Rejected By The Alpha, Claimed By The Beast

ky

the forest floor, the stench of death thick in the air. My pulse hammered against my ribs as I stare

ured control. His bare skin was splattered with crimson, streaks of red glistening in the golden morning

digging into my palms. "I

of the dead rogues and wiped his bloodied fingers against the cor

uld hav

for argument. My pride bristl

yes darkened

lio took a step closer, closing the space between us. I should have stepped back, but my feet refused to move. "You

g treated like something fragile. Tobias had seen me the same way, unwort

lio took a step closer, closing the space between us. I should have stepped back, but my feet refused to move. "You

g treated like something fragile. Tobias had seen me the same way, unwort

your opinion

You need something." His gaze flickered over me, slow, assessin

ulio stepped even closer, his presence a forc

ed. "What kind of

rned into me. "Do you want to live

ght he might hear it. Living and

the day Tobias would finally see me. That day never came. He h

uld have run after Tobias, desperate to prove her worth. But so

lled my lungs. "

y there, a ghost of som

the side of my face. Not possessive. Not forceful.

ow, don't you?

tion. A force th

that he

or an answer in the depths o

thumb grazing my cheek. "I don't ques

I didn't move away. Maybe I sh

s Mat

, I pushed forward, my wolf restless beneath my skin. The rogue attacks had been increasing over the

kk

last night. Had she ma

instincts still roared to life at the thought of her in dange

the thought

eakness had no place in my hea

n't

arth. I reached the clearing- then froze. Bodies. Three of them, tor

o Ir

Too close. His hand lingered against her face, his expression unreadable. Nikky wasn't pul

ked up, meeting mine with a slow, deliberate st

Too close. His hand lingered against her face, his expression unreadable. Nikky wasn't pul

ked up, meeting mine with a slow, deliberate st

mething colder. Something stronger. I had expected her to be broken. To be drowning in the weight of my rejec

nd unyielding. I had cast her aside.