The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 124

Silence crashes through the council hall like a tidal wave.

Every wolf straightens. Every head lifts. Every eye snaps toward Rowan. The punishment of the elders was expected—perhaps even overdue. But now the hall braces for something far more volatile.

Because judging former leaders is one thing.

Judging an Alpha—even a fallen one—is something else entirely.

Darius subtly shifts, angling his body in front of Nathan and Elaine. Not out of fear of attack, but in instinctive readiness. Elaine’s hand tightens protectively around her son, her pulse drumming under her skin.

On the floor, Michael stirs. His eyelids flutter open, unfocused at first. Then pain hits, dragging a ragged breath from him. Kathy’s hands tremble as she cups his cheek, tears spilling freely.

“Michael,” she whispers, her voice trembling with concern. “Stay still. Your body—your wolf—is still healing.”

But Michael barely registers her words. His gaze sweeps across the hall, taking in the council, the vacant space where his parents once stood, and then lands on Elaine and Nathan. A wave of regret crashes over him, pulling him under. His breath hitches painfully, and his face crumples—not from physical agony, but from something far deeper, an emotional wound that cuts to the very core of his being.

Rowan raises a hand, commanding the council to rise.

“Bring him forward,” he orders, his voice steady, yet laced with authority.

Kathy’s eyes widen in alarm. “He can’t—he’s not well—”

Rowan’s expression softens just a fraction, a hint of understanding passing through his steely demeanor. “He will not be forced to stand. But he must hear the judgment clearly.”

Before any guard can react, Darius steps forward, his movements deliberate and measured. He approaches Michael, kneeling with surprising gentleness, lifting him as if he were a fragile piece of glass. Not as a friend. Not as a rival. But as an Alpha supporting another who has lost his grip on power.

Michael flinches at the sudden contact, yet he does not pull away. His pride has already been shattered, and his wolf is too weak to resist.

Darius carefully sets him down on a raised cushion before the council’s platform and then steps back, returning to Nathan and Elaine. He slides a hand into Nathan’s hair, a protective gesture meant to shield him from the harsh reality unfolding in the air around them.

Michael’s breathing steadies, albeit barely.

Rowan steps forward, his presence commanding.

“Alpha Michael of the Silverblade Pack,” he begins, his voice resonating like an unyielding verdict. “You stand accused not of treason, but of endangering your pack, threatening another Alpha, and losing control of your wolf in a manner that placed a child in peril by taking him away from the parents he knows.”

Michael closes his eyes, not in denial, but in grim acceptance. The weight of his actions presses heavily upon him, forcing him deeper into the cushion beneath him.

Slowly, he raises his gaze to meet Rowan’s.

“Before judgment is rendered,” Rowan continues, his tone shifting to one that is harder, older, imbued with the authority of an Alpha. “You will answer one question.” His eyes bore into Michael’s, unyielding. “Do you understand why your wolf lost control?”

Michael swallows hard, the muscles in his jaw tightening.

His voice emerges hoarse, a rasping whisper. “Yes.”

“State it,” Rowan commands, his tone leaving no room for defiance.

Silence stretches, thick and heavy, wrapping around them like a shroud.

Michael’s eyes flicker toward Elaine for just a heartbeat, enough to reveal the truth they both know all too well.

“My bond… with Luna Elaine…” he stammers, his voice cracking under the weight of his confession. “It wasn’t entirely severed when I chose to be with Kathy instead of fighting for our mate bond.” His chest trembles with the effort to continue. “My wolf couldn’t accept that. And when we encountered Luna Elaine again, with her chosen mate… and then learned they were fated mates after our official rejection… and to top it all off, discovering we have a son who calls another Alpha his father…” His voice fractures, the pain evident. “My wolf shattered.”

Rowan nods solemnly, the gravity of Michael’s words hanging in the air. “Then you comprehend the danger you posed—not only to yourself but to your son… both of your sons, to Luna Elaine, and to Alpha Darius.”

Michael bows his head, shame washing over him like a cold tide. “Yes.”

“And do you accept responsibility?”

A moment hangs in the air, thick with tension.

Michael’s voice barely rises above a whisper. “Yes. I accept everything.”

Kathy clings to him tighter, her tears flowing freely now. She presses her forehead against his shoulder, her breathing uneven, a mix of heartbreak and relief.

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