Page 70 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

Nina stiffens, her eyes flashing with something dark. She scoffs and says, “You and I know, I would do a better job as your Luna. I have all the qualities you need in a Mate to lead this pack. You've always known this. You rejected her for a reason. You can choose another Mate of your own. She’s a liability.”

I lean against the edge of my desk, arms crossed, amused at her pitiful attempt to sway my mind from Hazel when she knows no one will ever compare to Hazel. That's just delusional. But then I notice Nina’s eyes are wide and her pupils are dilated. I sniff that something is wrong. She's jerky and jittery. “And what are you, Nina?”

Her mouth parts slightly, but I don’t give her time to answer. I need to snap her out of whatever story she's deceiving herself with. I never wanted her, and I never will. Just because she's related to the man that used to be closest to me does not mean she's my choice.

“In case you’ve forgotten, let me remind you of your place here in whatever little time you have left to spend as a member of this pack. You’re under investigation,” I remind her. “You should have been banished. The only reason you’re still here is because I haven’t found enough proof of your involvement in Damon’s betrayal.”

She's a great warrior. Her platoon leader speaks highly of her and her skills are well-known. She's an asset to the pack and I have to be sure that she can be trusted, and in what ways, before I let her go. She's in too sensitive a position.

Her jaw tightens. “You can’t honestly think I had anything to do with—”

“I think you were complicit,” I voice, my voice low, dangerous. “At best, you turned a blind eye. At worst, you helped him.”

She swallows hard, but the false bravado returns a moment later. I can see her delusion cracking, her fantasy fading, and a slight panicsettle over her. She steps closer, too close, her fingers trailing over my arm. My wolf growls something nasty, making Nina gasp. She swallows but doesn’t stop even though her hands are shaky now. “You don’t have to be alone in this, Kieran. You don’t have to settle for her. I know what’s best for the pack, you know that.”

Her act is pathetic. Her touch makes my skin crawl and my guts roil. My body is repulsed by her. Her gleaming russet eyes are now dark depths of shame and cowardice. She will never have the kind of fire that Hazel does.

I grip her wrist, not harshly, but firmly enough that she stills. I’m over this and so is my wolf. He growls, his agitation rising at the contact. “I don’t settle for anything, Nina.”

Her eyes flicker. I see the panic in them. I see her muster the last shred of her pride and bravery. She tries to press her lips against mine, but I react in time, turning so that her lips touch my cheek instead.

It’s clumsy, desperate—a pathetic attempt at seduction.

But that’s the moment the door swings open.

And Hazel stands there.

Everything slows.

Her storm-gray eyes lock onto us, her gaze flicking from my grip on Nina’s wrist to her smudged lipstick. Then to me. And what I see in her eyes guts me.

Betrayal.

Not anger. Not even rage. Just something raw, something I never wanted to see in her eyes again—hurt.

I pull back immediately, my grip tightening in rage. I don’t hear Nina’s cry as I shove her away.

My chest tightens, my wolf clawing inside me, demanding I fix this.

“Hazel,” I breathe, reaching for her, but she jerks away before I can touch her.

“Don’t,” she says, her voice shaking, but her eyes burn with cold steel. “I should’ve known better.”

My throat tightens. “It’s not—”

“I don’t care,” she cuts in, her tone flat.

But I see it. The way she trembles, the way her lips press into a thin line, barely keeping herself together.

She turns on her heel and strides out, her shoulders squared, her head high.

Pride. She won’t let the pack see her break.

She won’t let me see her break. Not again. I'm back to being the enemy and the rage that fills my chest tints my vision.

I whip around to face Nina, my control snapping. “You planned this.”

She smirks, but there’s a flicker of fear in her expression when she sees my wolf flash in my eyes that wipes the amusement from her face. “I didn’t do anything, Alpha.”

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