Rejected My Alpha Mate

The Next Morning

"Who are you?"

I came awake with a jerk, disoriented and aching all over. A heavy male body lay 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 huge compared 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 debtors come 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.

the Alpha House of

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

their Alpha was an older male, older than my father even.

in the bed was related to

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

we stay with our mate. I took one of his cards so

our brother. Ethan was only a child!

the Alpha

were properly marked as each other's mate. His wolf instincts would insist I stay with him

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

couldn't find a phone in the room other than the

I saw the word 'LUST' on the wall. I blushed

a woman in a skintight black dress came over to greet me, holding a tablet in her hands, "May I be of

steadfastly refused to consider what sort of 'services' she

you please call me a ride?"

up a rideshare app on her screen, "What's

to stop when I realized it probably wasn't smart to go there.

best friend Bella's address instead as I knew I'd be safe with her family. We had only met our freshman year in high school, but Bella was more like a sister to me

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

sun no longer rises in the East or sets in the West, Rayne? He'll get over it. Ethan is

leaving

have the rest of our lives to be

at all if we took care of him.

surprised me by giving me my cell phone as soon as

went to my parents, but we didn't know what to do

made it clear Patrick hadn't said anything nice to

doesn't matter. Thank you, Bella. Thank you so,

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

"Ethan! Are you---"

time you

me into

ran off. If you had just stayed the night with

time?" I repeated.