Page 5 of Rejected Mate's Baby for the Alpha King

“No. I have control over my wolf. I don’t need to let it out on full moons. Do you need to run?”

“I don’t need to.”

Interesting answer to the question. “Do you want to run?”

“Not with them. I was thinking of a different way of letting off some steam. Are you mated?”

Was she now? “No.”

“I don’t even know your name or the name of your clan, Alpha…”

“What makes you think I’m an alpha?”

“It’s a ballroom of alphas, and you were ordering men around. This room must have cost an arm and a leg. Either you have a generous alpha or you are the alpha. There’s power in you, but it feels strange. Not quite like an alpha. Or maybe I just need to get out more.”

Emotional but observant. “All you need to know is that I could end your life right here and nobody would do anything about it.”

I wanted her to realize who she was poorly trying to flirt with. All she did was shrug. “That doesn’t make you unique. The lowest member of a pack could kill me and nobody would bat an eye.”

Interesting. “I’m Rhyson. Summerset Pack.”

I wasn’t sure why I gave her my name and lied about my status. If I’d told her who I really was, she would have dropped to her knees, and I could have twisted all that glorious red hair around my hands and gotten that fuck-me-red lipstick all over my cock. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t soon learn. Almost every alpha in the region knew my name now.

But when was the last time someone fucked me without a political agenda in mind?

“Never heard of it, but I don’t know much about the packs who aren’t local.” I stared at her and let my power out just a little. There were nearly fifty alphas gathered for Larson’s celebration ball. If she’d really thought she was going to be his wife, she would have familiarized herself with the other guests.

She would have known that I would be there.

Fuck, I really was letting myself get distracted by her. How did she not know who I was? I focused on her. She really did not make sense. I could call a wolf out of a shifter with the snap of my fingers, but I could barely sense hers. She knew how to behave around an alpha, but she’d done none of it with me despite thinking I was an alpha. Trained but unwilling?

Maya was certainly not boring. Evasive, but not boring.

“If you had one night of complete freedom, what would you do?”

Interesting question. “There was a time in my life when I had nothing but freedom. My brother and I had no responsibilities. Nobody watching us or telling us what to do or how to act. It was a lifetime ago.”

“Sounds nice.”

I smiled briefly. “It was. I didn’t appreciate it enough. I guess you never know what to appreciate, or when it will all go away. I suppose if I got a night of absolute freedom, I’d do whatever I needed to feel like me again. To feel like I was in control.”

“Like fuck a pretty woman who wanted to spread her legs for you?”

I met her gaze head-on. “I have plenty of women willing to fuck me, Maya. Many of them achingly beautiful.”

“Ah. So I have nothing to offer you then.” She looked truly disappointed.

“You want to fuck someone with your night of freedom?” I asked softly.

“I just want to feel a little bit of pleasure.” She sighed and walked to the bed to pick up the pair of jeans.

My chest tightened inexplicably. “What are you doing?”

“I thought I just made that clear. I’m going to go look for a little bit of pleasure. I should probably put on pants for that.”

“No.”

Pausing, she looked over her shoulder. “Not for nothing, but I do want a choice in my partner for the night. We’re right next to the hotel. Earlier events have taught me that I should be fully clothed before I approach someone.”