Falling For My Rejected Mate

Chapter 6

Carly

My stomach is in knots. I’m sitting in the passenger seat of Caden’s black BMW. It’s just one of the many cars he owns and a reminder that we come from different worlds: my family belongs to the middle class, while Caden was adopted by the wealthy Summers family.

Caden is, in other words, filthy rich, and since he is the Alpha, all the wealth will go to him, not his siblings. It’s just how it works in our world.

“Nervous?” He asks while taking a right turn into a neighborhood that I can’t recognize. There are only a few houses, but they are all two-story buildings with big apple gardens and fences.

“A little,” I admit. “I mean, you are the Alpha.”

“True, but you have nothing to worry about.”

“Really?” I ask. “You’re just bringing me out here for a movie and nothing else?”

His lips twitch. “Do you want there to be something else?”

I almost choke when I hear his suggestive tone, and everything inside of me turns hot. “No, of course not.”

As if knowing I have the slight sense to look at him, he briefly turns to the right to meet my eyes. His are a brilliant emerald green beneath dark brown eyebrows, a contrast from his short, hyper-blonde hair. Their focus is intense, as if he can see into the depth of my soul and pull my heart out.

My mouth turns dry, and even when he looks back at the road, everything just bottoms out inside me. Suddenly it feels like there isn’t enough air in the car, and I’m so grateful that he is no longer looking at me. I can’t let him know that his attention has me struggling to rein in my heartbeats.

Gosh, I’m acting like all those other Caden fans. Down here in the south, girls dress for football games as if they are going to church. Most of them dream of marrying Caden or Felix since they are most likely to be drafted to a bigger team. They will be making big money in the future, and the women know they won’t have to lift a finger for the rest of their lives.

“For f**k’s sake, whose car is that?!” Caden suddenly growls behind the wheel as we park outside a rather grand white house with a stone wall around its garden. “Don’t tell me that Felix and the guys invited themselves over...”

“Do they have a key?”

“Felix does. He is my Beta and has a spare of all my keys...” Caden sighs deeply and rubs his eyelids with his digits. “Fuck...this means those bastards have probably ordered a bunch of pizza with my money again. And let’s not forget drinking my beer without asking for my permission.”

I cut him with a sly glance, smirking in my seat. “You’re the Alpha, but you’re letting your pack members bully you? Wow, I expected more from Caden Summers.”

Caden lifts his eyebrows at me, and a lopsided smile takes over his lips. It’s unnerving, more than enough to swarm my belly with butterflies.

"Watch it, Andersson. If you keep teasing me, I might have to punish you in ways you will never forget.”

Wait, what is that supposed to mean?!

I stare at Caden, who winks at me before opening the car door. “Did I just stun Carly Andersson into silence? Oh my, I guess the score is three to one right now.”

Somehow, I manage to calm down and follow suit. I get out of the car and immediately face him. “You’re keeping score?”

A light laugh breaks from him, and his eyes are warm and amused when he looks down at me. “Aren’t you?”

I don’t know what to say, so I change the subject. “If your friends are here, then maybe I should leave.”

His eyebrows snap together. “Now? You just got here.”

“Mhm, but that was before I knew your house was going to be filled with people,” I grimace. “I’m a book girl and a huge introvert. This won’t end well.”

Caden gives me a hard look. “I can order them to leave.”

“No, they are your friends.”

“So are you.”

“Bull...” I say that word reflexively.

To my surprise, Caden grins. “I s**t you not. I actually do consider us friends.”

“Friends,” I repeat the word, still not buying it.

“Friends,” Caden agrees, and my heart skips a beat when he looks me up and down. “I hope you don’t keep me in the friend zone too long, though. It’s cold outside, and I want to be let into your heart.”

I glare at him. “I don’t remember you being this flirtatious.”

Another small laugh leaves him. “Because you were the last person on earth I expected to wind up being my mate. But now that I know, I’m giving you my a-game.”

“Bringing me to your place is your a-game? Wow, how original,” the sarcasm is dripping off my tongue, but surprisingly enough, Caden doesn’t look offended. In fact, he is smiling at me rather wolfishly.

“I had more in store for us than that,” he steps forward, close enough that I’m forced to crane my neck to keep eye contact with him.

I gulp at the proximity, close to passing out, when he stares intensely into my eyes. Time seems to stop for those who are breathing, and I hold my breath when he reaches out his hand to pluck a leaf from my shoulder. When I pause in response, his smile turns more charming.

“My plan had been to cook you some amazing homemade pasta while letting you lounge on my couch. I would have asked you little questions about yourself and charmed you by being genuinely curious about you. Which I am. You intrigue me, Miss Andersson.”

My lips part, and my voice comes out in a whisper. “I don’t believe you.”

“It’s the truth.”

He looks me up and down, his gaze lingering on my chest for a moment before he slowly lifts his attention back to my face. When I raise my eyebrows, he sheepishly glances away, aware that I just caught him staring at my chest, but what is interesting is that he doesn’t seem apologetic.

Instead, Caden’s eyes are full of hunger mixed with desire as he assesses me. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me, Carly.”

My heart skips a beat at the intensity in his voice. I can feel my face burning, and I’m grateful for the shade coming from a tree that hides my blush. “Caden, I’m not sure if—”

“I know,” Caden cuts me off. “I know you’re not sure about us. But I am. I know you’re my mate, Carly, and I’m not going to stop trying to change your mind.”

Nerves flutter in my belly. I have zero guy experience, and never in a million years did I think Caden Summers would be the first one to flirt with me. I’m not his usual type, and I’m terrified he is going to grow bored of me.

He is too good to be true right now, and I can’t handle it. It’s overwhelming. This man makes my heart race and my brain stop and pay attention. My hands are itching to run over his muscles, and that’s bad.

I wet my lips. “I don’t understand why you keep flirting with me. I’m not even nice to you.”

There is a chuckle. “I know, but I like that too. It will be even more rewarding when you fall for me, Carly Andersson, because, believe me, you’re going to fall for me.”

His hand reaches out to touch my cheek, and I lean into the touch, despite myself. “I’m definitely not going to fall for you, Caden,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Caden’s lips twitch, his eyes never leaving mine. “You are, but I’m not going to rush you, Carly. For now, I just want to be near you, to get to know you. Is that okay?”

I nod, unable to form words, and Caden’s big hand falls from my face. He walks towards the door. “Come on, if we are lucky, there is still some pizza left for us. Felix always ends up ordering way too much.”

As we enter, the sounds of laughter and rowdy conversation hit us. I immediately want to turn back and run as far away as possible, but Caden’s hand on my back grounds me.

“Relax, they won’t bite,” he whispers in my ear before leading me to the living room.

As soon as we step through the threshold, I’m greeted by a chorus of “Hey, Caden!” and “What’s up, man?” from various pack members who are also on the football team. They are all sprawled on the couches and armchairs, some with pizza boxes opened on their laps.

“Who the f**k invited you guys?” Caden growls low in his throat, with his eyes darting around the room.

Silence falls over the room as everyone turns to look at their Alpha, and I feel heat crawl up my neck when they notice me standing beside him. I’m not used to being the center of attention, and the scrutiny of Caden’s friends is making me nervous.

But before I can even begin to feel uncomfortable, Caden’s friend Felix speaks up. “What? You don’t like us crashing your little party?”

Caden rolls his eyes, but there’s a hint of amusement in his expression. “It’s not a party, Felix. It’s just me and Carly hanging out.”

“Hanging out?” Felix raises an eyebrow. “That’s what they’re calling it these days?”

Some of the other guys in the room laugh, and I can feel my face growing hot as they all turn their attention to me. I’m not sure what to say, so I just smile weakly and try to ignore them.

Caden seems to pick up on my discomfort because he puts a hand on my shoulder and turns to address his friends in his scary Alpha voice. “Enough with the jokes. I don’t want you to scare away Carly the first thing you do.”

There is a chorus of “sorry” and “my bad” from the guys, and I relax a little in my skin.

Caden leads me to the couch and pulls me down beside him. I can feel the warmth of his body against mine, and part of me wants to lean into him and hide. I can’t ignore the fact that I’m surrounded by a bunch of males who are all staring at me like they want to eat me alive.

“I will be taking this one,” Caden picks up a pizza box from the table in front of the couch and opens it to reveal a salami pizza. “Want some?”

“Sure,” I gratefully pick up a slice, only to realize Felix and the other guys are staring at me. A knot of anxiety forms in my stomach, yet I dare to ask, “What is it?”

Felix grins. “Nothing...just surprised you’re hanging out with Caden after you rejected him.”

I feel a jolt of panic, unsure how to respond. Caden stiffens beside me, his gaze hard and unyielding. “No offense, Felix, but what is going on between me and Carly is none of your f*****g business, okay?”

There is a tense silence that falls over the room as everyone stares at Caden. I can feel his anger radiating off of him, and I’m almost scared to look at him.

But when I do, I see that his eyes are fixed on Felix, his jaw clenched tightly. For a moment, I think he might actually hit his friend, but then he takes a deep breath and turns to me.

“Let’s go somewhere more private,” he says, his voice low and controlled.

“Ey, you don’t have to go. Just chill, okay? I was just messing with her,” Flex says, holding up his hands in surrender.

“Well, she doesn’t appreciate it,” Caden’s voice is dry as he takes my hand in his larger one. “Anyway, we will talk about this later, Beta Felix.”

I’m grateful for the opportunity to escape the awkwardness of the situation when Caden leads me away. He is holding the pizza box in his other hand, and as we walk down the hallway, I can feel his grip on my hand tightening with every step.

When we reach his bedroom, he shuts the door firmly behind us and turns to face me. “I’m sorry about that,” he says, his voice softer now. “Felix can be an asshole sometimes.”

“It’s okay,” I say and try not to let it show that my heart is still pounding. “You brought the pizza with you, right?”

Caden nods, a small smile quirking at the corner of his lips. “Yeah, I would be crazy to leave it,” he takes a seat on his bed and taps the area beside him. “Come over here,” he grins up at me. “I won’t bite...unless you want me to?”

One flirtatious sentence, and he has knocked the wind out of my sails. Damn it. Why does he have to be so adorable? I think I’ve just realized that Caden Summers is a very dangerous man. There is a flutter in my chest, and I don’t know how to stop it from evolving into something dangerous, like a crush.

Damn it.

How do I prevent myself from falling for Caden Summers, the boy that I rejected?