Page 29 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

The line goes dead before I can respond, his threat lingering in the silence like a storm cloud.

I lower the phone slowly, my mind racing. Eldon wants Hazel back, enough to risk an all-out war with Moonfang.

“She isn’t worth this,” Elder Darrel says, his voice breaking through the haze. “This is madness, Alpha. And for what?”

I glance up, his disapproving gaze sharp and unyielding. Damon stands beside him, his expression more neutral, but the tension in his jaw speaks volumes. His loyalty to me has never wavered, but I can see the questions in his eyes, the doubts he’s trying to suppress.

I meet his gaze, my wolf growling low in my chest. “This is my decision.”

“It’s a reckless one,” he snaps.

“Enough,” I bark, my voice reverberating through the room. “You think I don’t know what’s at stake?” I say, my voice low and dangerous. “You think I don’t understand the risk? Eldon would come for us regardless.” And he would be mincemeat under my fangs, regardless. “She’s a catalyst,” I say through gritted teeth. “Eldon’s obsession with her is a weakness we can exploit.”

Darrel’s eyes narrow, disbelief etched across his face. “And you think keeping her here, under your roof, is the best way to do that? You’ve let your personal feelings cloud your judgment, Kieran.” He scoffs, leaning forward. “And yet you’ve chosen to antagonize Eldon further by keeping her here. Why? Because she’s your Mate?”

“Do you doubt my leadership?” I ask, my voice low, dangerous.

Darrel doesn’t flinch. “I question your priorities.”

“Get out before I have your head severed from your body,” I finally say, my voice cold.

Darrel hesitates, but Damon nods and gestures for him to leave. They exit without another word. When they leave, the silence that follows is suffocating. My wolf paces restlessly. I want to believe what I said. That she here just to taunt Eldon, to serve as a vital strategy against my foe. But the thought of him being lewd to her, running his slimy tongue over her skin, sends me into a different kind of bloodlust.

She Mated with that slimy male, threw away everything we could have been. The thought claws at me, raw and unrelenting. I can’t stop picturing her with him, her skin bearing his scent, the memory of his touch. Even alone in this room, all I see is red. I swipe at the lamp onmy desk hoping the shattering and clanging will satisfy this bone-breaking rage that I’ve worked up.

I don’t know if I want to punish her or pull her closer, whether to make her pay or sink my teeth into her shoulder as I plunge into her sopping wetness.

I push away from the desk, my movements quick and deliberate as I leave the room. I leave instructions for the Omega to bring in a rack of clothes appropriate for my next plan.

When I reach her room, I don’t knock. I push the door open, stepping inside without hesitation.

Hazel is sitting by the window, her silhouette framed by the fading light of the afternoon. I can see the tension in her body and her shoulders stiffen in my presence.

She turns to face me, her storm-grey eyes locking onto mine. “What now?”

“Eldon wants his plaything back,” I say bluntly, not bothering to mince words. I grind my teeth as I watch her reaction.

Her expression doesn’t falter, but I see the flicker of something in her eyes—fear, anger, maybe both. Her lips press into a thin line, her gaze searching mine.

“You’re going to present yourself to him. Since he has claimed you as his, that should be light work for you.” Tease him with his bait. That will get him riled up. Make him want to act sooner, more recklessly.

Her eyes widen, shock flashing across her face. “Excuse me?”

And in the end, I will ensure he never sees the light of day for daring to breathe the same air as her, my wolf adds.

My eyes trail down to her lips. She licks her plump pink lower lip and my mouth waters, craving to taste, tease with little bites, bruise it so hard it purples.

“You heard me,” I say, stepping closer.

Her hands clench into fists, her anger radiating off her in waves. “You’re using me as bait.”

“Call it whatever you want, really. You put yourself in the perfect position for my plan.”

Her defiance doesn’t waver, her chin lifting as she glares at me. Thefire in her eyes lighting the lust rumbling under my skin. “You have no right—”

“I have every right,” I snap, cutting her off. “You’re in my territory. Under my authority. That means you do as I say.”

She stands, her posture rigid as she steps closer. “And what happens when this backfires, Kieran?”

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