


    "You''ve gotta give us more," Carlton urged, "At least give us a little more of a peek behind the scenes,


    Rachel! Please?"


    Rachelughed again, "You surely aren''t interested in hearing this? Oh, okay! Okay! So, I was---"


    "Finishing high school," I murmured confidently.


    Dn raised a brow at me as Rachel finished.


    "---a freshman in high school---"


    Dn mimed being shot through the chest and I crossed my arms to avoid punching him. What did


    Rachel mean a freshman in high school? We hadn''t even met!


    "I had known his family all my life. I''d thought he was cute, but he had never noticed me. I got turned


    around in the halls, wound up in the wrong ss, and he offered to walk me back to piano---then he


    stayed for my lesson. Just to hear me y. I knew I would feel happy if I could just y for him for the


    rest of my life."


    I didn''t pay attention to the rest of the interview, instead I was focused on the flush on Nathan Lewis''s


    face and the fact he was paying far too much attention to my mate.


    The minute the interview was over, I shot to my feet: I was going to have words with Rachel!

 #Chapter 18 You owe me a conversation. Now!

    #Chapter 18 You owe me a conversation. Now!


    Rachel POV


    Camelot Records Auditorium


    I was going to vomit.


    "Rachel! I''m so proud of you! We had hundreds of thousands of viewers tuned in! They''re going crazy


    for your real life love story."


    Waving at Howard, I gestured to the restroom, "I''m so d. Please excuse me. I need to---"


    "Now you want to be excused? Why the urge now?"


    Stunned, I found myself unable to finish speaking. I hadn''t expected Tyler to be present for the press


    conference. Moonrise Entertainment did a lot of business with Camelot Records, but my contract would


    have been no interest to them as I was signed as a live act with recording contracts only.


    Moonrise dealt with performers whose work was in film or special productions they could sell out based


    on their limited engagement status.


    My tour schedule was going to keep me busy for the next two years. I wouldn''t be a raremodity


    anywhere except my own bed---which suited me fine as I didn''t even have a bed to call my own at


    present.


    "Aren''t you going to exin yourself?"


    "I don''t see what I have to exin, Tyler. Why do you care? Why are you even here?"


    "I can''te see my mate perform tricks for an audience? Everyone is wee except me?"


    I winced at his description. Some would think I felt as if I were being put on disy as a prized pet, but I


    saw this press conference as a chance to showcase my musical talent which I''d been forced to hide


    away for too long already.


    I was not going to be shamed into silence because Tyler Wright was hurt my life hadn''t ended when I


    rejected him.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Straightening my spine, I forced down my nausea to bite out, "I was told this press conference was to


    introduce me and my music to the world as Camelot Recordstest signed artist. They seem quite


    pleased with my tricks. If you''re unimpressed, you''re wee to leave. If you want to stay, you''re


    wee to do that, too. Give me my rejection and I won''t care who wees you where for the rest of


    your life."


    "You talk too much," Tyler said bitterly.


    He stopped looking at me; I was d for the reprieve because my nausea was touch-and-go. The


    pregnancy sickness had taken hold of me with a vengeance. I wasn''t safe from it based on time of day


    or type of meal I ate. All I could do was find a facility when the urge struck and clean myself up


    afterwards.


    "No, I didn''t talk enough. If I had, I would have told you I was leaving years ago to spare us both this


    moment. Excuse me."


    I desperately needed the restroom facility to ssh water on my face if nothing else. I could sometimes


    fight back the nausea if I cooled myself down quickly enough. Tyler would have to hold onto his


    offended sensibilities for a few moments while Iposed myself.


    "Go," Howard urged me, touching my elbow gently to catch my attention, giving a subtle nod to Tyler to


    let me know he would handle him for a few moments.


    I had no words for my gratitude so I hoped my relieved smile was enough. I didn''t hear what Howard


    was saying, my focus was on getting into the bathroom to cool down. I felt as if I were wearing a shroud


    rather than the delicate blue silk sheath Be had loaned me.


    Soaking paper towels under the cool water, I rubbed the back of my neck, my corbones, down into


    my decolletage. I chased away every hint of sweat with the cold, refreshing towels and gradually found


    my temperature going down along with the urge to be sick.


    "Don''t tell me you''re sick of fame already. I would think you''d be loving this as attention-starved as you


    are, but what do I know?"


    Charlotte Wright was thest person I wanted to talk with alone in thevatory. I finished refreshing


    myself then tossed the used towels before striding past her without a word. She dogged my footsteps


    which was fitting for a bitch of her caliber.


    "Ready for your adoring audience again, are you? Better hurry. They''ll forget your name if you''re gone


    too long."


    "I doubt that. My name is on all the signs, brochures, and the limited edition drives you can get a copy


    of my hit song on---if you''re with the press. I could ask my agent if he could get one for your personal


    use, Charlotte? If you''re feeling left out?"


    "I have an extra right here!"


    Howard held out a thumb drive with my name and new logo on it. He beamed at her with his best agent


    smile on disy; it was all teeth like a shiny-toothed shark just as an agent should be. I would have


    kissed him right on his bald head if Tyler hadn''t been right there.


    "You absolute bitch---"


    "Char! Wow, thenguage is a little much, don''t you think?"


    I was stunned into silence as I realized Nathan Lewis had stepped out of my teenage dreams into my


    reality. Charlotte Wright looked as if he''d pped her in the face. I wanted to hug his neck. Damn my


    ex-mate for lurking like a giant Alpha-hole.


    "Nathan," I said, "What are you doing here?"


    "I''m friends with Charlotte who I was under the impression was a friend of yours, but I''m questioning


    that assumption now."


    Charlotte Wright would have been invited as part of House Wright representing Moonrise Pack and


    their interests in the entertainment industry. She wouldn''t havee if not for Nathan. I didn''t need her


    to tell me as much.


    "I''m only trying to clue you in to the real Rachel. You do know she''s spent thest several years living


    off my brother''s good nature?"


    Nathan sent a confused nce toward Tyler who looked anything other than good-natured, "I can''t


    believe this is the first time we''ve met in person. We never seemed to be in the same ce at the same


    time before. Charlotte attended summer school with me while Rachel and I shared secondary school


    together during the regr terms. It seems Rachel still remembers me as fondly as I remember her,


    too."


    I found myself answering Nathan''s smile with my own. He''d always been able to get a smile out of me


    no matter how hard my day might have been. There were some people whose personalities were


    infectious and Nathan Lewis was one of those.


    I couldn''t believe my luck! He''d heard my interview! Live!


    Laughing, I shook my head, "Nathan Lewis, there is no woman on Earth who would ever be able to


    forget you. You are the kind of man who is unforgettable."


    "I must be missing something though because I think this might be the guy you left me for? The reason


    we didn''t make it to college together?"


    My smile faded the way my dreams had on those long ago nights.


    "She says she''s his mate," Charlotte said smugly.


    "Then she''s his mate," Nathan stated, "Char, you''re friends with some females who redefine the rules


    of the game, but Rachel never yed. I always knew if she found her fated mate, we would be over. I


    wondered, of course, but I respect her enough not to pry. You should show some respect yourself


    because what you are showing? Isn''t pretty."


    "Watch how you talk to my sister!" Tyler snapped.


    Naturally he wouldn''t defend me. The difference between Tyler and Nathan was as obvious as night-


    and-day for all they both were Alpha Heir to their respective houses.


    "You don''t care your sister watches how she talks to your mate?"


    "Former mate," I slid in smoothly, moving forward to ce myself between Howard and Nathan as I


    angled myself away from Tyler, "Tyler Wright and I are finalizing our rejection ceremony. After three


    years of trying, we havee to understand we are not suitable as mates regardless of the Moon


    Goddess'' intentions."


    Nathan raised his brows in surprise; I knew it was a shock for me toe right out and confess to a


    formal rejection rite. Fated mates were precious to all our kind and Nathan had known I was saving my


    virginity for my own as it was the only reason we had never been intimate.


    "Are you hoping for a second chance mate?"


    I found myself returning his grin again, "Maybe I am? I''ve done quite well with Love at the First Sight.


    Why couldn''t my next hit be Love at a Second nce?"


    "You can send a second nce my way anytime, Rachel Flores."


    "Maybe I will, Nathan Lewis. Maybe I just will."


    "Enough!" Tyler barked, grabbing my arm to drag me away from the group, "You owe me a


    conversation. Now!"

 #Chapter 19 What didnt I give you?

    #Chapter 19 What didn''t I give you?


    Rachel POV


    Outside Camelot Records Auditorium


    "Enough is right, Tyler! Stop!"


    I tugged as hard as I could against his towing grasp. My heels nearly snapped from the effort to hold


    me still as he tried to pull me inexorably onward to who-knew-where. I was tired of letting this male


    drag me through life.


    Tyler could say what he had to say and then let me go.


    We both had separate lives to lead. Enough time had been lost by both of us on this misery of a


    mating.


    "What do you want from me, Rachel?"


    Tyler was nearly shouting in my face. I couldn''t get over the level of fury in his voice. How had I


    angered him so much? Was it so terrible I''d gotten a job? Should I have talked to him before signing


    the contract with Camelot Records? I couldn''t understand why he was acting furious all of a sudden.


    "What do you want from me, Tyler?"


    I sped my hands in front of my body to keep them from shaking visibly. I wouldn''t show any more


    weakness than I already had. Tyler was a powerful Alpha to my omega breeding and the differences


    between us had never been so obvious. He towered over me. Come to that, Tyler was even taller than


    Nathan who was an Alpha in his own right.


    "Are you really this angry about the contract? I didn''t use your name. I didn''t mention you at all. There''s


    no connection between us on paper or anywhere else I can think of so why?"


    "I don''t care about your recording contract."


    "Then why are you here? Why are you shouting at me? Dragging me around? What do you want from


    me?"


    Tyler grimaced at me, "You are infuriating. I''ve taken care of you, haven''t I? You''ve had the best of


    everything. Clothes, shoes, bags. Jewelry! I made sure you had ess to an ount for the


    household expenses. Your schooling you wanted was arranged. What didn''t I give you?"


    "What didn''t you---Tyler."


    I was stunned as I realized he really had no idea how istive thest years had been for me. I opened


    and closed my mouth twice before finally realizing I would have to tell him because he wouldn''t


    recognize on his own.


    "Tyler, you never loved me."


    Tyler made a rude sound, "Love! I provided for you. That''s better than love."


    "No, Tyler," I shook my head sadly, "It really is not. There''s no substitute for love. We are better off


    apart because you can''t see that and it''s all I can see. Please, Tyler. For your sake. For my sake. Give


    me my rejection."


    "Rejection, rejection, rejection! You''re trying my patience beyond what any man could stand!"


    "Let me go! That''s all you have to do! Why can''t you just let me go?"


    "Fine!" Tyler roared, grabbing me by my arms and shaking me hard enough to rattle my teeth, "I will


    give you the rejection you want! Tomorrow at noon! Be at the Goddess shrine or I swear you will regret


    it, Rachel."


    "I''ll be there. I will!"


    Tyler let me go as if he couldn''t stand to be near me for one more second and I sped my hands over


    my stomach instinctively as a roil of nausea reminded me I wasn''t alone anymore. My body really


    needed to adapt to pregnancy faster. I wasn''t going to have time to pamper myself with my tour


    schedule.


    I would have to be very, very careful about how I was captured by the media, too. Tyler was unhappy


    about letting me go; I couldn''t imagine how he would react if he found out I was leaving him with his


    potential heir in tow.


    Going back into the auditorium, I looked around until I saw my group again.


    Charlotte Wright was clinging to Nathan Lewis as if he were her lifesaver and she''d die without him. He


    was a fine man along with being a fine catch for a mate. She could do a lot worse for House Wright


    than snagging the heir of House Lewis.


    Howard was smiling his shark''s smile which told me he was holding Charlotte back for me. He was


    proving to be a wonderful resource. I was grateful he''d signed me to Camelot Records.


    Dn Roberts was having a sidebar conversation with a furious Tyler. I knew Dn as Tyler''s close


    friend better than I knew him as the driving force behind Camelot Records. He was far above my


    station as the newest hire on thebel. I would have to prove myself many times over to warrant his


    time.


    My knees went weak as I saw Be''s anxious face peeking around Howard. I had worried she was still


    trapped out in the lobby! She must have been escorted through by security early.


    "Howard," I asked, touching his arm to get his attention, "I''m feeling terrible. Is it possible for me to skip


    out early on this mixer? I promise I''ll double up on interviews or speak in private with people or even do


    lunch dates? Dinner dates? I just need---I need to get home tonight. Is that at all possible?"


    Howard''s eyes swept over my face and he must have found what he was looking for because he


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    nodded, "Of course. I''ll make excuses tonight and we can pass it off as being overwhelming for your


    first night in the spotlight. Good deal?"


    Stage fright was a foreign concept to me. I had been performing before an audience all my life in one


    way or another, but I nodded eagerly.


    I would take any escape Howard could offer me. The veryst thing I wanted was to be ill in front of


    reporters and potentially Tyler as well.


    "Thank you, Howard. You''re a lifesaver!"


    "Let''s get out of here," Be agreed, wrapping her slim arm around my waist so we could slide through


    the crowd together more easily.


    I let her lead me out, waving a few times when it seemed as if someone wanted toe over. I hoped I


    wasn''t being taken as rude, but it was a risk I was willing to use as a trade off to get out of the mixer.


    How was I going to hide a pregnancy as I got further along? I wasn''t even visibly pregnant yet I felt as if


    the world could tell already.


    When we reached the sidewalk, Be waved down a cab and I directed, "We need to go to the hospital


    please. Right now."


    Be looked at me with rm and I sighed.


    I wasn''t feeling very enthusiastic about exining myself to my best friend.


    "Have you made a decision? You know you can wait until tomorrow. Sleep on it."


    I shook my head, "No. I''ve decided. I just need to get through this before I lose my nerve."


    Be took my hand in hers and I held on gratefully. I could use someone to be my anchor in the storm.


    We were in this together even if I had never wanted to make my problems into Be''s or to interfere


    with her life as much as I had over the years.


    We unloaded at the hospital where I went into the ER to register. I wasn''t making the choice Be


    imagined. I was so nauseated though---something would have to be done if I was going to survive any


    more public appearances.


    An attendant took me back quickly after finding out I was pregnant. I was grateful for their haste. They


    had me strip myself into a gown before taking me for an ultrasound. I didn''t think it was necessary, but I


    was excited by the prospect of seeing my baby on the screen.


    "There they are! All safe. See, Mama? Your little one is growing right along."


    "Can you tell if they''re healthy?"


    "Absolutely," the technician said, moving the wand and pointing on the screen to various parts of the


    anatomy, "Arms and legs are forming. You can see the flutter of the heart. Too early for a gender right


    now, but it won''t be long. The first one is always the most magical, I think."


    I had wanted arge family. The reality was this might be my only child since I had rejected my mate.


    There was no guarantee the Moon Goddess would grant me a second chance mate and, even if she


    did, another child wasn''t a certainty. Werewolf families were choosing to be more particr in their


    breeding habits.


    Tyler had never wanted children because he only saw them as being used for bargaining chips in Alpha


    households.


    I waited until I was dressed again to ask about something I would be able to take for nausea while


    moving through the early stages of pregnancy.


    No matter what decision I might have considered before seeing my baby on the monitor: I was not


    giving up my child now.


    The baby in my belly had gone from a problem I needed to solve to being a person whose existence I


    would do everything in my power to protect. No one would take my child from me. He or she would be


    loved. They would have their needs met. I wouldn''t be able to give them a traditional family upbringing,


    but I was confident I could raise a child with enough love for two parents.


    "Alright,dy," I said, tugging Be up from her seat in the lobby, "Let''s get us home. We''re having a


    baby and we need our rest."


    "You''re serious this time, then? You''re keeping it?"


    "I''m keeping it," I agreed.


    "We''re gonna be great!" Be crowed, spinning me around before hugging me hard, "Oh, I''m sorry!


    You''re not going to be sick are you?"


    "No. I''m good for now. They gave me some medication for nausea. Well, medication and


    rmendations for ginger ale and crackers."


    I gave Be a wry grin as we made our way out to head home again. I had a feeling we were going to


    be buying stock in ginger ale and crackers if my little one had anything to say about it!

 #Chapter 20 Tell me all about it

    #Chapter 20 Tell me all about it


    Tyler POV


    LUST


    Going back to the beginning sounded like a better idea than it was proving to be as a reality.


    "You want another drink?"


    Tyler nudged his tumbler back toward the bartender who obediently refilled it. They were drinking well


    drinks which were higher quality at LUST than other establishments.


    One of the main advantages to being a patron of LUST was the fact all their amenities were better than


    the average establishment''s and their prices reflected as much.


    "Rachel is everywhere, man! I swear your mate is going to double my next quarter returns. Every news


    agency has run a byline or at least a blurb. She''s on all the social medias. She''s trending on most of


    them!"


    "Dn?"


    Dn looked up from his phone with barely concealed glee stered all over his face. He was loving


    the sess Camelot was celebrating courtesy of Rachel''s fame. She was approaching meteoric if his


    yammering was anything to go on and Tyler knew Dn never exaggerated his business dealings with


    him.


    They were too close topete with one another in the business arena. As far as Tyler was


    concerned, Dn Roberts was the brother he''d always wanted for himself. Dn was a Hell of a lot


    more reliable than his actual brother William.


    "Shut up. I don''t want to talk about Rachel."


    "That makes you the only one. You want to tell me what you do want to talk about? Why are we here of


    all ces? You have an itch I should be helping you scratch?"


    Neither of them were above admitting they''d indulged in the offerings of the club in the past. Paying for


    sex was easier than working for it with a lot of talk though neither Dn nor Tyler had ever needed to


    worry about buyingpany.


    They could have gotten women based on looks and Alpha status alone. With their money and name


    recognition, most women would ept a pick-up from either of them.


    "No. No itches. I''m just trying to remind myself of something."


    "Something wouldn''t happen to be the first time you met one Rachel Flores would it?"


    Dn was going to be spoon fed his shit-eating grin if he didn''t wipe it off his face.


    Tyler frowned at him, "You know I met her here."


    "Yes. I do remember. It was a pretty memorable night for both of us. I got to experience twins and you


    found your fated mate---only to lose her hourster. I still remember how you sounded when you called


    me asking if I had seen her leave!"


    Tyler hadn''t known what to think about his mate taking off without even leaving her name. She never


    exined fully, but Tyler knew it had something to do with her father''s gambling debts. They had wound


    up in a world of misery together thanks to Patrick Flores and his bad luck at the gaming hells.


    "Her old man put her up to that. You know, right?"


    Tyler nodded and finished throwing back his drink. He dragged his finger around the rim of the ss as


    he considered whether he wanted to tie one on or go slow.


    Liquor made things easier to bear---but it also had the side effect of making Tyler vulnerable to spilling


    his feelings out for others to hear.


    "Would you like another, sir?"


    "I''d like one," a feminine voice cooed and Tyler tensed, frowning as he watched Jenny slide onto the


    stool beside him, "I think my friend will take one as well. We''re going to drink to our health!"


    Tyler covered his ss with his hand to stop the bartender from pouring. He wasn''t in the mood to deal


    with Jenny. Was the woman having some sort of psychotic episode? She had to know he''d been


    serious when he''d shooed her away before.


    "Jenny. What are you doing here?"


    "I like the drinks---and thepany," Jenny said, "Aren''t you going to share even one drink with me for


    old times sake?"


    Jenny pouted and Tyler had to resist the urge to p her. How could he have ever thought she was


    beautiful? She was so fake it was almost as if he were watching a robot pretending to be human. He


    doubted Jenny had felt anything real in years.


    "No. We aren''t keepingpany together, Jenny. You should find someone else to upy your time


    with now."


    Tyler wasn''t going to have anything to do with her in the future. He was rejecting his mate tomorrow


    then he was going to drink until he forgot he''d performed the rejection ritual. After that? Tyler just hoped


    he woke up with his memory intact so he didn''t have to relive losing Rachel again.


    "I don''t want to find someone else. I''ve already found you and you''re all I want, Tyler."


    Jenny pressed her breasts against my arm as she leaned over me. I could smell the liquor on her


    breath; I wanted to shove her away, but, before I could, a waiter tripped, spilling a pair of champagne


    flutes all over Jenny.


    "You idiot!" she shrieked.


    "I''m so sorry,dy! Let me get you a towel."


    The bartender hastily wiped at the spill on the bar with his rag. He offered a stack of fine napkins as he


    tried to soothe Jenny. Her dress didn''t look as if it were good material to be doused in alcohol.


    "I want to speak to your manager! Right now!"


    "I said I was sorry," the boy snapped, turning the tray over to the bartender. He looked as annoyed as


    Jenny. I was getting a headache just thinking about the situation and stood up, ready to leave.


    There was nothing for me here in this club. I had found my fated mate here purely by chance -or


    literally by the hand of fate ifmon beliefs about the Moon Goddess were to be believed- and I


    wasn''t going to have another try to find her again.


    A man made his way over to our group as I was paying. I ced several bills down. There would be


    plenty for a tip remaining even if the drinks were twice as expensive as I estimated.


    "Tyler, let me just settle this and we can go."


    "We aren''t going anywhere, Jenny."


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I would be damned before I would take Jenny anywhere ever again. I was sick of the fake bitch and I


    just wanted to go home. To my empty house.


    "Of course we are! You''ve finally gotten that gold digging whore out of your life so we can be together!"


    "Rachel isn''t your concern."


    I was prepared to have to fight Jenny off to get out of the club, but I wasn''t prepared to get a fist to the


    face!


    My cheek exploded in pain and my vision nked out for a moment. There was a lot of power behind


    the suckerpunch! Who had hit me? Why? What was going on?


    "You are so getting fired! I will have your ass thrown in jail for this! Tyler, are you alright? Get him some


    ice! Right now, idiot!"


    The bartender moved to start putting ice into a cloth while shooting panicked nces at the kid who


    had spilled his tray on Jenny. What was this kid thinking? I had a good six inches on him in height not


    to mention more muscle than worth measuring. I could take him apart without even using any of my


    wolf abilities.


    Jenny went to press the ice to my face and I shoved her off.


    "Do not touch me, Jenny!"


    "Trouble in paradise already?"


    I shot a confused look at the boy. I really had no idea what had set him off on me. Did he have a thing


    for Jenny? Was he some scorned lover? She seemed too old for him and she was definitely out of his


    league from a social standpoint.


    "What?"


    "Aren''t you supposed to be sweeping her off her feet to save her from the bad waiter?"


    I wasn''t interested in whatever was happening. I shrugged irritably as Dn stood to try to get between


    me and the kid.


    "I think we need to take a minute to breathe here. Tyler, you should get some of that ice. What''s the


    problem, kid?"


    "What''s the problem? The problem is his slut just called my sister a whore and he didn''t even try to


    defend her!"


    "Rachel is your sister?"


    I searched his face with my eyes and I could see a resemnce to Rachel there though he definitely


    looked more like Patrick than Rachel. He must not have inherited much from their mother. I had never


    allowed Rachel to bring her family to my home so this was the first time I''d even seen the boy.


    "Yes, Rachel is my sister, you asshole! Who did you think I was? Are you such a tool people punch you


    every day?"


    "Ethan! That is enough!"


    I realized the manager must have arrived as a woman slipped between me and the waiter. She held a


    hand up in front of Ethan as if she were warding him off. I wished he would try to hit me again. I could


    use the chance to let off some steam of my own though one good hit from me might take him out. Was


    he even old enough to be in this club?


    "No, Ethan, keep talking. Tell me all about it."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!