Rejected Mates

Chapter 21

Melinda was gathering a few dishes, talking to someone who was finishing their meal, when she almost fell to the floor. A wave of heat, along with the comforting scent of fresh bread almost knocked her over. Like the burst of heat when you open a hot oven door. Only nobody else seemed to be affected. She righted herself, after stumbling and looked around the room, trying to figure out what had just happened. The scent was gone, the heat was gone, and everyone else was moving around as normal.

Melinda finished work and then met up with Nancy in the media room to watch a movie. She was trying to occupy her mind and prevent it from always wandering back to the alpha. She wanted to hear from him, she craved it, but she was equally afraid of what their next conversation would be about.

Alpha, what's going on? Where are you? It was Colt's voice in Jared's mind. He was still wandering around in the woods, trying to decide what to do.

I'm fine, Jared grunted in response.

We've got an update regarding Ricky's situation Colt informed him.

Alright, meet me in my office in half an hour, Jared replied. He didn't want to think about Ricky. He didn't care about Ricky right now. He wanted his mate, the one who rejected him. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted her in the past, and he knew she was there. She was so close, but he could never forgive what she had done. With time, he told himself, he might have been able to forgive the rejection, if she had seemed interested in repairing the bond. But knowing what he knew, aware that she'd had an affair with an alpha, he hated her in the midst of his desire for her. She apparently hadn't changed a bit, since the day she had turned his world upside down.

As he trotted in wolf form back in the direction of the pack house, he considered just rejecting her right then and there. But he had no idea what kind of a ripple effect that might cause. Seeing as her presence had already disrupted his senses, he didn't want to risk a situation that might draw additional attention to his drama. He also couldn't bear to lose her, as confusing as that thought was for him. Just like the day she rejected him, as much pain as it caused him, he couldn't let her go.

As he walked into the building through the large glass doors, he could smell her. Now that he had recognized the scent as hers, it seemed to surround him. He knew she was in the building, and it stirred his frustration. He marched down the hallway toward is office. Colt was already there when he arrived.

"What is it?" Jared asked gruffly, slamming the door after entering, hoping it would help to block the scent that seemed to be everywhere, before taking a seat behind his desk.

"We heard back from our guys sniffing around the Salt River Pack," Colt began, pretending not to notice the disheveled appearance of the alpha. "They've been in contact with the local authorities, the humans, and it looks like Ricky was telling the truth about the beta, pushing drugs. Apparently, the humans have had their eye on him for a while, and they've been watching him to see who his supplier is. He's pretty low on the totem, so that's why they've never approached him."

"What about the alpha, is he in on it too?" Jared asked, reading over the report Colt handed to him.

"We haven't yet figured that out yet," Colt replied. "The whole pack has been pretty closed up since the incident with Ricky, so we're having a hard time getting inside information."

"Alright, keep on it," Jared directed. "Should we give Ricky a trial run, and see how he interacts with the rest of the pack?"

"Honestly," Colt replied, "I don't think he's a threat. He got the raw deal, being the one to find the beta in the middle of a drug deal. If he'd had proof, and of course if he hadn't beaten the beta to a pulp, he'd probably be a hero."

"Ok, have someone prep an apartment for him, and we'll bring him out after dinner is over," Jared said. "I'll want eyes on him any time he's not in his apartment, but let's see how it goes. I'll go talk to him while everyone is at dinner."

"Okay, sounds good," Colt replied, and then paused trying to decide if now was a good time to ask the alpha about what had happened at lunch. "Is everything okay?" he finally asked.

"No," Jared said with a sharp tone. "It's not okay at all."

"Want to talk about it?" Colt asked.

"Nope, not even a little bit. You can go," Jared dismissed him.

After Colt left, closing the door after exiting, Jared put his head down on his desk in defeat. He didn't know what to do. He was angry and disappointed, and the only thing he could think of that might make him feel better, would be talking to Mel. But that wasn't going to be an option for him. He was not going to make allowances for her behavior and he was not going to forgive her.

After a few minutes of wallowing, Jared pulled himself together, ready to set aside his personal issues and focus on the task at hand. He waited until the dinner bell rang, trying to ensure that he wouldn't cross paths with Mel, and then he left his office and headed toward the cells, to have a conversation with Ricky.

"We've been following up on your story," Jared began, once Ricky had been served his dinner meal. "So far, I'm inclined to believe your side of things."

"Does that mean I'm free to go?" Ricky asked sarcastically, figuring he'd probably be stuck behind bars for the rest of his life.

"No, honestly, there's little chance you could ever return to the Salt River Pack," Jared replied honestly.

"So, what good is it that you believe me?" Ricky asked solemnly.

"I'm going to give you a chance here," Jared replied. "After dinner, I'm letting you out."

"Really?" Ricky asked eagerly. "What's out there?"

"You'll be shown to an apartment and assigned a job. If you can play well with the others, you'll get to stay out there," Jared said.

"What happened with the other two?" Ricky asked, eagerly finishing his meal. "The ones who came the same time I did. Are they still locked up?"

"The female has been allowed into the pack, the other male is still in his cell," Jared offered.

"That guy seemed like bad news," Ricky replied, licking his plate.

"I won't be discussing information about other members of the pack. As we've reiterated, everyone here is given a second chance. If you want to discuss your personal history with others, that's your prerogative. I won't tell you about anyone else, just as I wouldn't discuss your background with anyone else, outside of my leadership team."

"Understood," Ricky replied. "But the girl that got transferred in with me, she's out there too?"

"Yes," Jared replied curtly.

"She was hot," Ricky commented, mostly to himself.

"There is to be nofraternization," Jared snapped. "Colt will fill you in on the specifics of therules, but that's the first one. Don't break it," Jared said while stifling ajealous snarl when he thought about other men noticing Mel.