Rejected, Pregnant, and Hunted

Mistress

I couldn’t believe the nerve of that guy. After spending my entire childhood and most of my life so far with someone, you think you know them, and then bam! They do a one-eighty on you, and it turns out you didn’t know them nearly as well as you thought.

The Jake that visited me in that hospital room was a far cry from the sweet Jake I had shared my life with. How could someone change so drastically in less than twenty-four hours?

Whatever his deal was, I was not here for it. Did he really think this wouldn’t change anything? I would never disrespect the mate bond like that. I love Jake, and I had hoped to spend my life with him, but it would appear the moon goddess had other plans, and I would respect that. As heartbreaking as it was.

A sudden desire to get out of this hospital took over me. Sighing out loud, I took in my surroundings. They had already given me my shot. The nurses dressed my wounds, and I trusted Indigo to heal me in time. I would feel more comfortable at home. I removed the intravenous line that was inserted in my arm. The site bled, so I applied some pressure. Moments later, it had stopped.

It was at that moment that I realized I was in a hospital gown, and it was the gown that opened up at the back. I must have some clothes somewhere, I thought to myself. I looked in the drawers next to me. Nothing. Oh well, looks like I will have to take my chances in this hospital gown and hope no one notices me.

After some maneuvering, I made my way out of the ward. Naturally, I took the back entrance to avoid medical staff pestering me to stay or dealing with security. Now I just needed to make my way back to my room at the packhouse with no one seeing me in this ridiculous gown.

Ten minutes later, I returned to my room undetected. The only people that had crossed my path were the cleaning staff and cooking staff, who looked too busy to notice my presence. As I made my way into my room, I entered my pin code, and my door opened. I slammed the door shut and made my way to my shower.

Slowly, I took off the dressings on my leg. I was no medical professional, but they looked to be healing well to me. And then I jumped into the shower and let the hot water work its magic on me, sobbing uncontrollably in the privacy of my own confines. If there was ever a good time to cry, it was now.

***

A hot shower and some hot food really made a difference. I was feeling a little more like my old self now. I still couldn’t shake what Jake had said to me at the hospital, the way he had acted as if nothing had happened, as if it were no big deal. I still don’t understand what he meant. Why was he acting so cavalier, and why did he get so mad, I wondered.

I went back and forth in my mind about what had transpired, Indigo weighing in now and then with her opinion, when I heard a knock at the door. I froze in the spot I was sitting in. What if it was Jake? I thought to myself.

“So what if it is? We are strong! Kat, hold your head up high,” Indigo repeated in my head. With that, I pushed forward, limping ever so slightly towards the door.

“About time!” Max said dramatically as she pushed past me.

“I went to visit you and, low and behold, you had absconded out the back entrance, huh?” she scalded me verbally, shaking her head disapprovingly.

“I needed to get out of that place. I’m fine. I don’t need to be taking up a hospital bed. Besides, I’m already feeling much better,” I said, putting on my most convincing face.

Max poked my ribs. “Ahhh!” I called out, wincing.

“Yeah, fine, my ass!” she scoffed.

I rolled my eyes at my friend. She had a heart of gold, but sometimes she could be a bit much.

“So you wanna talk about what happened last night?” Max asked.

“There’s not much to talk about. You saw what happened. Jake met his fated mate,” I said, holding my head in defeat.

“I’m sorry, Kat. No one expected he would be fated to the daughter of the Alpha of the Quaking Aspine Pack,” she said frankly, to inform me of her identity.

“The Alpha’s daughter?” I echoed.

“Yeah, she’s really something pretty on the outside, a total b***h on the inside,” she commented.

“He’s gonna have his hands full with her,” she added, laughing. “And to top it off, she’s the only daughter of the current alpha. He has no son.”

“Apparently, her father had been looking for a match for her, as he was looking to retire! So Jakey boy will end up being the Alpha of Quaking Aspine!” she rattled off carelessly, as if it was the juiciest piece of gossip she had heard in ages.

I didn’t reply. I took a moment to let all the information she had unleashed upon me sink in.

I felt a little dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to say in reply to all of that. Max was either oblivious to my response or didn’t care because she continued ranting.

“Rumor has it she has a boyfriend, that she wanted to take a chosen mate, but her father wouldn’t allow it. Because get this, he’s an omega!” Max chuckled as she got up from her seat and started looking through my pantry.

“Ooh, muffins! Yummy!” she said gleefully as she bit into one and sat back down next to me. “Oh, you want one?”

“No, thank you,” I replied in a low tone.

I hadn’t heard her run down another wolf based on their rank or status before. It would appear that Jake wasn’t the only one surprising me with his words and actions right now.

“Her father, Jake, and Rick have been in a meeting all morning. When they exited the meeting, Rick looked pissed!” Max said with an animated expression on her face.

“Quaking Aspine is one of the biggest packs around,” Max replied, even though she already knew that I was aware of that fact. Being a head warrior, I had relationships with many of our neighboring packs and had some knowledge of the West Coast packs.

“What are you gonna say to Jake when you finally see him?” Max asked me, sitting as if she were on the edge of her seat.

“I’ve already seen him,” I replied, recalling our last interaction.

“Wait, what, how, when?” Max snapped, flapping around so much she almost fell out of her seat.

“Earlier at the hospital,” I said, feeling a wave of emotion hit me. But I was trying desperately to remain stoic.

“Come on, spill!” Max demanded. I couldn’t help but notice she was enjoying this all a little too much. I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest, and she seemed like she was watching her favorite television show, waiting to see what would happen next. Perhaps I was just being overly sensitive right now.

“Jake just walked in, kissed me, and told me nothing needed to change,” I told Max, recollecting the scene again in my mind.

“Then he became enraged when I told him that everything had changed and that he should just reject me,” I confessed to my friend.

“Seriously? So wait, he told you that you could still be together, even though he has accepted the uppity blonde?” She asked to clarify.

“That’s it in a nutshell,” I replied calmly.

“Wow!” Max cooed. “So, what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?” I asked her, with a hint of confusion in my voice.

“Are you gonna be his like, mistress?” Max asked eagerly.

“You’re joking, right?” I exclaimed, reading her expression and realizing that she appeared to be serious.

“I could never, and would never, do that to another woman, let alone disrespect myself that way,” I said, feeling infuriated that it was even a consideration.

“How could you even think that I would consider that?” I shot back at Max.

“I was just asking. Don’t get your panties in a twist!” Max retaliated defensively.

“There’s more, Kat. Jake asked for permission to take a few warriors to Quaking Aspine with him, and that’s why the meeting took so long.” She declared with her eyes flashing with intrigue.

“You were his first choice!” She impatiently blurted out.

“What?” I yelled out in astonishment.

“They are literally back in negotiations right now. Since Jake is to become alpha, and we have no treaty or agreements with Quaking Aspine, they are working out the deal today. I heard my parents discussing it before I left to come see you,” she confessed.

“I belong here at White Pine. This is my home,” I declared.

“There’s something else. I shouldn’t tell you this. I would be in so much trouble. But Rick gave his approval for you to leave with them. Two days from now!” Max affirmed.

I looked at Max in disbelief and horror. “He did what!”