Page 22 of Rejected and Pregnant by the Alpha (Forbidden Alpha Kings #52)
Julian
Watching the trees pass by as the SUV I sit in zooms down the highway, my mind wanders to thoughts of what this Alpha Cross is like.
Five years ago, Fabian brought me a stack of paperwork to review.
They were proposals from wolves wanting to form new packs around the world.
At the time, I was not interested in approving new packs, as land disputes were popping up repeatedly.
I skimmed through the paperwork, finding many inadequate plans ranging from insufficient land for a new pack to grow to not finding a suitable place for a pack house.
Then I came upon the last folder.
A she-wolf was asking to become an alpha of her own pack just outside Ottawa, Ontario.
She had already found an adequate chunk of land for sale that would easily support a pack of over five hundred, and this land came with a large Victorian mansion that would make the perfect pack house.
All I knew was that she wanted to be called Alpha Cross, and that was what made me hesitate before readily agreeing to her plan.
Cross was Hannah’s last name, and as far as I was aware, she did not have any family members.
After a quick search, I soon realized that Cross was a common last name, and with no further hesitation, I signed the paperwork, approving the creation of this new pack. Five months later, I felt the magic of a new pack being formed.
“We will be arriving at Haven Trail in ten minutes,” my driver calls over his shoulder, and I feel Fabian flinch beside me. Since announcing that we would visit the Haven Trail pack first, Fabian has become quite jumpy and carried a nagging worry clouding his scent.
“Does anyone know we are showing up at Haven Trail?” I ask my driver, a wolf named Henry.
“No. As per your orders, we kept this change a secret so that you can observe the pack before revealing your identity,” Henry answers.
I nod, content to know my wolves are following my orders.
The SUV grows quiet as Henry focuses on driving and Fabian gets lost in thought. I can’t help but let my mind wander as I take in the forest we drive through. I feel uneasy, as if something unexpected will come from this trip, and I can only chalk it up to the unknown that this new pack presents.
Finally, the SUV turns onto a side road, and pack magic washes over me.
It seems we have reached Haven Trail. I was ready for the rough, bumpy gravel road most packs have when first starting out but was pleasantly surprised to find that the car continues moving smoothly.
After peeking out the window at the ground, I notice that the small side road, which could fit two vehicles, is paved.
It seems this Alpha Cross wants the best for her pack.
Another ten minutes of driving later, the trees on either side of the road give way, revealing the large Victorian mansion that is Haven Trail’s pack house.
I have only seen it through pictures, thanks to Google Search and the paperwork sent over five years ago, but those images do not do this place justice.
The mansion is a warm cream color that seems to have been maintained and restored over the last five years.
Small clusters of ivy climb up the walls, giving the building a refined feeling.
Henry pulls in front of the building and turns off the car, and a crowd of curious wolves begins to meander closer to my group.
“Should we exit the vehicle?” Henry asks, and I grin, unbuckling my seatbelt and pushing my door open.
Standing in front of the SUV, I take in each wolf in turn, noticing their healthy complexions and lack of fear.
They may not know who I am, but they aren’t stupid and are waiting to see what I will do.
“Hello there,” I call out, a smile on my face as Fabian comes to stand beside me.
“I am Alpha Jules. I came to visit your alpha,” I continue, using my nickname.
“She is at her company in the city,” a deep voice calls out, and a tall, tanned man who resembles a lumberjack steps out of the pack house to stand in front of me.
He bows his head respectfully, the scent of vanilla custard lingering around him.
The mate bond stirs at this, and I shudder.
It seems my mate is connected to this pack.
“I am the third-in-command here, Theta Aidan, at your service, Alpha Jules,” the man—Theta Aidan—introduces himself.
“Alpha Jules,” I repeat, nodding to him. Suddenly, someone calls out as a little boy with white hair darts out of the pack house. His eyes meet mine, and my heart stops for a brief moment. He looks like I did as a pup, with such intensely deep green eyes; the only difference is his white hair.
“Saben, get back here!” someone calls after the boy, their voice filled with irritation.
Taking a deep breath, I catch the telltale scent of a vampire, and before I can react, a woman with long blonde hair scoops the boy into her arms with a scowl.
“Goddess, your mother is going to skin me alive if you get hurt,” the vampire mutters.
Shocked by her sudden appearance, I take a step back before composing myself. Every instinct in me screams to rip the child from her arms and protect him, but the boy seems happy to be with the vampire, even snuggling into her embrace.
“I just wanted to greet our guest, Auntie,” the boy says with a pout, earning chuckles from the crowd.
“I am the heir to the pack, and since Mama is working, I thought I should greet this Alpha in her place.”
Ah, it seems this pup is Alpha Cross’s son.
“Hi there,” I say gently, deciding to interrupt their conversation and smile at the boy. “I am Alpha Jules.”
Holding my hand out, I watch as the little boy hesitates before reaching out to shake my hand. A jolt of familiarity ripples through me once more, and it takes everything in me not to move suddenly and accidentally scare the young pup.
“Alpha Saben Cross,” the boy replies. “Mama will be home soon, but if you are hungry, Granny Jiya is making food for everyone, and you are welcome to join us,” he adds.
Smiling, I accept Saben’s offer, much to the annoyance I feel coming from Theta Aidan.
With a reluctant gaze, Theta Aidan and the vampire lead us inside the pack house.
The interior is simple yet elegant, the walls painted a warm cream that gives off a homey feeling.
Then it hits me: the scent of vanilla custard.
The mate bond roars to life like a raging inferno, and it takes everything in me not to race through this mansion, ripping open every door to find the owner of this scent, to find my mate.
Fabian gives me a warning look, and I suppress the urge to snarl at him. He has no right to look at me that way.
We continue walking through the halls, and I take note of the lounge to the left and a door to the right that seems to house a library with wolves already inside reading.
Just past that, the smell of food floats through the hall, but we are forced to stop as Theta Aidan gestures to the open doors to his left.
“Please, make yourselves comfortable in the dining hall while we get a few omegas to bring out some refreshments,” Theta Aidan says as the vampire carries Saben further away toward the smell of food.
I reluctantly move to the dining hall, my wolves following behind me. We decide to take the tables closest to the doors while we wait for the alpha to return home.
“Are you okay, Alpha?” Henry asks as we settle into our seats, taking the hint not to use my real name since some of the tables are already filled with Haven Trail wolves.
“Just a little on edge,” I answer, watching a look of unease flash across my packmates’ faces. “It’s not something bad,” I reassure them, smiling at my wolves. “But my mate is here. I can smell her.”
Relief washes over everyone’s face—well, everyone but Fabian. Instead, my beta wears a frown, his focus solely on the view from the window. He knows something about my mate being here, something that he has kept from me for the last five years.
“You knew my mate was here, didn’t you?” I ask, directing my attention to Fabian.
He stiffens in his seat, not daring to look back at me.
“Fabian,” I growl warningly, putting a command in my voice. “Did you know my mate was here?” I demand, sensing unease from the Haven Trail wolves in the room.
“I did,” he answers, his voice dangerously low. “But you ordered everyone in the pack not to talk about her,” Fabian adds, turning to face me with a glare in his eyes.
I open my mouth, ready to demand answers when the sound of familiar laughter reaches my ears.
“Mama! We have a guest, come meet him!” a childish squeal sounds.
“Okay, Saben. Take me to our guests,” a female voice, full of motherly warmth, says.
The scent of vanilla custard grows stronger, and the mate bond screams at me. Turning my gaze from Fabian, I look up to find Saben leading none other than Hannah Cross toward me, a look of shock, fear, and pain flickering across her face.
Fury rises inside me, and as I am about to curse her out for showing herself in my presence, our eyes meet, and the world stands still.
I take a deep breath, the anger inside me replaced by shock as Hannah’s scent—the scent of vanilla custard—wraps around me. It is then that I realize why Fabian told me he hoped I didn’t regret banishing Hannah, because Hannah Cross is the mate I have been searching for over the last five years.