The Alpha's Rejection...

idn't

scoured through my mind, their presence like a lingering shadow I couldn't cast off. And every creak the old wooden house made, every ru

axon made that clear. I wasn't strong like Mara, or powerful like the Alphas. I w

ally drifted into a fitful sleep just before dawn, the dreams full of dark,

d me, with the smell of dew and pine seeping into my room through the window I had left a bit ajar. For that brief moment,

up. There, weighing down on me like a heav

a ponytail as my hands-their tension still coiled tight in my chest-shook slightly. I was far from ready to see

Jaxon and what our next moves were. The quicker we figured ou

rprise, really, most of the pack had stayed awake half the night in celebration, and with winter creeping up on the land, mornings were g

eady at the top of the stairs, my heart started pounding. Jaxon's deep and author

not to see him for at least a few hours. But I couldn't. I had to kno

ade my way down the stair

tly talking with Marcus. His back was to me; broad shoulders tensed, dark hair a mess from that morning.

eyes snapped onto me. The air thickened between us with the weight of last night's rejection hanging in silence. Neither of us budged for

yet firm that it reached deep inside of me, yanking me out of m

happened last night could

hands clenched into fists at my sides. I avoided looking at Jaxon, turning to

last night," Marcus said, his tone measure

arrowing slightly. His gaze flicked back to me, his voice low an

ch twists from the weight. "I didn't think you'd care," I wh

s eyes darkened. "This isn't about what happened b

washing over me. Of course. The pack first

oice shaking. "They just... appeared. In the wo

jaw clenched. "And th

ng at the edge of the woods. "Yes. Last night, after I c

. Marcus's face darkened, and Jaxon's eyes flared with something I hadn't seen in him

ly and decisively, "If they are a threat to the

mine. There was something there beyond

ady. But for now, Tessa, I want you to sta

y tightened. Being watched, being followed

n there between us shrinking as he closed it. His eyes bore into mine, cold but intense. "Whatever they wa

nly fanned the fear in my chest. What did Rafe a

had said last night, did I still

self to meet his gaz

ne. I wasn't all that sure what careful even meant any more.

e weight of the morning pressing down upon me like some heavy fog. My mind was in a whirlwind as quest

my head. It was such a weak morning sun, unable to cut through the thick clouds overhead acro

he previous night: the way Rafe and Dante looked at me, the vague warning they gave me. What truth was I su

me to me closer. Dark forest before me, still as death, with a momentary thought that I m

arcus's warning. No

e silence weighed down on me like a stone slowly suffocating me inside. There was no way to shake off the feeling tha

ever they wanted, I had a feeling

e feeling of being watched didn't dissipate. It clu

door, the room chilled me, colder than it was earlier, with the very faint scent of pine left

rt plu

t been

pe was unaddressed-no name was shown, no scrawling-writing. My finger slipp

ide, penned in sweep

dge of the woods.

Rafe and Dante. It had to be them. They were here; they'd been i

ed me to

e danger lurking, better than all the warnings that screamed at me to be afraid, I had to know the truth. I

ucked it into my pocket

they wanted. Even if it m