Page 9 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
A rush of heat and light surged through me. My wolf howled in delight and completion. The bond flared bright, connecting us on a level deeper than words or thought. I felt him, his soul, his love, his regret, and his hunger—everything.
Tears pricked my eyes as I held him, my body still trembling.
"You marked me," I whispered, breathless.
He went still and pulled away from me abruptly, like a door slamming shut. The warmth of his skin vanished from mine, and the room suddenly felt cold. Too cold. I blinked up at him, my heart still pounding from what we had just shared. My lips parted, searching for words.
"Drew?"
He was dressing, buttoning his shirt. Silently, slowly, and carefully, like each button helped lock something back insidehim. Something wasn't right. I sat up, still naked and feeling vulnerable, confusion twisting through the haze of afterglow.
"Hey," I said softly, trying to catch his eyes. "Is everything okay?"
He inhaled like he was gathering the words carefully and painfully. "Do you even know who you are?"
The question made me blink. "What do you mean?"
He finally faced me. His eyes… they weren't the same. They weren't the same eyes that had looked at me like I was his mate.
"You're Ruby Alfonso."
The name landed between us like a curse. I frowned, confused. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
He laughed, humorless, his tone sharp. "Isn't it?"
Something in my chest twisted. "Drew, what's going on?"
He stared at me…I'd never seen it before. Cold, angry, and haunted. His jaw clenched. "You're the daughter of Alpha Alfred," he continued, voice flat and heavy. "The man who wiped my pack off the map and buried my family in fire and ash."
I froze. His words sliced through the air like a blade. My ears rang.
"What?" I whispered, my pulse stumbling.
He stared at me like I was a ghost, his tone venomous. "Your father is a beast, and I will destroy him."
His daughter. My father. What was he talking about?
"Drew…I didn't…I'm not…"
"You're his blood," he said bitterly, eyes like steel. "And I needed him to hurt."
Something inside me cracked. "What are you saying?"
He took a breath. His hands were shaking. "Marking you was necessary."
The words made no sense. Necessary?
"Wait…" I shook my head. "You don't mean that. You… we just…" My voice splintered. "We're fated mates."
His expression twisted. "That bond? That was instinct. Not love."
"No," I said. "You felt it. I know you did. You looked at me like…"
"I took what I needed," he said, sharper this time. "Don't confuse a bond with something sacred."
The room spun. I clutched the sheet like it was the only thing keeping me upright.
"Was this revenge?" I asked, my voice raw.
