Worthless to Priceless The Alpha’s Rejected Mate

CHAPTER 42

KADEN’S P.O.V: FLASHBACK

When Amelia fell unconscious in my arms, I panicked. I tried to shake her awake but she was not moving. I could feel her pulse and I could feel her through the bond but everything else was quiet. It was like she was barely breathing and she was as still as log. If not for my many years at being around dead bodies, I could have mistaken her for one. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

The thought of her dying was enough to send me into another panic and I began to shake her furiously trying to will her awake but nothing seemed to be working. It felt like hours when in reality it was only a few seconds. I tried CPR and but she still wouldn’t stir and that was when I knew that I needed medical help.

I lay her gently on the bed and took off in the direction of the front door. I had left my phone with Caleb when I rushed out so I decided to run all the way to the hospital to get the healer. I calculated it and figured it would take me about twenty minutes to get the healer and return. I just hoped that nothing bad happened to Amelia in the meantime.

I was so consumed with my task that I didn’t even pay attention to the other people in the room until Devin blocked my way. He didn’t do it intentionally, but it was still enough to annoy me. He must have noticed the expression on my face because he took a step back.

“Is everything okay?” he asked and I nodded. “Where is Amelia?”

“I need to get the healer, she won’t wake up.”

A dark look crossed his face but he stopped me once again. “Show me.”

I wanted to push him out of the way but I also knew that Devin was one of the smartest men alive. My father trusted him so much and therefore, so did i. I forced myself to calm down long enough to

take Devin to Amelia. He leaned over her and put a finger by her nose to ensure she was breathing. Once he was sure, he rose with a small smile.

“She is fine,” he assured me and I turned to him with confusion. How could she have been fine when she was unconscious? “The shifting is taking a toll on her body and that’s why she must have passed out. There is no need for a healer.”

I still wanted to get the healer but Devin looked sure and he looked calm and I knew that he would never do anything to hurt Amelia. I forced my limbs back into the room and made sure she was comfortable in bed. I pulled the blanket up to her chin and pressed a soft kiss to her hair.

“When will she wake up?” I asked and he hesitated before speaking.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I can’t tell for certain how long it will take for her to regain her strength. The moment she does, she will wake up.”

I appreciated that he didn’t lie to me so I thanked him. He gave me a curt nod and walked out of the room leaving me alone with Amelia. It took another five minutes before I was finally able to detach myself from her and walk out of the room.

As I left the room, Caleb arrived at the house. He looked slightly annoyed and frustrated and I could only imagine that being around Gregory for that long must have taken a toll on him. He flopped into the couch dramatically and took a sip from the tea that Clara was drinking causing her to scowl at him and smack his upper arm.

I made my presence known by clearing my throat and Caleb turned to me. In one second, he had gone from playful brother to determined Beta and he sat up straight.

“Amelia will not be a problem in regards to Gregory,” he assured me. “I’m sure he has been convinced that we either do not have her or we have killed any trespassers.”

“Good.”

The last thing I needed was Gregory causing or stirring up any trouble in my pack. I needed to keep both my pack and my mate safe and the first step in doing that had already been achieved.

“Make sure no one knows who Amelia is,” I told him and he nodded in understanding. “They must not know her family or that she came here as a rogue. Find a compelling back story and spread it.”

“I will make sure that her identity remains a secret.”

He was about to turn back to his sister when I realized that I needed him to find out something else for me.

“There was a boy,” I began slowly. “I think he snuck in with Gregory. I know for a fact that he was from Amelia’s pack. Check the footage, you should see him and I will give you a description. I need you to find out who he is and what his relationship was with Amelia.”

“How did he sneak in?” Caleb asked. “Where did you see him?”

The image of the boy kissing Amelia snuck into my head and I had to clench my fists tightly to prevent from killing someone. “That doesn’t matter. I want you to find everything you can on him and get it back to me.”

Caleb nodded but it wasn’t him who caught my attention. Clara had her eyes on me and there was something in them. I couldn’t read them but it was as if she knew something but she didn’t want to tell me and somehow she wanted me to know too.

I decided in that moment that I didn’t have the patience to deal with anyone so I walked out of the house.

Over the next few days, I checked on Amelia three times a day. I checked on her in the morning before I went to work and I checked on her in the afternoon before I went to do my rounds in the pack then finally at night before I went back home.

Devin assured me that it was normal for her to be out for this long but it had already been two days and I could not help but feel like there was something wrong and there was something I could have been doing. I wanted desperately to call the healer to check on her but Devin told me that it would only be a waste of everyone’s time so I forced myself not to.

I was in Amelia’s room working using her desk when my phone rang. I knew who it was and I forced down a groan as I picked it up. I had been ignoring my mother’s calls since yesterday and I wanted to ignore it again but I knew that she would probably come to the office and demand to see me. It would be uncomfortable for everyone involved so I swiped right and placed the phone at my ear.

“I have been trying to get you,” she said as soon as I answered. “Don’t tell me that you’re too busy for your own mother.”

“I have been busy, what is it mother?”

“I had something important to talk to you about and I wanted to see you at the office,” she paused for dramatic effect. “I came yesterday but you weren’t here and no one would tell me where you were so I figured I would call.”

“I don’t think I can make it to the office right now.”

“That’s fine,” she brushed it off. “I can meet you wherever you are. You can just tell me-”

“Meet me in the office in fifteen minutes.”

I didn’t want to leave Amelia but I knew there was only so much I could do in terms of my mother. I packed up my documents and made my way out of the house. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me

but I couldn’t be bothered to offer anyone an explanation.

I drove as fast as I could and I knew I broke every single speed limit but I wanted to be done with the conversation as quickly as I could so that I could return to Amelia. Everyone seemed to notice my bad mood because they all kept out of my way and settled for bowing quietly.

I got to my office and as soon as I opened the door, I wanted to leave because it wasn’t just my mother who was standing there, it was Lucy as well. They were wearing matching designer outfits. It was a simple black dress with the same silver purse and I wouldn’t have been surprised if my mother actually went and handpicked the outfit for Lucy by herself.

“Is this some sort of ambush?” I asked as I made my way into the office. “I was told that you wanted to see me and not Lucy.”

“Of course I’m the one who wants to see you,” mother said ignoring the last part of my statement as she walked over and pulled me into a hug. “I have not seen you in so long, let me look at you. You haven’t been sleeping, have you? Well, Lucy is very skilled at-”

“I don’t have time for this mother,” I said feeling my irritation rising so I took a step back from her. “What exactly is the problem? Why did you want to see me?”

She frowned softly and I knew she hated the fact that I was not letting her butter me up. I was well aware of her tactic to play nice and coy and then spring up a surprise on me but I was not in the mood for that. My thoughts were on Amelia and I wanted to be there when she woke up.

“If you want to go straight to business,” she said with a slight frown. “I came to give you a proposal that will benefit two mutual parties. It has come to my attention that you do not have a secretary. Your Beta is swamped with his work and you are with yours.”

She paused slightly and I wondered where she was going with that analogy. She took a few steps back and placed her hand on Lucy’s shoulders as if she was a gift that she was handing over to me.

“Lucy here is in need of an internship for college. Of course it hasn’t been announced yet but I figured that you could help each other.”

I suddenly realized what she was playing at and my frustration multiplied. There was no way she could possibly think I was going to agree with this. She didn’t seem to notice my annoyance because she continued.

“You need a secretary and she needs an internship. If you ask me that is a perfect match.”