The Alpha King’s Rejected Mate
Chapter 14

STERLING

“Snow, I’ve decided.”

Snow was still in bed when I went into her room to talk about something that had been on my mind for a while now. She didn’t seem to mind that I was there. When she pushed the sheet off her, she was wearing a thin camisole and tiny shorts that showed off her long legs. I swallowed hard. I shouldn’t have come here to wake her up. I should have called.

She rubbed her eyes and then looked up at me from the bed. Her green eyes were tired, and I felt bad for a moment. But I couldn’t stay feeling that way for long, not when I was getting to see her like this, soft and freshly awoken. It was a damn good look. The way I felt about Snow didn’t makes any sense. I wanted to get to the bottom of it, and my new plan would keep her close to me so I could figure it out.

“What have you decided, Sterling?” Snow asked finally, combing her hand through her blond hair and standing up. I took her all in, mouth dry and my inner beast ready for her in more ways than one. Never had I felt so strongly about a woman before. I hadn’t even touched her yet, and I felt her control on me.

“I’ve decided that since the ranches are having such a hard time replaceing trainers, I am going to put you in charge. You will replace suitable trainers for each ranch and fill in until you do so. No one can handle a horse like you, Snow. You’re good with animals and people. I can’t think of anyone else to take on this extremely important job.”

Her mouth was open in shock. It would be quite a change, I was sure, but she was the best person for the job.

“What about Pullers and Dutch?” she finally said.

I wasn’t sure what one had to do with the other or why either one of them had anything to do with Snow. “What about them?”

Snow looked away, “I have worked with Dutch for three years. I can’t just pick up and leave like that. He doesn’t have anyone to take my place.”

I didn’t like where this was going. I didn’t want to hear about the two of them or how close they were. Whatever was going on between her and Dutch, I wanted to break it apart. I would never say it out loud or to his face, but she was mine. I had already told Onyx that, and I meant it. I was the alpha, and I was not expected to share. With Snow, I don’t think I would be able to. There was something different about her, and the possessive gene I didn’t even think I had was coming out in full force.

“You’ll only be gone for a couple of days to start off with, and then you’ll be back. I want you to see the other ranches. This is a huge opportunity, and you would be foolhardy to let it pass you by. I know Dutch very well and he would want what is best for you. What’s best for you is to take the new job I am offering.”

She eventually nodded. “Fine, I’ll take it, but I need a little bit of time to get my things together.”

There was a part of me that figured if I just got a couple of days alone Snow, she would be unable to deny me, and I would finally have what I needed. I had never felt this way before, and I wasn’t going to let the feeling slip away.

I waited while she got ready and packed a small back, then walked her out to my truck, trying to get out of there before anyone could stop us. But, of course, Dutch spotted us and stood in front of the truck, blocking us from leaving. He saw Snow in the truck and they had a quiet moment of looking at each other. I didn’t want to know what they were thinking about. The two of them had a connection that I wanted to have with her. I was so damn sure that she was supposed to be mine.

“What is going on here?” Dutch asked, looking at Snow instead of me.

I was his alpha and didn’t have to tell him shit, but I knew that if I didn’t, there was going to be hell to pay. Dutch was a really easygoing guy, until the moment he wasn’t. I had a feeling he was going to be different when it came Snow. Wasn’t that the reason I wanted her? It wasn’t just because I wanted her, but because everyone else wanted her too. Snow made a person feel a certain way when she was around and I wanted that for myself. I wanted her to be mine. I didn’t just want to be with her and to love her, I wanted to own her. Right or wrong, that’s just how I felt. I had never thought that way before.

I leaned out my window and made sure to pull his attention from Snow and onto me. “I am making Snow lead trainer for all of the ranches. It’s a promotion. She is going to be hiring people and getting the riding lessons underway,” I informed him, even if I didn’t like the fact that he was questioning me to begin with.

“You’re taking Snow away?” He looked gutted.

“I need her for a couple of days,” I explained.

But Dutch was not happy that I was taking her at all. Dutch was more to me than just one of my people. He was my friend, the brother I never had. I didn’t want to mess that up, but he was picking Snow as his reason to go against me.

“I will be back in a couple of days, Dutch, you won’t even know that I’m gone. You have Onyx now and he is really good at pretty much everything. You probably won’t want me back,” Snow joked, trying to ease the mood. It didn’t help.

“There’s no way I would ever not want you back. I will be here waiting for you, Snow. Remember that. This is where you belong,” Dutch said seriously.

I was pretty bothered by what he was saying right in front of me. I knew how Dutch felt about her, but this was the first time that I wondered about how she felt about him.

“I’ll see you in a couple of days, Dutch. Take care of things around here, will you? I probably won’t have my phone with me most of the time.” If he was going to mess with me, then I was going to mess with him. I could see it in his eyes that he was less than thrilled about this whole arrangement.

As we were pulling away, Snow turned to me. “Was all that really necessary?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, all innocent.

She scoffed., “You did that on purpose.”

“I’m starting to wonder if you and Dutch have something going on. You know workplace romances rarely work out.”

She sighed and turned to look out her window.

It was a reminder to myself as well. But I ran this place, and if anybody got to fight against the rules, it was me. I made them, so I could bend or break them if I wanted to.

The truth of the matter was we spent most of our time actually working and very little of it getting cozy with each other. I found that the most upsetting because I knew that she was my mate.

By the second day we were on the road together, we were finishing each other’s sentences, but our moment just hadn’t come. It was then that I realized it didn’t have to come. I didn’t have to have her in my arms to know she was supposed to be there.

On the third night, Snow asked me if she was going back to Pullers ranch the next day.

“Are you still thinking about Dutch?” I asked, not even trying to hide the bitterness I felt. What did he have that I didn’t? He was my second, and meant I was better, so why in the hell did she want him? It didn’t make any sense to me.

“I am just thinking about the horses and all the work I have to do. I have no problem doing what you need from me, but you said a couple of days, and I still have responsibilities at Pullers. I can do both, but I have to go back.”

Even if all of it was because of Dutch, it wasn’t like she was going to tell me. She was being careful with her words, I could hear it in her tone.

“What is it between you two?” I needed to know, even if I wasn’t sure I was prepared for the answer.

“Dutch has been there for me ever since I got here. He’s my best friend.”

“He is my second in command, he is not your best friend,” I shot back at her. I would have rather heard her say that he was her lover. Friendships were next to impossible to break.

“Why are you yelling at me? What does it matter to you what I am to Dutch?” Snow yelled back at me just as loud as I had yelled at her. Any other woman, hell, any other person, would have shrunk down when I got loud, but Snow just puffed up and got bigger. How could she not be for me?

I was so turned on in that moment that I kissed her the way I had been wanting to. I’d been waiting for what felt like forever to get my lips and hands on her. Now that I had, I was going to make the best of the situation.

My fingertips dug into her soft flesh as I held her close nipped at her bottom l*p. I heard her whimper of submission and wanted to claim her.

When I told her as much, Snow shook her head. “That’s not possible.”

I was offended. “How can you tell me what’s possible and what’s not?”

“I can’t be your mate. I’m not part of your pack. There is a lot that I don’t remember about myself, but I am sure I don’t come from here.”

I felt like she was leaving something out, but I didn’t pry. I didn’t need to. She could deny it and say what she wanted, but it didn’t matter. I felt like we were making progress. When we were together, when she was in my arms like she was now, there was no other option but being together.

I was about to k**s her again, fix any thoughts she had about how we weren’t supposed to be together, when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw Onyx standing, half hidden, under a tree, leaning against the bark and looking our way. He had seen our k**s, maybe even heard our words. I was really starting to wonder about this guy. I had hired him, so I wanted it to work out, especially since he was a good worker, but damn if I knew what was going through that dude’s mind. Why was he watching Snow again? What did I have to do to get him to leave her alone?