Page 28 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

Hours pass, the silence of the room pressing in on me. I pace, I sit, and I stare out the window. And all the while, I wonder what Kieran is planning.

The door opens again that evening, and this time, Damon steps inside. His expression is unreadable, but something in his eyes makes my stomach twist.

“The Alpha has asked me to check on you,” he says, his tone flat.

“Of course he has,” I say, crossing my arms. “What does he want now?”

Damon’s lips press into a thin line. “You should be grateful for the accommodations. Most wouldn’t receive such…courtesy.”

I snort, the sound bitter. “Courtesy? Is that what this is?”

“Make of it what you will. But you are doing yourself no good by starving. I’ll have a maid take care of this for you and bring you something fresh. Ensure that you eat this time,” Damon instructs me in a no-nonsense tone before he leaves.

I know I shouldn’t take it for granted that this estate is my fortress of safety right now, but safety doesn’t mean freedom, and it doesn’t mean trust.

I glance at the untouched food, the dress still draped over the chair.

I won’t let myself be swayed by comfort or extravagance. Not when the stakes are this high.

Not when my life—and Ayana’s—still hang in the balance.

Chapter 9

Kieran

The phone call comes in the middle of a strategy meeting, Elder Darrel is droning on about fortifying the northern borders while Damon silently flips through a stack of maps. My focus is split between their words and my wolf’s aching need for her. It’s more persistent now that she is mere feet away from me. As Darrel talks about the patrol formations, the memory of her lips moaning my name flashes in my mind. But the fantasy is interrupted when my phone buzzes on my desk.

The screen blinks Eldon Hayes’ name and I feel the curiosity bloom in the room. Darrel leans back in his chair and even though Damon is still clicking through the maps on the display, I know he’s keen on what the call is about.

“Eldon,” I growl, lifting the receiver.

“Kieran,” his voice oozes over the line, slick and taunting. “I was wondering when we’d get a chance to chat.”

“If this is not about how you will withdraw your troops from my northern border, we have nothing to discuss,” I snap, my patience fraying before he even starts.

Eldon chuckles, a low heinous sound that reverberates through the line, grating against my nerves. “I’m calling about something—or rather, someone—you’ve taken from me. I think you already know. Hazel belongs to me. She’s been my prize for months, and now you’ve deprived me of my right.”

I clench my fist around the phone, the sound of it creaking under my grip. “Hazel isn’t yours.”

His voice is smug and smooth and it makes me want to rip his vocal cords right out. “You tossed her aside, left her to fend for herself. So, I claimed her. Everyone knows she’s mine.”

The words send a surge of anger coursing through me, hot and immediate. My wolf snarls, his fury matching my own. The filthy bastard rogue. But beyond the possessiveness my wolf feels, this is just according to plan. The more triggered Eldon is, the more erratic he will behave. His plan will weaken, be driven by passion, become reckless. And that’s just where I want him.

But if the plan is to trigger Eldon, why am I the one triggered now?

Get a grip, I scold my wolf and he snaps his teeth at me.

“I don’t care about what claim you think you have on her.”

“And yet my prize is held hostage behind your walls,” Eldon muses, ignoring my words. “Interesting choice for someone you so easily discarded.”

I grit my teeth, refusing to rise to his bait.

“But here’s the thing,” Eldon continues, his voice hardening, the familiar ruthlessness returning to his tone. “You had your chance, Alpha. Now, she’s mine. And if you don’t surrender her, there will be consequences. Unless, of course, you’re willing to hand her over peacefully. If not…well, you know what’s coming.”

I grind my teeth, the promise of war hanging unspoken in the air. The threat is now open. No more hiding behind the shadows. “Try it, and you won’t have a pack left to lead.”

Eldon’s laughter fades, replaced by a deadly calm. “You’d risk your entire pack for a woman you already rejected? Bold move, Kieran. Let’s see how it plays out.”

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