Page 53 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

She tilts her head, her smirk widening. “I thought I’d remind you of your place. Kieran might be entertaining this…fantasy for now, but he’ll come to his senses. He always does.”

Ayana steps between us, her expression fierce. “Back off, Nina. You’re not helping anyone with your jealous tantrum.”

“Jealous?” Nina laughs, the sound cold and sharp. “Please. I’m just stating the obvious. Hazel doesn’t belong here. She’s nothing but a liability.”

My wolf snarls, her anger coursing through me like fire. “Say what you want, Nina, but I’m not going anywhere. If Kieran has an issue with that, he can tell me himself.” I don’t know where that came from. There’s no use going back and forth with her. I don’t even want to be Kieran’s Luna. It was once a dream, a dream that made me feel like Icould belong. Like I was a wolf after all. But that was a long time ago. And the dream is dead now.

Nina’s eyes narrow, her lips curling into a sneer. “Don’t kid yourself. Kieran needs a Luna who’s more than just a decent fighter. Someone with grace, intelligence, loyalty—”

“Like you?” Ayana cuts in, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Nina glares at her, but before she can respond, the garden door opens.

Kieran steps inside, his presence filling the room instantly. His sharp blue eyes sweep over the scene, lingering on me before narrowing at Nina.

“What’s going on here?” he asks, his voice low and commanding.

Nina’s demeanor shifts instantly, her hostility melting into practiced sweetness. “Just a friendly chat, Alpha.”

“Friendly?” I snort, rolling my eyes and crossing my arms. “That’s one way to describe it.”

His gaze locks onto mine, and the tension in the room shifts. We haven’t been in the same space since that night. I’ve rejected every advance he’s made to get through to me. It’s no use. But Goddess, this pull to him is exasperating. The way his lips loosen. The hastened beat of his heart. The delicious scent of his musk mixed with the light fruit smell from the garden. Desire pools in my core and between my legs like a steady thrum that makes my skin flush and my heart race.

I feel it before I even realize what’s happening, the heat is building in my chest, spreading through my limbs like wildfire. Ayana told me this was a possibility because I didn't spend time around my Mate, and the seal is only going to worsen my wolf's estrus each time. The healer said so as I was passed out. I've become so weak from rejecting Kieran. My breath catches, my knees threatening to buckle as a wave of need crashes over me.

It's even worse than when I was a Nightclaw Omega, and now, it overwhelms my senses to the point where I feel nothing but primal lust for my Mate. If I don't have him, I am bound to suffer like this forever.

Chapter 17

Hazel

My wolf howls, her desire overwhelming as the bond flares to life. Every fiber of my being screams for him, my body aching with a need that’s both foreign and all-consuming.

Kieran’s eyes darken, his wolf flashing in their depths. He takes a step closer, his gaze heavy with something primal and undeniable.

“Hazel,” he murmurs, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

I shake my head, trying to fight the pull. “No. Don’t.”

But my body betrays me, leaning toward him even as my mind screams to stop. The air between us is thick with tension, the bond thrumming like a live wire.

“Hazel,” he says again, his voice softer now.

My breath comes in ragged gasps, my resolve crumbling under the weight of the bond. I can feel his wolf, his presence pressing against mine, relentless and consuming.

Nina’s voice cuts through the haze, sharp and bitter. “See? She can’t even control herself. Is this really what you want, Kieran?”

His gaze snaps to her, his jaw tightening. “Leave.”

“But—”

“I said leave,” he growls, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Nina hesitates, her lips pressing into a thin line before she turns and stalks out of the room.

The door clicks shut behind Ayana, her worried glance lingering on me as Kieran silently gestures for her to leave. I can’t meet her eyes, not with how every cell of my body is pulled to Kieran this way. The room feels smaller without her, the air charged with an intensity I can’t escape. My wolf whines restlessly, excitedly. She can't wait to express just how much she's needed him.

Kieran’s broad frame fills the space. The silence between us is suffocating. My body is alive with the awareness of his eyes on me, with the draw of his pheromones igniting a devastating ache in me.

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