The Rejected Alpha (Book 1 of the Rejected Series)

Chapter 40

They grumbled something under their breath but didn't say another word while they sulked back to their chair and sat down again. "So, your grandmother wants you t- Hey! Where do you think you're going? I'm talking to you!"

"And I am walking away," I said, starting to go to my room and ignoring what Salem had to say. I had a plan to go to the old house and see if there wasn't something in there, but I needed to make sure that Salem didn't know that was my plan. I had no idea how they would react if they knew what I wanted to do. "I have homework that I have to complete, and I had brought that up to my room."

"But you have stuff here already," Salem complained but didn't get up like I thought they would. "And your grandmother wants you to drink some tea tonight."

"No," I replied and pursed my lips in disgust. I was tired of drinking tea, accepting a lot of it from my grandmother, and then accepting that one cup from Horus. "I had too much tea today. I do not need any more tea today."

Salem groaned and stood before they followed me out of the kitchen and to the steps. "But your grandmother sa-"

"I know what my grandmother said," I said, interrupting them. I didn't look back at them because I knew that they wouldn't touch me and try to pull me back into the kitchen. "However, she is not here, and you can't force me to drink it."

"Do you want to make a bet?" they shot back, still following me. However, they did not put a hand on me, and I had a feeling that a small bit of them was petrified about what I would do if they did touch me.

Salem groaned and kept following me to the stairs. "You're going to be doing something stupid, aren't you?"

"Like what?" I asked and turned my head just a bit to look at them. I raised an eyebrow and kept walking up the steps with them, pausing at the base.

"Finding information."

"Well, that's the plan. Is it not?"

Salem sighed and seemed to grow older before my eyes, and it had me pausing on the last step and turning to face them so that I could look at them directly and see what the matter was.

They rubbed their face and groaned, and I stayed silent and watched them, wondering what kind of act this was. "Finding this out will kill you, Alex," they said, and I rolled my eyes and scowled because I had heard that too many times before and was still alive. "I am not kidding," they defended themselves. "You aren't ready for this stuff, Alex. You have so much to learn before you can know."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes with a shake of my head. "Ya, and who to teach me?" I asked, and they shrugged and grimaced. I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose, annoyed before I shook my head with another sigh. "Look, I will be fine. This isn't the first time that I did something like this." I paused and cleared my throat.

"I need to know, Salem," I said, letting them hear the desperation that I tried to keep under control so that no one knew how desperate I was. "I need to know whatever this means and if it will help me help my mate. I can't stand idle for long. My mate and my pack are counting on me to figure this out and to rescue their Alpha."

Salem sighed and shook their head, and their gaze softened. They knew that they wouldn't be able to change my mind. They knew I would fight tooth and nail until I figured out what that symbol meant and how I could use it to help my mate. "Even if it means that you'll get killed before you can find out?" they asked in a last ditch effort to get me to stop.

I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded. "Even then," I confirmed.

Salem groaned and rubbed a hand across their face. "Fine," they ceased, seizing their fight into stopping me from snooping. "Just know that I tried stopping you and had warned you about the dangers of what could happen if you get caught."

I furrowed my brows and cocked my head, confused and a little suspicious of Salem. My whole body was tense, but I still knew that they wouldn't do anything to me. I had no idea why I became suspicious of them, but I had a feeling it was because they knew something about this. "But you d-"

"I did," they said, interrupting me. They gave me a sly smile and winked, and I had a small feeling that they were terrified because they knew that I didn't like being interrupted by them. "You merely forgot about our conversation."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and narrowed my eyes while I studied them. I had no idea what they meant by that, but I knew that it was important if they decided to interrupt me. "Whatever," I grunted, and they breathed a sigh of relief because they knew I wouldn't hurt them. "Are you staying here?"

They nodded in confirmation. "Until your grandmother gets back," they replied. "We don't need that handsome man of yours to know that your grandmother is actually gone."

I held back an eye roll when they said that but scowled, jealousy blossoming in my chest, even though I knew that they wouldn't go after him because they knew he was mine.

Salem shifted into my grandmother and gave me one of their signature smiles on my grandmother's face. "Now, go and find the information that you want and never forget it. Ok, Sweetie? Don't worry about me. I am going to watch some Soap Opera shows and knit." They started to walk towards the living room where the tv was located.

"You don't knit, Salem," I called after them. "Don't go messing with my grandmother's knitting, or else she will have your hind."

"Oh, I know, Dear," they said, "but enough about that, and stop worrying about me. Have a very happy hunt. I do hope you find what you are looking for, and I pray that you will never forget it."

I didn't respond and walked to my room again with the plan of getting the outfit that I used to use as a King's Guard.

If I wanted to become one with the darkness, then I knew that I needed to dress for it.

Sometimes even shadows love to come out and play.