Page 56 of Rejected and Pregnant by the Alpha (Forbidden Alpha Kings #52)
Julian
Leaning against the wall outside of Hannah’s office, I let out a sigh of relief as I wait for her to finish answering a phone call before we head down to the meeting about taking out the Hunters Association in Ottawa.
Our talk with Saben had gone surprisingly well.
I had not expected Hannah to spring it on me as soon as we reached the pack house, but I’m glad she did.
We were able to express our feelings and tell Saben the truth.
I know my son is more intelligent than he lets on and can figure things out faster than most pups his age.
I couldn’t be prouder of him than I am now, even if I have known him for just a few short days.
I love him, love the way his eyes twinkle with mischief.
I love how he respects his mama without needing a reminder and how kind he is to his packmates, whom he will one day lead.
Hannah has done a good job raising him these last five years.
Now, she will have to catch me up to speed to be just as good a parent as she is.
“Hey, sorry that took a little longer than expected, but the hunter who was arrested was found dead in his cell. The coroner is calling it a heart attack, but we know he was bled dry by a vampire who was also arrested the same day,” Hannah says with a smirk, a bloodthirstiness to her words.
I chuckle, enjoying that one of the men trafficking and harming supernatural creatures is now gone from this world, and I’m happy, as it means one less enemy to worry about harming my mate and son.
“So, I guess the hunters are scrambling to figure out what to do with their leader and best men gone?” I ask as Hannah, and I begin to walk toward the conference room for our meeting.
“Yep. Aidan linked me, stating that Sabrina is getting a bunch of texts and calls about needing Steven back home to settle the rising panic,” she answers, providing more details about the trouble brewing in the Hunters Association.
“So I’m guessing we are attacking right away then,” I muse, prompting Hannah to let out a chuckle.
“Tomorrow night. Aileen is gathering some of her coven members for the assault,” she says, her eyes narrowing with excitement.
“I don’t condone vampires drinking from humans, and neither does Aileen, as the head of her coven, but if the vampires who are being held hostage by the hunters escape and find a juicy meal, we will not interfere,” Hannah adds as we step into the conference room.
Inside, we find Claira, Aidan, Mikos, Aileen, Fabian, and Mavric, as well as the female hunter, Sabrina, and a skinny male rogue whom I assume is her mate, as his hazel eyes dart about the room while he snuggles close to her.
“Sorry we’re late,” Hannah calls out, walking toward the head of the table.
As the alpha in this area, she will be taking the lead on this attack. I can only sit to her right as the visiting alpha even though I am her mate and the alpha king.
“We got a call from Corry, a vampire who is part of Aileen’s coven. He said that the male hunter he arrested last week was bled dry,” I answer, earning a sigh from Aileen.
“Corry isn’t to blame. His partner, Daven, intentionally placed this hunter in the same cell as a rogue vampire they had arrested—without Corry’s knowledge,” Aileen states, the playful vampire seeming like an exhausted parent.
“I already have Daven’s punishment ready to be dished out for his mistake, and I will ensure it never happens again,” the blonde vampire adds, picking up her travel mug and taking a sip from it.
Sabrina scoffs in her seat, catching all of our attention.
“He deserved it,” she states quietly when she realizes she has drawn attention to herself.
“Jimmy was the one who took satisfaction in ripping out vampire fangs before raping them—both men and women,” she continues to explain, her voice growing stronger.
“Him being bled dry is poetic justice for what he did to them.”
Aileen takes a sharp breath, her eyes turning blood red with anger. I watch as Hannah reaches out to her friend and feel anxiety rising inside me when Aileen takes it. Thankfully, Aileen uses my mate’s hand to ground herself, the vampire slowly releasing her breath.
“I am still punishing Daven for what he did,” she mutters, making me chuckle.
“At least lessen the punishment because it seems like this Jimmy fellow got what he deserved,” I suggest, getting a nod from Aileen.
“I will,” she agrees before thanking Hannah for her support and releasing her hand.
“Well, with this little bump in the road settled, we need to talk about attacking the headquarters in Ottawa,” Hannah cuts in, her eyes zeroing in on Sabrina.
“What is happening over there?” she asks the small human, who looks down at the phone on the table.
“Everyone knows that Jimmy is dead. His wife received the notice this morning, and with Steven and Carlos not taking any calls, they are worried about security at the headquarters,” Sabrina answers.
As if on cue, Steven’s phone screen changes as an incoming call is displayed for all to see.
The name reads Marcus, and Sabrina visibly shudders.
“Who is he?” I ask, watching as Nelson, the rogue, slowly runs his fingers through her hair.
“Steven’s brother,” Sabrina answers, wrapping her arms around herself. “When I did something that displeased him, Steven would tie me up and allow Marcus to have his way with me,” she adds, Nelson letting out a small snarl.
Hannah sends him a warning look, and Nelson respectfully shows his neck, submitting to her. To say I am impressed is an understatement. It seems Hannah can command a wolf without having to say anything.
“Sorry, Alpha Cross,” Nelson apologizes, looking down at his lap.
“Apology accepted,” Hannah says gently, giving him a soft smile.
“I know the mate bond makes you overprotective. Add on the fact you have to wait to mark Sabrina, and your hormones are all over the place,” she adds, turning to look at me and taking my hand.
“But you need to learn to control your emotions if you want to join Haven Trail. We can’t have you ruining our chance of taking down this Hunters Association because of what Sabrina went through in her past. She has you now, and you need to learn to protect her while also respecting her autonomy. ”
Hannah’s insight surprises me, and I squeeze her hand.
The Hannah I knew before I listened to the rumors was a lot like she is today: strong, calm, level-headed, and able to make her point without sounding condescending.
Goddess, I was blind to have listened to the rumors and rejected this woman without a second thought.
“Yes, Alpha Cross,” Nelson answers, sighing with relief.
“Now, Sabrina.” I turn my attention to the human and watch her stiffen in fear as she looks at me. “I need you to answer the phone when Marcus calls again,” I continue, observing her nod slowly.
Noticing her discomfort, Hannah looks at Sabrina before releasing a calming aura, something only alphas can do to relax those who seem on edge.
“You said Steven would rape other wolves?” Hannah asks, and Sabrina nods. “Good. When Marcus calls again, tell him that Steven is busy with new merchandise, trying out a she-wolf you guys caught on your way back to see if she is good to be put to use.”
Fabian lets out a chuckle while Mikos looks at Hannah as if she has grown three heads. No one would have thought the innocent-looking alpha wolf beside me would come up with such a horrible excuse as to why the owner of the phone wouldn’t be able to answer it right away.
“Just answer it as you usually would if Steven were busy and let Claira do the acting,” Hannah continues, ignoring the strange looks from everyone around the table.
“I… I can do that,” Sabrina confirms while Claira leans back in her chair, smirking.
“If I am playing the role of ‘merchandise,’ who is going to play the role of Steven?” she asks, looking at the men around the table.
Aidan’s head snaps toward his daughter with a disgusted look, while Fabian loses it, doubling over in his chair with laughter.
“Depends on who sounds like him while moaning and groaning,” Sabrina answers, her eyes wide at how the tone of this conversation has changed.
With a smirk, Hannah orders all the men to take turns moaning as if they were in the middle of fucking some pack whore. Mikos goes first, and it takes everything in me not to double over laughing at how awkward he sounded and looked. After his turn, each wolf went next until Fabian’s turn came.
“He’s the one,” Sabrina said, fear seeping out of her. “That’s how Steven sounded when he would… have his way with me and any woman he wanted.”
Nelson stiffens, his eyes hardening into a glare. He buries his face in Sabrina’s hair, breathing in her scent to calm himself down.
“So, we have our fake Steven. Now it’s time to plan the attack for tomorrow night,” Hannah says, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.