Rejected and Pregnant by the Alpha King (Forbidden Alpha Kings #4)

1. Raine

1

Raine

The sun beats down on me as I run through the forest, my wolf delighted to finally be outside and free from the confining walls of my pack’s home.

Raine, a familiar voice inside of my head whispers: Delilah. Alpha Daniel wants you back at the estate.

I want to groan. Great, of course right when I’m finally out from under his thumb for a few hours and enjoying myself, he calls me right back.

I’ll be right there, I say back, not wanting her to think I’m ignoring her. Did he give a reason why?

Nope. But all the females are being called back.

Movement on the other side of the tree line catches my attention.

A small wolf with a silky brown coat leaps out from the foliage and lands next to me, keeping up pace with me as we run. I croon at her, my affection for her burning brightly through our bond as Delilah joins me on our run back home.

By the time we get back to the estate, we’re met with a few other female shifters coming off of their patrols. Delilah and I shift and grab our clothes from the outpost before heading through the gates.

We stick toward the back of the pack as we all file inside. More females are waiting in the foyer, soft chattering mingling between everyone. My eyes run over all of them, ignoring some of their obvious stares as I take an account of who I recognize.

“Welcome, ladies. And thank you for joining me this afternoon,” Daniel greets us all, stepping toward the front of the foyer where a magnificent fireplace stands. “I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’ve gathered you here. I just received word of some exciting news.”

Delilah nudges me, raising an eyebrow as she mouths what the hell ?

I shrug back at her.

“The Alpha King in the North has extended a generous offer to all females under the age of thirty to attend his spring ball.”

A ball?

My head is already spinning as whispers amongst my packmates grow loud.

It’s no secret to anyone within a 400-mile radius that Aiden Summers, the newly named alpha to the Pollis pack and future king to our entire region, would be interested in finding a Luna after taking over his father’s legacy.

But so soon after his rise to alphaship and before he’s even been crowned as our king?

That seems so…odd.

And a little desperate if I’m being honest.

“Oh my gods.” Delilah grabs my arm in a tight hold. “This is so exciting.”

I glance over at her, wondering why she’s been so excited about this, when it hits me.

Why wouldn’t she be? It isn’t like she’s had to grow up her entire life wondering when she’ll be sold off to another pack as a peace offering like I have.

To her, this is a delight and an excuse to attend a fancy party and get all dressed up, potentially meeting other suitors in attendance at the ball and not just the King.

To any normal person, it would feel like the fairytale opportunity of a lifetime.

Before my father defected the pack and turned me into a pariah, there had been talks about sending me as a means to bridge the alliance with a pack 100 miles from here—a pack with a harsh alpha who was known for his cunning and wicked ways.

That had been when I’d first turned eighteen, and I’d been terrified for months until one day Daniel received a letter telling us that the eldest of the alpha’s sons was no longer interested.

I catch Daniel staring at me as my eyes scan over the crowd again. The look he gives me has my stomach dropping immediately.

If he could get me to somehow woo the newly named alpha king, then all debts would be forgiven, I was sure of it.

The thought of doing that makes my skin crawl.

I’ve always imagined myself falling in love with a kind man who’d take me away from Wenatchee Forest and bring me to some homestead, where I could live peacefully for the rest of my days while we grew old together.

Clearly, that dream will never come to fruition, and now I’ll be stuck trying to win the favor of some alpha I’ll never love, all because of my father’s stupid decisions.

“The ball is in five days,” Daniel says, breaking eye contact with me to address the room once more with a full smile. “Any of you who are interested in attending will be sent to the North with escorts. All those who wish to stay are free to do so.”

Daniel’s gaze flits toward me again, narrowing—silently telling me that I won’t be among those who get to choose to stay.

No. He’ll be sending me off one way or another, even if I’m the only one.

“I can’t wait,” Delilah tells me, her grin wide. “You’re going too, right? Raine, you have to come with me.”

Delilah pulls me along toward the entryway of the meeting hall, but is quickly intercepted by our alpha, who blocks her path with a casual smile.

“Delilah. If I may steal Raine from you for a moment…”

Dread sinks into my stomach as Delilah glances back at me, her brows knitted together in concern.

I flash her a smile and follow Daniel out the side door to a service hallway, my heart pounding loudly in my chest, which I’m sure his keen ears pick up on immediately. Outwardly, I try to keep my features calm.

The worst thing I’ve found that I can do in situations like these is to make it too obvious that he scares the shit out of me.

Daniel wraps his hand around my neck as soon as the door is shut. “I’m sending you there to spy on him. Gather intel on the pack. I want as much info as possible on how they operate. On how they run.”

I swallow under his fingers as they tighten, close to cutting off my oxygen.

“If I hear about you fucking this up,” he grits between his teeth, his eyes flashing at me while he’s barely able to contain his wolf. “I won’t just throw you down in the cellar to rot, Raine. I’ll make sure I sell you off to the highest damn bidder. There are plenty of packs around here that would love a brood mare.”

The words sicken me to my core. “O-Okay.”

He tosses me onto the ground, almost stepping on me as he walks over me. “Get out of my sight.”