Page 42 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

Hazel

I pace the length of my room, the steady thud of my boots against the wooden floor the only sound breaking the silence. The past few days have torn me in ways that I’d hoped never to face in my life. This isn’t how Mate bonds are supposed to go.

For the longest time, while I was wolfless, I begged, literally prayed for some kind of miracle from our Moon Goddess to grant me the gift of a Mate, or a wolf, or both. I believed it would fix the problems I thought I had. But now, all I can pray for is for this Mate bond to be severed.

Nothing good has come out of it ever since we met. His blue eyes held me hostage and I would have drowned freely in them if he had not pushed me away. I hate the dreams I have of him. I can’t stand how my senses evaporate whenever I’m even remotely close to him. And now, he’s declared me his Mate. Just like Eldon did.

I’m sick and tired of no one asking my permission to do things that affect my life. For once, let someone care enough to ask me. Ask me what I want!

The tears sting my eyes, but a rap on the door draws me out. Iopen it, and it is the guard that I stole a phone from before. I freeze. Has he found out?

Instead of accusations, he hands me a box. It’s wrapped in simple brown paper.

“Alpha sent this to you for your needs.”

He leaves, and I lock the door. I take a breath, trying to stifle the curses directed at Kieran. I peel the brown wrapping to reveal a phone box.

Kieran got me a phone?

I almost can’t believe it, but I turn it on and it has everything on it that was on my old phone.

Other than the urge to smash the phone against a wall, I want to call Ayana.

“You need to breathe, Hazel. Just one night. Let me remind you what it feels like to live.”

A part of me wants to say no, to stay put where I know I’m safe—if only barely. But the rest of me craves that freedom, even if it’s fleeting. The idea of losing myself in a crowd, the music drowning out my thoughts, is tempting.

The knock on my door is sharp, and I whip around to see Sylvia stepping in, her face calm as always.

“It’s arranged,” she says simply, her voice soft but firm. “The Alpha has approved your request to leave for the night.”

I blink, suspicion creeping in. “He approved what?” When did I ask? I search my brain for answers. How could I have forgotten something of that sort?

“Yes,” Sylvia confirms, her lips twitching as if she’s holding back a smirk. “On the condition that you’re supervised. Ian will accompany you.”

My jaw tightens. Of course, there’s a catch. Kieran wouldn’t just let me roam freely without strings attached. “And where exactly am I allowed to go?”

“The club,” Sylvia replies. “The one he owns.”

I snort. “So even my so-called freedom is still under his control.”

Sylvia doesn’t respond, her calm expression unwavering.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Fine. Let Ian know I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

I glared at Ayana’s face on my screen.

“I know this is you’re doing.”

She chuckles and I know it’s the truth.

“I’m innocent,” she says when she’s no longer choking on air. “He called to ask and trust me to have your back baby girl.”

The club is nothing like I imagined. The second I step inside, the air shifts, heavy with the bass of the music thrumming through the walls. The scent of sweat, alcohol, and something sweet fills my lungs. The flashing lights bounce off glossy surfaces, casting vibrant streaks of red and blue across the crowd.

It’s chaos. And for the first time in days, I welcome it.

Ayana is already there, leaning casually against the bar. I slow down and get a peek of her face. She looks tired, strained, stressed. She turns around with wide eyes, with that paranoid look on her face. She’s watching her back. But then when she spots me, a mischievous grin lifts those worry lines. Her curls frame her face, and her dress clings to her in all the right places, making sure she draws more than a few admiring glances. More than being in awe at how stunning she always is, I am awash with relief to see her. She’s the only other person that counts as my family. Losing her means losing everything.

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