Page 45 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate

“Oh, please. You know he never leaves his screens. His marathon work sessions are basically folklore at this point.”

“I heard he chewed out his entire team for missing out on an important detail in an investigation. Guess this was it?”

“Most definitely,” Marcus confirmed.

Kieran let out a breath. “That makes things really messy.”

“Well,” he continued, “traveling with a kid isn’t exactly ideal. Except…”

“Dream powder,” Marcus finished. He had considered it, too, but he had already used some on the boy days ago. It was too soon for another dose.

It was just a journey, after all—not a covert mission.

“I noticed some magical traces before we got here. You said she pulled up a barrier against the demons?” Kieran asked.

“Yes.”

“It was… strange,” Kieran reported.

“The energy. It’s quite different compared to that of a typical dark witch.”

“She’s powerful. And she did it in the heat of the moment, to protect her son. Maybe that’s why?”

“Maybe,” Kieran echoed thoughtfully.

They exited the cabin. The morning air met Marcus like a whispered warning—cool and crisp with the tang of rain in the distance. Clouds gathered like silent judges above the treetops.

“Those are our rides.” Kieran pointed to two saddled creatures near the clearing.

“Horses?” Marcus blinked. “Seriously?”

Classic Kieran.

Kieran raised a brow.

“The main roads take longer to travel on. We’re taking a faster route, but the terrain is too tight for a car. And magical transport would light us up like a flare for demons. Horses are quite…efficient.”

Marcus squinted at him. “You and your medieval solutions.”

Kieran smirked. “You’ll thank me when we’re not ambushed.”

“You did drive in, right?” Kieran questioned, motioning to the faint trail left by a car tire.

“I did. Capturing Aza and the kid wasn’t exactly a stroll,” Marcus replied.

“I’ll send a retrieval team for your car and trunk. You’ll only need weapons now—I’ve got supplies at the next stop.”

Marcus nodded in satisfaction.

Aza stepped out finally, as Riley bounced out beside her. The kid’s eyes widened at the sight of the horses.

“Mom, look! Horses! Are we going to ride the horses?” he yelled, dashing toward one.

Then Aza blinked. “Wait—two horses?”

“Why are there just two horses?” Aza questioned.

“Why?” Marcus asked. “So you can escape if we let you ride one alone?”