CHASED BY MY REJECTED MATE

CHAPTER TWELVE

TYLER

I watched as Kathrine stood there for a few seconds, her arms still wrapped around Rex after I asked her if I could take Rex home.

She didn’t say anything at first. She was quiet. I was damn sure she was thinking. Her eyes were on Rex, and I could see the way her lips pressed together like she was having a little war inside her head.

I didn’t blame her. She was just trying to protect him. I knew she always had.

Rex pulled at her shirt gently and looked up at her with big, round eyes.

“Please, Mommy,” he begged softly. “Please can I go with him? Just for today. I’m sure I might not get to see him after today. Please, mom.”

His voice was so innocent, so full of hope. And it broke something inside me.

Kat sighed, her shoulders finally dropping. “Okay. Fine,” she whispered.

She gently set Rex down on the ground.

The moment his feet hit the floor, he turned and took off running toward my car.

His tiny legs moved so fast like he’d been waiting for this chance forever. He reached the door and tugged at the handle, but it was still locked.

I smiled a little and pressed the unlock button on my keys.

It made a clicking sound and then the door unlocked, and without wasting a second, Rex opened it and jumped in, as if he’d done it a hundred times before.

He pulled the door shut behind him afterward.

Kat turned to me, arms crossed.

“How do I know you won’t run away with my child?” she asked, her eyes sharp.

I didn’t get mad. Instead, I smirked.

“I won’t,” I said simply. “Because Rex and I… we’d be incomplete without you.”

She blinked at me, a little caught off guard.

“I’m not leaving this pack without you, Kat,” I added softly. “Both of you… you’re mine.”

Julian’s face twisted at my words. He stepped forward and his jaw tightened.

“Is that a threat, Alpha Tyler?” he asked coldly. “Why would you say something like that when you know Kat is my fiancée? Or is it because you think being an Alpha gives you the right?”

I smiled again, not because I didn’t take him seriously, but because I knew the answer.

“That’s exactly the reason,” I replied coolly. “You should know, Julian, whatever an Alpha wants? An Alpha gets. And an Alpha doesn’t let what belongs to him fall into the wrong hands.”

Julian’s eyes burned with anger, and I could already tell he wanted to say something back. Something sharp.

But before he could open his mouth, Kat cut in.

“Enough,” she snapped. “Quiet, both of you. Rex is watching.”

We all turned toward the car. Rex had his face pressed against the window, staring at us with a confused look on his face.

Kat shook her head, clearly fed up with the tension. “Just follow behind us,” she said to me, then turned and walked away toward Julian’s car.

I hated it. I Hated watching her choose his car. A part of me hoped, just a small part, that she’d get into mine.

That she’d sit beside me, and we could talk, just the two of us. Maybe even start fixing what I broke.

But no.

She climbed into Julian’s car without looking back.

Julian gave me a long, hard look before walking off and getting in after her. I was taking it easy on him because Kat would be annoyed if I did anything nasty.

If not, I had never tolerated such disrespect from anyone before. Not even from my fellow Alpha’s talk of more of a werewolf who wasn’t an Alpha, Beta, or even a Gamma.

I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening with irritation. But I took a deep breath and let it go.

Be patient, I told myself. Don’t ruin it. Just be patient.

I turned back to my car and opened the driver’s side. When I got in, Rex looked up at me from the passenger seat.

“Why did you waste time?” he asked in that small, curious voice only kids had. “Were you fighting with Julian?”

I blinked, caught off guard.

“No,” I said quickly, forcing a smile to my face. “Why would I fight with Julian? We are friends.” I lied. “We were just talking.”

Rex looked at me, then tilted his head like he wasn’t sure if he believed me or not.

“I know Julian likes my Mommy,” he said seriously, “But… I don’t think Mommy likes him back.”

I nearly choked.

My eyes widened, and I had to grip the steering wheel a little tighter. But I kept the smile on my face.

“Why do you say that?” I asked carefully.

Rex shrugged his small shoulders.

“I just know,” He said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “But…” He paused and turned fully to me in his seat. “Promise you won’t tell Mommy what I’m going to say?”

I frowned a little. My eyebrows pulled together.

What was this about?

“What are you going to talk about?” I asked him.

“It’s about Julian,” Rex answered, piquing my curiosity.

“I promise,” I said slowly. “You can trust me. So what is it? What do you want to tell me about Julian?”