Page 69 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

His lips press together, but he nods. “I know.”

I exhale sharply. “But I believe you.”

A flicker of something passes through his eyes—relief, maybe. Gratitude.

I don’t know what this means. I don’t know if it changes anything.

But as we stand there, the tension between us softer than before, I realize one thing.

For the first time since coming back, I don’t feel like running.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough. For now.

Chapter 22

Kieran

Leaving Hazel was the hardest thing I have had to do. I thought we had made progress. I thought we were on the road to rebuilding.

But there is nothing I can do to erase the memories that my actions have embedded in her mind.

I groan at the memory of her moans, the feel of her skin, the way she laughed, and the twinkle in her eyes as we went riding earlier. There was a spark in her that I had never seen, and it made me more hell-bent on claiming her as mine.

Through the windows in my office, I spot Hazel in the orchard. She’s harvesting some fruit in a basket. She has a little dress on with a pair of sneakers. Her hair is in a single braid down her back, and when she turns in my direction with that smile that rivals the warmth of the sun, I am mesmerized all over again by her beauty. She speaks to the farm Omegas, and they seem comfortable around her. I make a mental note to ask her opinion on the pack’s agriculture.

I sigh, my heart aching at the fact that behind her smile, there are wounds inflicted on her heart that will never go away. Same as mine. The darkness is forever there, and now, because of me, there will be a constant darkness for her too.

I’m sorry, mother.

The memory of my mother’s last words, after we had just watched my sister, her last surviving heiress be brutally injured and killed by my father’s wrath, haunts me.

“Do not make the same mistakes,” she had said as she took her last breath.

Hazel is a reminder of how much my father’s blood still flows through my veins. I am determined to extinguish every trace of it, just like I’d ended him in battle that same night he killed my mother and sisters.

At least Hazel believes me that I harbor no ill will toward her. That I’m no longer her enemy.

I lose track of Hazel in the orchard, but the scent of desperation wafts in the air before I even hear the knock at my door, interrupting my thoughts. A sickly-sweet perfume, overapplied, masking the bitterness beneath. I don’t need to turn around to know who it is.

“Nina,” I say, my voice devoid of welcome as I turn to look at her. She can still move within the estate with freedom, but I don’t know why she would come into my chambers unannounced. “Are there no guards at the post?”

The door clicks shut behind her, the sound calculated, deliberate. She lingers in the entrance of my office, draped in something sheer and form-fitting, her posture oozing confidence. But I see the desperation in her eyes. She’s running out of time. She is probably scheming how to gain more ground to exclude herself from receiving her due punishment if she is found guilty.

I narrow my eyes at her. Those plans will never work.

She steps forward, her fingers grazing the edge of my desk. “Alpha,” she purrs. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

I exhale sharply, pinching the bridge of my nose. “As you can guess, Nina, I have no reason or desire to meet with a suspect.” I look behind her. Still no guard has come after her. “Again, are Eren and Tomas not at their posts?” They’re supposed to be nearest to my door.

Where are they, and why have they not come to collect her?

“You’ve been busy with her,” she says, her tone laced with venom, ignoring my question. My wolf snarls at her disrespect. But I calm himdown. There is no need for violence. Not right now. I can take care of whatever this is.

My patience is wearing thin. “Hazel is none of your concern unless this is you confessing to be part of Damon’s plans.”

Her lips curl in distaste. “She’s dividing the pack, Kieran. You know that. People are questioning your leadership. She’s—”

“She’s my Mate,” I cut in, my voice sharp.

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