Page 47 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

Do not abandon her like you did before, he warns.

I think of Damon, of the mistake he made when he first gave me the report against Hazel two years ago. It had turned out to be false. His influence has shaped every decision I’ve made about her, every choice that’s driven a wedge between us.

But what if he's wrong…again? Could he truly have been lying?

The thought chills me, but it also settles deep in my chest. I can’t sit by on the suspicion that my own Beta is against me, has been plotting against me on his own agenda. That is the only other thing that this could mean, if Ayana is telling the truth. If Hazel has been telling the truth.

I head toward my office. I find Damon already waiting, as if he anticipated my reaction. As if whatever he has planned is playing out just as he has wanted it to.

I toss the crumpled report onto the desk between us. “Explain this.”

He picks it up, scanning the contents before looking back at me. “It’s all there. Hazel and Ayana have been working against us, leaking information to Nightclaw. We have the evidence.”

“Evidence,” I repeat, my voice cold. “That conveniently appeared right when tensions with Eldon are at their peak?”

Damon’s jaw tightens. “You think this is a coincidence?”

“I think it’s too convenient,” I say, stepping closer. “And I suspect you’ve been feeding me half-truths since the day Hazel arrived.”

His eyes narrow, his wolf flashing briefly in his gaze. “Careful, Kieran. You’re accusing your Beta of treachery.”

“I’m accusing you of having your own agenda,” I snap. “Hazel and Ayana might not be perfect, but this doesn’t add up. And until I have proof, I’m not taking your word for it.”

He takes out a phone and hands it over to me.

“We raided her room while you were gone and found the phone under the mattress. That is a guard’s phone. Hazel stole it and has been using it to leak information.”

I scroll through the call logs and I see the dialed number. The caller ID Damon hands to me shows that it is Ayana’s. This is not convincing enough evidence in front of me. My wolf also still does not believe him, and neither do I. This evidence only shows that Hazel called Ayana. Given how close I can see that they are, it only makes sense. There is no certainty of there being any leaked information between them.

The tension between us crackles, the weight of my authority pressing against his defiance.

Finally, Damon steps back, his expression hard. “Do what you have to, Alpha. But don’t forget who’s been at your side through all of this.”

“I didn’t want to believe it.”

I turn to Damon and he has a look on his face. My wolf feels it too. There is a challenge in his eyes. And it tells me all I need to know.

“Because of a measly Nightclaw, you turn around on your own blood, your own Beta,” he growls, his demeanor slowly morphing into a hatred that has probably been simmering beneath the surface all along.

I think of the times he tried to discourage me from finding Hazel. His insistence on sending her away. And his support to punish her when Nina found out about how she was training Omegas. All of it flashes before me at this moment.

Why would he do such a thing to me?

That's all I can think.

Just…why?

Chapter 15

Kieran

“Know your place, Damon. I am still your Alpha,” I growl, radiating my authority over him. His wolf retreats, and he clears his throat. He straightens his back. I start to notice things I didn't before. Like how his eyes lack the respect that used to be there. It makes me wonder.

How much danger have I exposed my pack to because of Damon? How much hurt have I caused Hazel without knowing that Damon may have been behind our separation?

“I apologize. You are still Alpha.” He still sounds snarky even with the apology. My wolf snarls with the desire to sink his teeth into his neck. Oh, my wolf is eager to end him if his betrayal is confirmed, and I'm holding back to avoid giving in.

But first things first. With my uncertainty about him, I have to keep this possible threat contained. I can't trust that he doesn't have more plans up his sleeve against an already weak Hazel.

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