The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 28

Council Lucius lifted his hand in solemn authority, his voice ringing through the grand hall. ” Proceed.”

A hush fell over the crowd, so heavy it seemed even the flames in the lanterns flickered more quietly. Every wolf leaned forward, eyes unblinking, as though afraid to miss even a breath of this sacred moment.

This was more than a ritual. It was the birth of a new era for the pack.

Elaine, hidden in the shadows at the back, felt every gaze turn into a blade slicing into her soul.

Michael’s eyes found hers across the hall. For a fraction of a second, his golden gaze softened–pleading, begging her to understand. He didn’t speak, but she read the silent words in his expression: Forgive me.

Her parents‘ eyes followed, meeting hers as well. The Alpha and Luna stood beside them, faces carved with regret, yet their resolve was unshakable. Their message was clear: this would happen. The marking would proceed, no matter what it did to her.

Elaine’s heart clenched violently, her wolf snarling in her chest.

Michael tore his gaze away, turning fully toward Kathy. His eyes glowed faintly gold as his wolf surged forward, answering the call of the ceremony. Kathy, radiant in her Luna gown, tilted her head, baring her neck with practiced grace. A collective murmur of admiration swept through the crowd like a wave of reverence.

Elaine’s nails dug so deep into her palms she broke the skin. Blood slicked her fists, dripping onto her dress, but she barely noticed. Her breath came in ragged gasps, each inhale burning like fire.

Her wolf thrashed wildly, howling in despair. ‘That’s ours. He’s ours.‘

Her stomach seized with a sudden cramp, so sharp she doubled slightly. Pain lanced through her abdomen, white–hot, and for the first time she realized–her pup was reacting too. The tiny life inside her, the life she had discovered only moments ago, cried out at its father’s betrayal.

Her knees wavered. A cold sweat broke over her brow.

Michael lowered his head toward Kathy, his lips grazing her skin. The crowd erupted in excited whispers, their joy like a rising tide.

Elaine bit down on her lip until it bled, trying to choke back the scream clawing at her throat. Then Darius’s arm slid around her shoulders, steady and unyielding. His presence was a wall against the crashing storm, but it did little to soothe the devastation ripping through her chest.

Don’t look. Don’t look. She begged herself. But her eyes betrayed her. They locked on him- her mate, her fated–sinking his teeth into Kathy’s neck.

The instant his fangs pierced her sister’s flesh, agony exploded through Elaine. It was as if molten fire poured through her veins, tearing at the bond she had once cherished. She convulsed, her body wracked by pain so sharp it stole her breath.

A strangled scream tore free, muffled only because she buried her face against Darius’s chest.

Her wolf shrieked inside her. ‘Mate! Ours! Ours! Pup! Protect pup!‘

Her legs buckled. Darius caught her with ease, cradling her trembling form against him. The moment he touched her, he felt it–the waves of pain, primal and raw, so intense it rattled even his Alpha instincts.

Alarm surged through him.

At the altar, Kathy gasped as Michael pulled back, blood glistening on his lips, the shimmering mark blazing bright on her neck. The hall thundered with applause, feet stomping the ground in triumph.

“Now you, future Luna,” Lucius intoned solemnly.

Kathy’s smile was radiant, her eyes bright with victory. With unhesitating confidence, she leaned forward and sank her teeth into Michael’s neck.

The second bite was worse than the first. Elaine screamed. This time unrestrained.

The sound ripped through the hall like a blade slicing through silk. The cheers faltered. Heads whipped toward her. Whispers spread like wildfire.

The bond snapped. Shattered. Broken into a thousand pieces that stabbed into her heart. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. All she felt was pain–raw, all–consuming, endless.

Her body convulsed. She clutched her stomach desperately, every muscle trembling. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision until all she could see was light and shadow.

Darius’s wolf surged to the surface, growling deep in his chest, his protective aura flaring so strong it silenced half the hall.

He bent close, his voice urgent, cutting through the chaos. “Elaine! What’s happening to you? Tell me!”

But she couldn’t speak. Her lips formed only one thought. Survive. Survive for the pup.

Above her pain, the cheers rose again for the newly marked couple. Their joy rang out like cruel mockery, drowning her suffering beneath its weight.

Her body gave out completely, collapsing into Darius’s arms. Her voice came out as a broken whisper, fragile as glass. “Please… don’t let me break.”

The hall froze. Every eye was on them.

Michael stiffened at the altar, his face pale with shock. Kathy’s victorious glow faltered as she stared at Elaine’s crumpled form in disbelief. The Alpha and Luna exchanged grim looks, but said nothing.

Darius roared, his Alpha aura crashing down like a storm.

“Where is the pack hospital?” His voice was thunder, leaving no room for hesitation.

The sheer weight of his authority forced everyone to bow their heads. A trembling omega scurried forward, his voice quaking. “A–Alpha, this way–please, follow me.”

Darius gathered Elaine into his arms with ease, holding her as though she were the most precious thing in the world. Her head lolled against his chest, her tears soaking his shirt. Even unconscious, her face twisted in agony, and her eyes–though closed–still leaked tears that would not stop.

The hospital wasn’t far. Relief flickered through Darius when he saw the small building looming ahead.

A wolf doctor stood at the entrance, already waiting, his eyes wide with alarm. Someone must have mind–linked him.

“Alpha, please lay her here,” the doctor urged, pointing to a prepared cot. “We’ll examine her immediately.”

Darius lowered her gently, but when the doctor moved closer, his instincts flared.

“Alpha,” the doctor said respectfully, though his voice was tense, “may we have a moment alone with her to conduct the examination?”

Darius’s eyes blazed, his wolf’s snarl rumbling low.

“Not on your life.” His voice cut like steel. “She asked me not to let her go before she fell unconscious. I will not break that request. Not now, not ever.”

The doctor swallowed hard and bowed. “Then you may stay, Alpha. But what we find–you must be prepared to hear.”

Darius’s gaze softened as he looked down at Elaine, his hand brushing a strand of damp hair from her face. His jaw tightened with resolve.

“I will hear it. And then I’ll find out who-” his voice darkened, “or what–has done this to her.”