Page 14 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

I had told her of my plans, of how I couldn't stand another day in the pack, the hate, the pain. It was all too much. She told me to go. She warned me never to come back. I know my father’s disappointment will be even worse. I could not hold myself in respect as a warrior, and now I absconded as an Omega.

But he said it himself. As far as he is concerned, he doesn’t havea daughter. Turning back was no longer an option. Magnus’ frozen heart will ensure that I pay with my life. The seal ordered by Alpha Jag hasn’t broken, though it’s weakened enough that I can shift partially now, but I can’t access the speedy healing my wolf would have granted me. It’s not the same, but it’s something. Resentment builds in my chest. I never got to shift before my wolf was sealed. And now, I may never feel the true freedom of having my wolf.

I glance down at my hands as I wipe down the bar. The faint ache in my knuckles is a reminder of how close we came to getting caught that night. One of the guards almost had us, but Ayana’s quick thinking and my stubborn refusal to fail pulled us through.

“Earth to Hazel,” Ayana’s voice cuts through my thoughts. She leans against the bar, her curly hair wild and her sharp eyes scanning the crowd behind me. “You’re zoning out again.”

“Just tired,” I say, giving her a small smile.

She snorts. “You’ve been tired since we got here. Maybe it’s time you get some sleep instead of staying up all night brooding.”

“I don’t brood,” I protest, though I know it’s a lie.

Ayana shakes her head and looks at me like a grandma would. “Look, we made it out. We’re here. Alive. That has to count for something, right?”

I nod, but the truth is, I’m not sure what “alive” is supposed to feel like anymore.

Broadstone is a strange place, a city where rank doesn’t matter, where packs dissolve into a loose collection of individuals just trying to survive. It’s messy and chaotic, but there’s a kind of freedom here I never thought I’d know. Yet, it still feels like I’m fighting for my life daily, doing menial jobs. Working at this bar has saved me from knocking door to door asking to clean houses. It also finally afforded Ayana and me an apartment.

Our apartment is small—a single room with a lumpy mattress on the floor, a rickety table, and a stove that barely works. But it’s ours, and that’s more than I can say for the life I left behind.

I work most nights at The Broken Antler, a run-down pub on the edge of the market district. The hours are long, the customers rowdy,and the pay just enough to scrape by, but I don’t mind. It keeps my hands busy and my mind distracted.

Most nights are uneventful. I pour drinks, clean spills, and occasionally break up a fight or two when tempers flare. But tonight, the air feels heavier, and I feel my wolf bristle.

I’m wiping down a table near the back when Eldon walks in.

He’s the infamous leader of a rogue pack that’s made a name for itself here in Broadstone. His reputation is as sharp as the grin he wears, dangerous and impossible to ignore.

“Hazel,” he drawls, his voice smooth and low.

I stiffen, my grip tightening on the rag in my hand. “What do you want, Eldon?”

He smirks, leaning against the edge of the table. His dark eyes roam over me, lingering in a way that makes my skin crawl. “You know what I want.”

“Not interested,” I say, turning away from him. He can never charm me the way Kieran’s smile did. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever open up to another male. Whether I’m doomed to be the rejected Mate all my life and suffer the pain of our frayed bond forever.

Eldon catches my wrist, his grip firm but not bruising. Yet. “Come on, sweetheart. Don’t be like that. You’ve got fire, and I like fire.”

My wolf stirs at his touch. Pure, unfiltered rage simmers just beneath the surface.

I pull my hand free, baring my teeth, my fangs starting to lengthen. “Touch me again, and you’ll regret it.”

Eldon laughs, a low, throaty sound that sends a chill down my spine. “Feisty. I like that.”

His words ignite something in me, and before I can think, my claws extend, my hand swiping out in a sharp arc.

The moment my claws graze his cheek, his laughter stops. Blood beads along the shallow scratches, but instead of anger, his eyes darken with something far worse—pleasure.

“You’ve got bite,” he murmurs, touching his cheek. “I like you even more now. I want to see that in the bedroom soon.”

My stomach churns as I step back, my wolf growling low in my chest. “Stay away from me, Eldon. I’m not yours, and I never will be.”

For a moment, his grin falters, something dangerous flashing in his eyes. But then it’s back, sharp and predatory. “We’ll see about that,” he says, his voice soft, but heavy with promise. He’s not going to stop coming for me. I have to be ready. Eldon is a dangerous man, and with the pack of rogues he has under his command, it’s going to be herculean to avoid him and his antics.

The attack happens a week later.

I’m on my way home from work, the streets quieter than usual under the faint glow of the moon. The hairs on the back of my neck prickle as I step into the alley that leads to our apartment, the scent of rogues hitting me like a warning bell.

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