Page 12 of Rejected and Pregnant by the Alpha (Forbidden Alpha Kings #52)
Hannah
Two Months Later
Staring at my laptop while reading over the schedule for my first semester at the University of Ottawa, I can’t help the pride swelling inside me.
Two months have passed since I left the royal pack, and during that time, I traveled to different towns in Ontario, sightseeing and enjoying the summer sun, or camped out in the woods in my trusty van.
At first, I spent two weeks crying until my eyes were puffy and sore, feeling the pain of rejection and the way the bond sparked every so often, reaching out for King Julian.
Slowly, though, the pain began to fade, and I soon learned how freeing it felt to no longer deal with the rumors that used to follow me down the many halls of the palace.
From what Fabian told me, once the first month of my being a rogue had passed, King Julian had gone feral, searching for his mate.
Every trace of my scent had disappeared the night I left; Fabian even had some omegas he trusted deep-clean my room so that King Julian couldn’t figure out that the woman he banished, whom he rejected through that banishment, was his mate.
Part of me felt pleased to know my friend had been petty and made sure to wipe all traces of my scent.
He had told me that I needed a fresh start in life—a way to finally let loose and embrace the power I was born with as an alpha-blooded she-wolf.
He was right, but I was enjoying being a rogue now: no responsibilities, no duties to fulfill.
I was just Hannah, a white-haired, blue-eyed girl.
That’s when he asked me if I had reconsidered filling out my university application.
At first, I told him I wasn’t going to go, but Fabian insisted this was an opportunity that could set me up for a good future—one where I could start my own business and live comfortably away from werewolf society.
With his persuasion, I relented and completed my university application after our call, cementing the next four years of my life that would be dedicated to studying.
When we called the next day, I told Fabian the news about my enrollment, and he was ecstatic, sharing his own news that the royal pack lawyer wanted to speak to me to finalize my inheritance.
I already had all the paperwork, thanks to Fabian retrieving it for me from King Julian’s office, but the lawyer still needed my signature on a few documents confirming I received it.
This was planned for three days later on a Zoom call, where we managed to get everything done.
The lawyer wished me luck, telling me I was a strong woman and that he saw bright things ahead for me.
With that, I spent my remaining days searching for an apartment and landed here in this cute two-bedroom condominium with a large balcony that faced the residential garden, which housed a large pond.
During my first week in my new home, I spent time sitting in the small gazebo by the pond, reading a book or getting to know my neighbors.
They were shocked to learn that I was going to school but wished me luck as I slowly moved what little I owned into my condo.
It took a week of shopping to fully furnish my new home, but looking around the room, I can’t help but smile.
Everything in here belongs to me, and no one will be able to take it away the way King Julian tried to take my inheritance from me.
Putting my laptop down, I stand up and stretch.
School starts in a week, and I need to go shopping for supplies.
Not only that, but my groceries are running low, and for some reason, my appetite has grown since moving here.
Maybe it’s the new lifestyle; maybe it’s me settling into my life as a rogue, but I miss the days when I never had to worry about food because the hunters and omegas always provided for the pack.
Grabbing my purse from the kitchen island, I slip on a pair of sneakers, leave my condo, and lock the door behind me. I make my way toward the elevator, leaning against the wall after pressing the call button and waiting for the doors to open.
“Oh, Hannah,” an elderly voice calls out sweetly.
Taking a deep breath, I turn toward the sound of the voice to find my neighbor, Mrs. Singh, walking toward me. Her sari is draped elegantly across her body.
“I am cooking some butter chicken tonight if you want some. It’s the least I can do since you helped me with my security system,” she continues as soon as she reaches my side.
My stomach grumbles at the thought of my neighbor’s authentic Indian cooking, and I can’t help but grin at the elderly she-wolf, a fellow rogue hiding out in the only city without a wolf pack.
“I’d love that, Mrs. Singh,” I answer, watching the woman perk up. If she were in wolf form, I wouldn’t be surprised if her tail were wagging at my agreement.
“Good. Good. We single women need to stick together. Come around seven tonight. I will even have chai ready,” she says, her tone full of motherly affection.
I smile, excited for a warm home-cooked meal.
The chime from the speaker above the elevator alerts us that it has arrived, and I push off from the wall, getting ready to step inside as Mrs. Singh prattles on about the shopping she plans to do with her friend Aileen, a vampire who works at a law firm here in Ottawa.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washes over me, and the world begins to tilt.
Mrs. Singh goes to say something, but her words are muffled, as if she is trying to speak from underwater, and I can’t seem to hear a thing she is saying, though I can see the worried look in her eyes.
I open my mouth to say something, but no sound comes out as the world turns black.