Rejected, Pregnant, and Hunted

Family Trumps Everything

“We’re not done here!” He called out, inching closer to me, invading my personal space. I could smell a feminine scent emanating from him. It just added to the nausea that I was already experiencing.

“Yeah, we are. It’s best if you don’t come over again, Jake. I wish you all the best with your new mate,” I called out in a snarky tone. I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me, but I was beyond pissed off right then.

“We are not done here! I meant what I said!” He threatened me. As I took in, his brows lowered and pulled close together, his jaw clenched tightly, his lips tightened, and his nostrils flared in anger.

My brother watched the exchange, moving closer to both of us, taking a protective stance toward me.

“Jake, you need to leave NOW!” Dom yelled out in a commanding tone. I could imagine that would not have been easy for him, considering Jake outranked him. I watched as Jake’s features darkened even more.

“Remember that I outrank you, pup!” Jake said in a menacing voice, turning his attention to Dom and stepping into his personal space. And I was both shocked and proud when Dom didn’t flinch in the slightest. But I didn’t want this to escalate any further.

“Just leave!” I said, pushing myself in between Jake and Dome. I was growing more and more impatient with Jake’s presence. Jake glared at me, then stormed off, huffing angrily along the way. He reached for the door and aggressively slammed it shut, almost pulling it off its hinges.

“What was that?” My brother asked, concern in his voice, turning his attention back to me.

“I’ve never seen you two like that before. Hell, I’ve never seen Jake that mad before,” he responded.

I sank against the wall, feeling a little deflated.

“Hey, are you okay?” Dom said, looking at me, and no doubt realizing that I was struggling to hold myself together. I had remained staunch while Jake was here, but now that he had left, and I was in the company of my sibling, it all felt a bit much.

“I will be. Thank you for coming to my defense. I know that must have been hard for you, and I don’t want to make life difficult for you,” I apologized to my brother.

“Never apologize, Kat. He was being a real d**k,” my brother replied.

“Come here, sis,” he said, putting his arms out and bringing me in for a hug.

“It must be rough seeing him with someone else, especially since he marked you. I can’t imagine what you must be going through,” he replied, looking at my neck in sympathy, then hugging me and rubbing my back in a soothing motion.

“It feels so surreal. I always knew this day might come, but I guess I was in denial. And since it has happened, it’s baffling. It’s like I have seen this whole new side of Jake that I didn’t know existed,” I recounted, pulling away from the hug.

“Do you want me to call Max over?” he asked.

“No,” I replied immediately, shaking my head adamantly. Jake looked at me with a look of astonishment on his face.

“But she’s your best friend, plus she will be better at this sort of thing than I am,” he confessed.

“That’s the thing, though. Since this whole thing has happened, I’ve seen a different side of Max, too. It’s like everything has changed,” I confessed to him, tears welling from my eyes and cascading down my cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Kat. What can I do to make this better for you?” He asked me with a pained expression clear on his face.

“You’ve already done more than you know, just being here and being yourself,” I replied, putting a small smile on my face for his benefit.

“I’ve always got your back, sis, always,” Dom declared, and I believed him wholeheartedly. If there was one person I could count on in this world, it was him.

“Besides, he will be gone in a day or two. You won’t have to worry about him again,” he declared.

“Oh, you haven’t heard then?” I blurted out.

It did not surprise me that they had kept Dom in the dark about this bombshell, as they hadn’t even discussed it with me.

“Jake has insisted that I accompany him to Quaking Aspine. He had made a deal with Rick. It’s all organized,” I said, tears slowly flowing once more from my eyes.

I watched as anger engulfed my brother’s face. “No, no way. You must have it wrong! Rick’s your friend. And Jake, he had been being a d**k before, but he would never do something like that, surely,” he growled, trying to rationalize what I had just told him.

“Max said she overheard her parents talking about it!” I added.

“I’ll go speak with Rick. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding,” Dom tried to reassure me.

“It’s OK, I’ll handle it. I’m not going anywhere. This is my home. Don’t worry about it, little brother, I’ve got this!” I replied with a sense of resolve. My brother looked unconvinced.

“Promise me you won’t say anything. Let me handle this my way?” I pleaded with him, placing my hands on his chest.

“Only if you tell me if you need backup. I’m loyal to our alpha, but I’m more loyal to you, Kat. Family trumps everything. I’m here for you, sis!” he declared, pulling me in for another hug protectively. I was so glad to have such a loving sibling. It was exactly what I needed right now.

Now that the adrenaline had rushed through me after my heated encounter with Jake, I was feeling dizzy and lightheaded. And then, suddenly, everything went dark.