The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 48

“Alpha, we will be in the Silverblade pack in thirty minutes,” Marcus said from the seat, glancing briefly at Darius before turning his gaze back to the road.

Darius gave a silent nod, his jaw tightening slightly.

They were here for the Alpha and Luna ceremony tomorrow, a formal event that demanded his presence. As tradition dictated, they would remain until the day after before returning home.

But Goddess, he already missed Elaine.

It had only been a month since she agreed to be with him, and though the bond they shared grew stronger each day, the time apart gnawed at him more than he expected. If it were entirely up to him, he would have announced their union right away, claimed her openly, and celebrated her as his Luna without hesitation.

His wolf howled for it, urging him constantly to make it official. But Darius knew better. Elaine needed time.

She trusted him when he promised he would reject his fated mate for her, but she didn’t want that sacrifice. She didn’t want anyone–especially another woman–to feel the same agony she felt when Michael had chosen Kathy over her.

Darius could still see the lingering shadows in Elaine’s eyes whenever the topic surfaced.

Her pain was real, and so was her fear.

So he gave her his word. He told her he would wait as long as she needed, and in that moment he meant it wholeheartedly. Yet when she finally whispered that she wanted three years–three years before she could bring herself to accept the title of Luna–it nearly broke him.

Three years of waiting. Three years of enduring the pack politics that would demand he attend mating balls. Three years of proving over and over again that she was the only one he wanted.

But he would do it. For her. For the love that had taken root so fiercely in his heart that he knew nothing could uproot it. He would prove every day that his devotion was unshakable. He would choose her every time. He would show her that he could be the kind of man–and wolf–worthy of not only her love, but of being the father to her pup.

The car slowed to a halt in front of the Silverblade pack house, its towering structure as imposing as he remembered. Darius took a deep breath, his chest tightening as memories surfaced.

Meeting the people who had hurt Elaine–the pack that had failed to protect her, failed to value her–while maintaining civility was no small feat. As an Alpha, he wasn’t here for himself alone. He represented the Crescent Moon Pack. His composure had to reflect his people’s strength and dignity.

But as Darius, the man, the wolf? Oh, how he longed to have just one private moment with Michael. One fight. One chance to bare his teeth and show him what it meant to break the heart of the woman he now cherished.

“Alpha Darius, welcome back to Silverblade,” Alpha Efrein greeted warmly as he stepped forward. He was flanked by his beta and his Luna, both of whom dipped their heads respectfully.

“Thank you, Alpha Efrein. Luna Beatrice,” Darius replied with a polite bow of his head.

“Alpha, thank you for coming,” Luna Beatrice said, her voice steady, though her eyes flickered briefly as if measuring him. “The omega will guide you to your quarters so you may rest.”

“Thank you, Luna,” he responded smoothly, his tone neutral. Still, his wolf bristled inside him.

Rest. The word felt foreign in this place.

“Alpha Efrein,” Darius said after a brief pause, “would it be acceptable if my wolves and I stretched our legs around your territory? The flight here has left them uneasy, confined, and they are eager for a run.”

The request was true enough, but underneath it pulsed another motive.

He wanted–no, needed–to see the waterfall. The place where he first met Elaine. Even though their meeting had not been under the best of circumstances, the memory was etched into his soul. That waterfall wasn’t just a landmark anymore. It was a sacred place. A reminder of the moment fate had placed Elaine into his life.

“Of course, Alpha,” Efrein said with a nod. “I understand the needs of your wolves. You are welcome to roam the territory freely. If you require guidance, the omegas are available to show you the safe paths. They have already been informed of your presence.”

Darius gave a small, courteous smile. “There’s no need. I still remember the old running trails from my last visit. Thank you, Alpha.”

With that, he inclined his head once more before turning to follow the omega who had stepped forward, ready to escort him to his quarters. His stride was even, steady, the perfect picture of control.

But inside, his wolf paced restlessly, eager to break free, eager to find the waterfall, eager to feel close again to the woman who owned his heart.

Once the omega had shown him to the guest quarters, Darius dismissed him with a curt nod. He barely spared the room a glance; a bed, a dresser, a window overlooking the eastern trees -nothing that mattered.

His wolf was already clawing at his skin, restless, demanding release.

With practiced ease, he shed his clothes and shifted, bones cracking, fur erupting across his body. In moments, the Alpha wolf stood in place of the man, shaking out his thick coat as a low growl rumbled from his chest.

The walls felt suffocating, the scent of this place all wrong, tainted with memories that weren’t his but lingered like stale smoke.

He bolted out the back door, paws hitting the earth with force. The wind rushed past him, cool and sharp, carrying the mingled scents of the Silverblade territory. His wolf snarled at them, but Darius forced his instincts down. They weren’t here to fight, not tonight. Tonight, he had a different purpose.

The trees blurred as he ran, his paws finding familiar paths. Every stride carried him closer, and with every bound, the pull in his chest grew stronger. His wolf knew exactly where they were headed.

The waterfall.

Elaine’s place.

He broke through the last line of trees, and there it was–the cascade of water tumbling over the rocks, gleaming silver beneath the moonlight. The roar of it filled his ears, but beneath it, he swore he could still hear her laughter. Not the laughter she gave everyone else, but the soft, shy one she had given him when she finally started to trust him.

His wolf slowed, padding toward the pool at the base of the falls. He lowered his head, drinking deeply from the cool water, but his mind wasn’t on the taste. It was on her. The memory of her standing there, fragile yet defiant, when they first crossed paths. The haunted look in her eyes when she told him her story. The courage it took for her to let him in at all.

Darius shifted back into his human form, sitting on a smooth rock near the edge of the water. The spray misted across his face, and for a moment, he closed his eyes, letting it wash over him. He imagined her here beside him, her hand in his, her voice teasing him for looking so serious.

“I’ll wait for you, Elaine,” he murmured softly into the night, his voice swallowed by the rush of the falls. “Three years, thirty years… it doesn’t matter. You are worth every second.”

His wolf stirred within, both restless and soothed. Being here was like being close to her, like he had found a way to bridge the distance between them.

Still, the thought of facing Michael tomorrow brought a flash of heat through his veins. His fists clenched around the rock at his side.

Not tonight. Tonight was for her. Tonight was for remembering why he was fighting so hard to keep her heart safe.