The Alpha's Rejected mate

e's

ng there beside Mollie, in the middle of a crowded ro

y

e. For a second, I thought I was seeing wrong. Th

held trust, pain, and a kind of strength

me face. Just

er dress was black and smooth, hugging her figure like it was made for her. Her hair was pulled back, neat b

ad ch

dn't. No

one I thought I'd killed-didn't feel so dead after

, I forgot h

and unknowing. "Zane, this is

oducing two strangers at a boring din

an

eak. Her eyes locked with mine, wide and stunned. Her fingers curled at

ut not the good kind. No, this

at her.

d. Like she'd built a wall around her heart a

shouldn't

Not in front of Mollie. Not in front of her. And not in fro

aid flatly like the name Nyx didn't mean anything to me. Like she h

look-like she was peeling back every

eavy. It wrapped around my ne

didn't

g time ago when she was just getting started. An

ssful now. Of

ething like pride. But mostly, I felt anger. And

still make me

re was something different in her

dn't think

staring could turn her into someone else. So

didn'

mattered

hate

town," I said finally, tone sh

h. "People chang

more than i

he way her throat moved when she swallowed. She was hold

you hid

uldn't. I stood there like a man trapped i

t's good to see you again." Mollie nodded, excited. "You two should talk. I n

up. Still... something in me-something I hated-wanted to know what she'd been through. Where she'd

sy. I had watched her the whole night. Nyx. I kept telling myself I

, I knew that

fident. Like she'd never been hurt. Like she hadn't once stood in f

yed something that c

dn't take

out of the build

onlight made me feel colder. She looked almost the same..

back as I came

d. My voice sounded sharp-even to me. I wanted it

for a second. Then

u liked shutting doors." Her words hit ha

straight in the eyes. "I had to." I nodded. I should've w

ding in for years. "Was any of it real?" I asked. "Or were yo

all smile. But it wasn't a warm one. It was the kind of

," she said quietly. "Still

ere shaking. She didn't reply. She just turned a

didn't even know why. I didn't know what I was fee

ed for th

heard a

e we goi

hing s

ice. Clear

mmy

p. I looked at her. She didn't turn around, but her sho

ng sharp about it. Something... familiar. I stepped closer,

id, staring

s that