The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 24

Elaine’s smile flickered through her tears, the first she had managed in what felt like an eternity. It was small, fragile, trembling at the edges, but it carried with it a spark of hope she thought she would never feel again.

Darius saw it, and his chest tightened. That tiny spark in her was worth more than any alliance, more than any law binding him. He still didn’t know the name of the wolf who had done this to her, who had dared to spit on the moon goddess’s gift. But he would. And when he did, there would be a reckoning that even the Silverblade Alpha would not be able to ignore.

For now, though, he made only one vow. “I will not let you wither here, Elaine. After the ceremony… You will leave with me. That, I swear.”

Those words had anchored her ever since. They were the only rope keeping her from slipping completely into the darkness that clawed at her heart.

Elaine held onto that promise with everything she had, repeating it silently every time the pain surged.

Tomorrow, she told herself. Tomorrow after the ceremony, she would leave with Darius and his pack.

Tomorrow, freedom. Tomorrow, maybe healing.

Until then, she had to endure.

Every moment she saw Michael with Kathy was like being flayed alive, a fresh wound torn open in her chest. Her wolf whimpered inside her, weaker with each passing day.

Wolves were not meant to be separated from their fated mates, much less rejected by them. The bond was slowly killing her wolf from within, and Elaine felt the creeping numbness spreading further every time Michael touched Kathy in her presence.

She couldn’t tell anyone. There was no one to tell. No one would care. Her parents had already made it clear with their silence, their looks of pity mixed with expectation for her to step aside, to understand.

The Alpha couple had been no different.

Every glance, every wordless look at the breakfast table was an unspoken command: endure this, accept this, be silent.

And she had. She had accepted it in her own way, which was why she had told them she was leaving. But even that small decision had cost her.

By revealing her intention too soon, she had given them time to prepare ways to keep her bound here. That was why she had begged Darius not to approach the Alpha yet. If he moved too soon, they would corner her, lock her in, make sure she never left the territory. Better to wait until the very last moment–tomorrow–when they would have no chance to scheme against her.

Darius had understood. He had agreed. And in that agreement, Elaine found the comfort she hadn’t known she needed.

In the short days since they’d met, he had become something she thought she no longer deserved–a friend. A protector. Someone who didn’t look at her with disappointment or disgust. Someone who saw her and believed in her.

She could still feel the force of his anger from yesterday when she had confessed the truth. His fury hadn’t been for himself, or for what the alliance meant, but for her. That alone had nearly undone her.

None of her packmates, not even her parents, had spared her so much as a comforting word after Michael chose Kathy. Not one had stood beside her, not even when her heart shattered. Instead, they had left her to bear the shame alone. To them, she was the mistake–the wrong one for daring to believe the moon goddess hadn’t erred.

But Darius…

Darius believed differently.

To him, the bond was sacred. To him, the moon goddess did not make mistakes. And that made him dangerous–to her pack, at least. Which was why she could never tell him the whole truth. Not yet.

He wasn’t here this morning. He had told her he needed to meet with his beta, to prepare for tomorrow, to plan the words he would speak when he confronted the Alpha about her transfer. He was careful, deliberate. He would not leave any room for Silverblade to trap her.

So now Elaine sat quietly in her little corner at the back of the dining hall, where she wouldn’t be noticed. She picked at her food without tasting it, her mind a tangle of thoughts. She tried to breathe steadily, to hold onto the promise of tomorrow.

But the room itself seemed to conspire against her. At the far end of the hall, she saw Michael guiding Kathy toward their table. His hand rested protectively at her back, his eyes soft with affection. He leaned close to whisper something, and Kathy’s laughter rang out, sharp and sweet.

Elaine’s chest constricted, and her wolf whimpered again, curling tighter in the shadows of her soul.

Her parents‘ eyes met hers across the hall. That same look–pleading, asking her to understand, to be reasonable. As if she hadn’t already sacrificed everything. As if she hadn’t already agreed to leave.

She turned away, blinking back tears.

Her breath caught when she felt the shift in the room. The Alpha and Luna entered, their presence commanding immediate respect. Wolves bowed their heads, voices hushed. Elaine lowered her gaze too, hoping they would pass her by unnoticed.

But their footsteps slowed, stopping near her table.

“Elaine,” the Alpha’s deep voice called.

She lifted her head slowly, forcing her expression into polite neutrality. “Alpha.”

“Please meet us at the office after breakfast,” he said.

The Luna’s voice followed, softer but firm. “We need to discuss tomorrow’s ceremony.”

For a moment, Elaine’s heart stumbled. Did they already suspect? Did they know she was planning to leave with Alpha Darius?

She forced herself to breathe evenly, her voice calm despite the storm inside her.

“Of course, Alpha. Luna,” she said, dipping her head respectfully.

They both nodded once, satisfied, and moved on to greet the next group of wolves.

Elaine’s hands trembled in her lap. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.