Rejected My Alpha Mate

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 particulars 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 related 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.

home to make it

think

don't need to come to the house for

I need one. You

I don't! That is why

if I were explaining 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

forget

glad to come brew

about the IOU for $500,000 you gave me three years

shut my mouth abruptly

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

me to cope with the last

the conversation, "I can talk Magda through making it over the phone. I don't do anything special

prove my father right: you slept with me for money the same as any street whore and

Tyler and

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

be in their offices asking for money.

was to save my

had wanted to crawl away to hide

had thought my mate was

he'd given me the check I'd asked for to save

Tyler rarely spoke to me except to instruct

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

this was his way of reminding me I always would owe him until I paid

be there soon."

from his side of

the thought of going back to the house I'd spent three years trying

you can call me 'sir' when you address me. I require it from

of shock and anger, "You think I'm

know I paid you half a million dollars and you haven't come close to working it off. You're my highest paid employee