Rejected by the alpha who claimed me

upposed to fee

tories promised. What every she wolf drea

ng after the claiming, th

Heavy.

ugh the tall windows. My skin still tingled where Kael's mark burned faintly at the base of my neck, a remin

he Alph

.. I was sup

tinctive need. The overwhelming closeness that shoul

ing

able, like a thread tied around my heart but it was dis

wasn'

he room was u

eal. The claiming had been real. The way the pack had bowed their head

ready feel like

lent, the stone floors echoing beneath my bare feet. Servants avoided my g

gratul

war

smi

busy with pack duties he was the strongest alpha our territory had seen in

what I to

that morning in th

ugh combat drills with ruthless precision. Sweat glistened on his skin, his expression

the edge of

y at the sight of him.

ren

utal twist and stepped back, breathi

t, something flic

it va

ession turning neutral,

dn't

't appr

oked

st tig

Surely he would acknowledge me in fr

did

scattered quickly, casting curious glances at me as they passed.

Kael grabbed a towel and wiped hi

I said

pau

nally, h

" His tone was cal

voice of

tightened

enly unsure of myself. "

aze sharp and assessing, like I was a pr

ing to talk a

landed l

mate," I s

w tigh

replied.

was

No reassuran

you're avoiding me?" I ask

eyes da

gining thin

y head. "

ant," he cu

fr

ele

true," I sai

pted, his voice low and controlled. "You will remain in the

at tightened. "Is tha

tretched

ay again, his

n," he said. "T

os

wa

cher

os

ed into fists

e chosen," I said.

was required," h

fortable, like it was warning me o

anged?"

snapped ba

ng," h

eyes bet

ng had

. In the way his presence felt like distance instead of closene

d quietly, "then why do I f

idn't

s louder than

ide," he said finally.

llowe

watching," I said.

ession h

d. "There is the pack. There is lead

ed painfully a

I fit into t

putting physical

arn your pla

t deeper tha

the man who had looked at me under the

as g

d an alpha alread

, forcing mysel

rstand,

d once, like the conv

tretching like a thread about to snap. I pr

ael didn't c

dn't

n't st

the claiming, a terrible th

asn't going

ing to de