Page 21 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

But for the sake of my pack, Hazel is just a means to an end. She only has to come back with me.

Chapter 7

Kieran

I sit across from Hazel in the estate’s interrogation room—a place I never imagined taking her to. My wolf paces inside me, agitated by the tension between us. He doesn’t care about the accusations or the circumstances. All he knows is that our Mate is here, alive and breathing, after two years of absence. He doesn’t care that she has given herself to someone else. But I do. I could run my claws across her throat and end it all, serve the justice for the betrayal.

I didn't want to believe it. Even after confronting her, I didn't want to accept that she was lost to me for good. That made me want to find out, if it was true, if this thing between her and Eldon is real.

Before I drove back to the estate, I took a picture of her, passed out in the backseat of my truck. I headed back into the bar.

I asked some of the patrons and the staff. “Yeah, she hangs out with the big guys. You know, Eldon, the guy that could get any girl he wanted. So, when he hooked up with this beauty, everyone knew to back off,” one of the burly men in the corner told me.

“I seen her around. That big guy, he follows her everywhere. They probably have a thing. But who cares? I'm just a human trying to make some money.”

“Got any gigs for me?” another staff member, different from the bartender, says.

I went out to the street and asked some of the guards what they had seen. And it was all the same.

I reeled my wolf in as I drove back to my estate, otherwise I would have broken the steering wheel, I would have tracked Eldon to his filthy cave and bashed his head in. I had to remind myself that I had a plan, and acting in my rage would only make it worse.

From the moment I had met her, I was dedicated to her, forsaking every female that threw herself at me, even those whom I had previously entertained. Because nothing feels the same as her. Nothing ever will.

I watch her unconscious, craving to run my hands across her jaw, feel her lean into me. I watch her eyes flutter, my eyes trail down to her lips—slack, plump, inviting, her face resting on the shoulder with her seal, the exposed skin where her top was ripped makes me want to kiss it, gently, softly.

Goddess. She’s gorgeous. The way her rich brown hair falls over her shoulder, trailing down the lilac top she is wearing, some strands straying into her cleavage. I get flashbacks of how my mouth felt on her. I ache for her. Then she wakes up and looks around.

The traitor. What does she know? What has she been up to? Who else has she let touch her, make her body feel good? Who else makes her feel like I have?

I lean forward, my hands resting on the smooth oak table between us. Hazel’s posture gets rigid when she notices me and realizes what’s going on. Her storm-gray eyes lock on mine with defiance. She tries to move, but she realizes that she’s strapped to the chair. She doesn’t look away, doesn’t flinch under the weight of my scrutiny. I only had a few moments with her that night. Short, magical, electric. Seeing this side of her makes me hard instantly. Is this one of the ways she’s changed in these two years? What other side of her is there?

“Tell me what Eldon is planning,” I say, my voice low but sharp.

She raises an eyebrow, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Is that why you have me restrained like a criminal?”

“Answer my question.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “What do you care what I do with Eldon?” She's teasing me. I can tell by how her brow twitches.

“You’re with him now, aren't you? So, you must know what he’s planning. Unless he got you just to warm his bed at night.” The words leaving my mouth feeling burned.

“I have nothing to do with Eldon. There’s no information I can give you.”

“You expect me to believe that?” My frustration bubbles to the surface, and I push it down with effort.

Hazel crosses her arms, her jaw tightening. “I don’t care what you believe, Kieran.” She winces, and I notice that one of her bandages is soaked through with blood. I should have added more gauze, wrapped the bandage with more care.

The sound of my name on her lips sends a shiver down my spine, equal parts anger and dangerous lust. My wolf bristles, pushing against my control, his need to comfort her clashing with the fury simmering in my chest.

“Don’t play games with me,” I snap, my voice harsher than I intend. “You’ve been spotted with him. You’ve been in Broadstone for years, literally within his reach. And now you expect me to believe you’re not together with him?”

Her eyes flash with anger, and she leans forward, closing the distance between us. “What I expect,” she says, her voice laced with venom, “is for you to stop blaming me for things I haven’t done. I don’t owe you anything, Kieran. Not after what you did.”

The accusation in her words hits harder than I care to admit. My chest tightens, the weight of guilt pressing down on me. But I can’t let it show. Not now.

“This isn’t about the past,” I say, though the words taste like a lie. “This is about Eldon. My pack is at risk, and I need answers. You will lead me to Eldon.”

Hazel leans back in her chair, her expression unreadable. “You want answers? Fine. Here’s one: I have no idea what Eldon is planning because I’m not his Mate, and I’m not part of his pack. He’s been afterme for years, and I’ve spent every moment trying to avoid him. Believe that or don’t. I don’t care.”

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