A Rejected Wolf and a Court of Ash (Eden and Azriel) novel Chapter 32

Do you believe in love at first sight? I do. Something happened when I first laid my eyes on Eden. She was the shy girl in kindergarten. A werewolf gt with red hair, freckles, and heterochromia. So pretty that I wanted to ask if she wanted to become my friend.

But she was an omega, and when I sat in my family’s limousine and asked my father, Alpha Marcus, questions about the new girl in our pack, he growled at me and said, “Stay away from the omega if you know what’s best for you, son. Or else I will have something else to punish you for. And trust me, i won’t be so gentle next time. You won’t sit for a week after I’m done with you!”

I remember shaking in my seat since my skin was already blue, black, and yellow from the abuse I had endured the night before, I was in pain, but also secretly curious about the girl with the different–colored eyes.

I couldn’t stay away from her, but I couldn’t become her friend either, since I knew my father would beat me up. I also knew he would punish her as well. so I did what every stupid boy with a crush does: I bullied her.

It’s laughable, really. Logan Valentine, now the Alpha of the Valentine pack, had the largest crush on Eden Felicity and still has a crush on her, but he–me -is too much of a chickenshit to tell her. It wouldn’t lead anywhere either, seeing my father and the pack elders would never let me mate with an omega.

I try to stay away from Eden because of this, but after begging the moon goddess to make París my fated mate, we’re in deeper trouble than ever. I thought it would solve my problems, that if I woke up with a mate bond tied to Paris I would fall in love with her and forget all about Eden. Instead, the damn fairies heard me, intervened, and now here we are, with Eden about to become their blood sacrifice.

“Sorry that I’m late!”

I spin around in the pack mansion’s basement gym, my eyes landing on a panting Eden. Her hair is a mess and she is out of breath, as if she ran here, which I know she didn’t since I heard Azriel’s car arrive.

I can smell him on you. The damn fairy’s scent. It’s all over your skin, and it’s driving me insane.

“It’s fine,” I mutter, since showing her my jealousy is a big no–no. “You’re not that late.”

She gives me a hesitant smile. “What exactly will we do today?”

“You’re here since you need to connect with your inner wolf in order to shape–shift,” I say, my attention going to the weights. “But to do that, you need to be…attractive to your wolf. That means building muscle and stamina. You will do that by doing regular exercise. Today, we’ll start with a few different styles of training. I was thinking regular push–ups, weight lifting…maybe some running.”

Eden looks down at her body. As her bully, I know that she is self–conscious. Hate that I’m probably the reason since I’ve picked on her for her looks. Stupid. But…fuck. I don’t have a good excuse. I’m a fucking asshole.

Her voice comes out small. “Don’t you think I should start with something a bit easier? I’m not exactly in shape.”

I look at her, really look at her, and I want to tell her that her body is perfect just as it is. But that won’t help her connect with her wolf.

“Your body is stronger than you think,” I say instead. “Werewolves, even omegas, have natural strength. We just need to tap into it.” I grab a yoga mat and toss it onto the floor. “Start with twenty push–ups.”

Eden gives me a look that clearly says she thinks I’m insane. “Twenty? I can barely do five!”

“Try,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. I need to be firm with her. This isn’t about making her com

able; it’s about helping her survive. “Your wolf

is in there, Eden. She’s strong. You just need to become strong enough to connect with her. Someone wony of her respect and attention.”

She frowns at me, those mismatched eyes of hers–one green, one brown–flashing with irritation. “Fine.”

She drops to the mat and starts doing push–ups. Her form is terrible, her arms shaking by the third one. By the fifth, she collapses onto the mat with a

groan.

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Chapter 32

“This is impossible,” she mutters into the rubber.

I kneel beside her. “Again.”

“Logan-”

“Again,” I repeat, my voice firmer. There will be no going easy on her just because I have a crush on her. “You can do this, Eden.”

The infamous Eden glare is aimed my way. It makes my cock jerk and pay attention. In the past, she was never brave enough to give me attitude, but something snapped after she lost her mother. And I get that. She needed to become jaded in order to survive, but fuck if I don’t like it.

I watch her struggle through three more push–ups before her arms give out again.

“I can’t,” she pants, forehead pressed against the mat in what can only be surrender.

“You can,” I insist. “Your wolf is watching, Eden. Show her you’re worthy.”

I don’t expect those words to make her determined.

They do.

She gets back into position and manages two more push–ups, her entire body trembling with effort.

“That’s it,” I encourage, fighting the urge to touch her, to help her. “Keep going.”

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