Page 48 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

“You will no longer function as my Beta until you can prove your innocence. You will be confined to your quarters until then.” I call to the guard by the door and give him my orders. It is the least I can dountil he is confirmed to be my enemy. Then, it won't matter that he has been there for me all these years, and it sure as hell won't matter that he has been the closest person to me since I lost my family.

If I confirm that he went behind my back, I will not hesitate to show him the Kieran that all of the shifter packs on this great mountain fear.

“Alpha, you cannot–”

“Don’t you dare dream of questioning me again,” I cut him off. He will not speak before me until these allegations are cleared.

I know he feels the bloodlust in my aura, and I see him visibly bristle. He knows I will not hesitate to strike. My wolf is flashing in my eyes, exuding our authority as Alpha. It stops Damon. He nods.

I call the guards in.

“Damon has become ill. The healer has recommended that he does not leave his chambers. Be sure that no one enters his chambers or leaves to aid his recovery.” It's the only way to keep the pack calm while investigating.

Damon is led away by the guards.

I walk to the office door, making sure no one else is nearby. This can't be public yet. I need to keep track of how many people are aware of what is happening. I call for the nearest guard. “I need Ian and Kai right now,” I order. They are my best trackers right now, and if anyone can sniff out discrete information, it is them.

We have to know who is telling the truth and who is lying. They will carry out the investigations.

I turn to see Ayana running down the hallway to my office, panting as if she's just run all the way from Hazel's wing. Her eyes are wide with worry, though her dislike for me is not hidden with that scowl on her face.

Ayana looks back at the hallway where Hazel’s door is. “She deserves better than you, but she needs you right now for her healing. The healer came to check in on her and repeated that she has to have you around.”

She's right. All I can think about is Hazel and how much I have failed her by listening to Damon, who never wanted us to be together. Whatever his reasons, he sabotaged my relationship with Hazel.

The weak mutt.

How could I have been so manipulated against my own Mate? The one the Goddess made just for me. The one I'd been waiting for all my life. The guilt eats at me.

“I’m starting to think you might be right,” I admit, my wolf growling in agreement. “You're moving into the estate. I'll have a room prepared for you close to her. Get whatever things you need from Broadstone. A warrior will go with you.”

“Wait…it can't be just my word that's made you have a change of heart. What did you find out?”

I tell her everything in my office before Ian and Kai come in.

“He really did that…” Ayana sighs, but the accusing glare doesn't leave her eyes.

“I…”

“Save it. I'll go get our stuff.”

Ian and Kai step in just then to receive their orders.

When Ayana is gone and I have given my orders to Ian and Kai, I approach Hazel’s room. My wolf paces inside me, restless and growling with a low, insistent demand. Fix this. Make her ours.

I clench my fists, trying to steel myself against the vulnerability rising in my chest. Apologizing doesn’t come naturally to me. It feels foreign, awkward, and yet, there’s no avoiding it. Hazel deserves more than what I’ve given her. I’ve been wrong all along. I’ve put her through hell because of my insensitivities.

The door to her room is slightly ajar, the faint glow of a lamp spilling into the hallway. I hesitate for a moment, listening for movement. A soft rustling sound reaches my ears, followed by the low murmur of voices. My wolf snaps to attention, the hair on the back of my neck prickling. There is a foreign scent in the air.

I push the door open, and the sight before me makes my blood run cold.

Hazel is sitting on the edge of her bed, her face flushed as a man leans toward her, his hand resting on her arm. She looks startled, maybe even afraid and disoriented, having just woken up, but I don’t process anything beyond the fact that another male is in her space. Touching her. He might be about to attack her, or take her away.

My wolf takes over before I can think.

A savage growl rips from my throat as I lunge forward, my claws extending mid-motion. The intruder barely has time to turn before I slam into him, throwing him to the ground with a sickening thud.

“Get your hands off her!” I snarl, my voice a guttural roar.

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