Page 16 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

“You’re gonna have to find out from my boss. They won’t let me go that easily.” I wink and he chuckles.

The banter feels light, easy, like slipping into something I’d forgotten I could still wear. But as the minutes tick by, my wolf starts to feel uncomfortable, her unease prickling at the edges of my thoughts.

Something’s wrong, she growls.

I glance at Lucas, studying him more closely. His smile is disarming, his gaze steady, but there’s a tension in his shoulders that doesn’t match his relaxed demeanor.

“Everything okay?” he asks, his brow furrowing as he catches my hesitation.

I force a smile, pushing the unease down. “Yeah, just…long night.”

His hand brushes mine as he reaches for his drink, the touchlingering just a fraction too long. My wolf bristles, a low warning growl vibrating in my chest.

I focus on busying myself with wiping down the bar. The feeling doesn’t go away, though. If anything, it grows stronger, a heavy weight pressing against my senses.

“I’ve got a night off tomorrow,” Lucas says, his tone casual. “Maybe you could show me around the city?”

I glance at him, my wolf’s growl sharpening into suspicion. “I don’t know about that, stranger,” I say, keeping my tone light.

Lucas’ smile falters, the first crack in his polished façade. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

“I’m not much of a tour guide,” I reply, stepping back as I reach for a glass.

He leans closer, his voice dropping just enough to send a shiver down my spine. “You’re not scared, are you?”

Before I can respond, the door to the bar swings open, letting in a burst of cool night air. The scent hits me before I see him—sharp and smoky, with a faint edge of pine.

My breath catches, my wolf going still.

Kieran. My wolf whimpers and whines. Then she growls in anger, remembering the coldness in his eyes from that day.

I don’t have to look to know it’s him. The bond that’s been a dull ache for two years flares to life, sending heat rushing through my veins.

Mate.

The word echoes in my mind, my wolf’s voice a low, desperate whimper. She can’t help herself.

I grip the edge of the bar, my knuckles turning white as I fight to keep my reaction in check. My heart pounds in my chest, the pull of the bond making it hard to think, to breathe. I have to get out of here. It would be too painful and humiliating to be ridiculed by Kieran again. I can’t stand the thought.

“What’s wrong?” Lucas asks, his tone sharper now, his gaze narrowing as he studies me.

“Nothing,” I say quickly, my voice tighter than I intended.

His eyes flick to the door, his jaw tightening as he catches sight ofKieran. The shift in his demeanor is subtle but unmistakable. His posture stiffens, his easy smile replaced by something colder, harder.

Does he know who Kieran is?

My wolf growls, the pieces clicking into place.

Lucas isn’t just some sweet-talking stranger. I feel it deep in my gut that he’s one of Eldon’s men. That’s never good news. Can I really trust him?

“You seem distracted,” Lucas says, his voice low, almost a warning.

I force a smile, my pulse racing. “It’s been a long night, like I said.”

Kieran steps further into the bar, his presence commanding even in a room full of rogues and outcasts. He doesn’t look at me, but I feel him all the same, the bond humming between us like a live wire. His eyes scan the room, and my heart races in my chest.

Then he sees me, and those unforgettable eyes lock on mine. All the emotions crash into me at once, almost knocking me off my feet, settling under my skin, washing over me. The electric blue of his eyes, the scar running down his face. Even the easy way he carries his muscular body makes me reflexively bite my lower lip. There's a ghost of a smile on his face and I feel myself being sucked into his magnetic aura. My wolf is restless, the heat settling in our bones and growing more uncomfortable. My knees are all wobbly. My face flushes, and beads of sweat form on my upper lip. I can’t lose control. Not here. Not now.

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