The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 55

“Mama?”

Her three–year–old son’s small voice echoed through the quiet den, warm and full of innocent curiosity.

Kathy turned, her heart softening instantly at the sight of her little boy. Her son. Her light. The love of her life.

She once believed she understood what love was when she met Michael. He had been everything to her–her partner, her protector, her heart’s deepest longing. But the day Leo came into the world, crying and tiny and perfect, Roselyn realized she’d only just begun to understand love. There was nothing–absolutely nothing–she wouldn’t do for him.

“Yes, Leo?” she replied, kneeling to meet his bright amber eyes. “Mama is busy today getting ready for the mating ball, okay? So I need you to be a very good boy.”

Leo gave her a proud nod, hugging his stuffed wolf to his chest. “Leo good, Mama!” he chirped, then returned to his toys, humming quietly to himself.

Kathy watched him for a moment longer, her smile slowly fading. Her heart swelled with love for her son, but as always, the joy was tinged with a sharp, familiar sadness–a shadow that never truly left.

She placed a hand over the mark on her neck, the symbol she always kept covered. A reminder. A wound. A betrayal.

Her sister’s pup would’ve been Leo’s age now. A cousin, a playmate, maybe even a best friend. If only… if only things had gone differently.

Kathy let out a slow breath. The ache in her chest never seemed to dull, no matter how many times she tried to bury it.

Growing up, she and Elaine had been inseparable. More than sisters–they were best friends, confidantes, soul–bonded in the way only siblings born under the same moon could be. They had shared everything–dreams, secrets, laughter, even grief. There was no one Kathy had trusted more.

If only she had confided in her about Michael from the beginning. If only she hadn’t waited.

But Elaine had been away from the pack when Kathy and Michael first began to see each other. Kathy had wanted to surprise her, to share the news face–to–face. She hadn’t known- couldn’t have known–what was coming.

By the time Elaine returned and the truth came out, it was too late. Elaine was Michael’s fated mate.

Kathy had been ready to step aside, to let the Goddess’s will be honored. She loved Michael, yes–but her sister, her blood, came first.

But fate had already played its cruel hand.

She was pregnant.

The former Alpha–Michael’s father–was clear: for the good of the pack, the heir could not be born illegitimate. The future Alpha’s lineage had to be secured, respected, honored. Mating Michael was no longer a choice. It was an order.

There was another fear, too, one that haunted her deepest instincts. If Michael chose Elaine and marked her instead, there was a real chance her wolf would reject the pup growing inside her. Wolves were territorial by nature. Instinctual. Wild.

Kathy had never doubted that Elaine, the person, would never harm her child. But their wolves they didn’t always listen to reason.

The Alpha hadn’t wanted to take that risk–not with the pack’s future on the line.

So Kathy had stayed silent. She obeyed.

And in doing so, she witnessed the slow breaking of her sister’s heart.

The day of their mating ceremony was supposed to be simple. Michael had promised her they wouldn’t mark each other–not yet. They would hold the ceremony, be presented to the pack as the new Alpha and Luna, and that would be enough. They would buy time.

But Councilor Lucius disagreed. Tradition demanded that the Alpha and Luna mark each other in front of the pack. The ritual was symbolic–a sign of unity, of power, of divine approval. Without the marks, their legitimacy could be questioned.

They had no choice. Again.

So the bite was given. The bond was sealed.

And that day, something in Elaine shattered.

Kathy still remembered the look in her sister’s eyes when she realized what had happened. Not just the pain of betrayal, but the emptiness. The disbelief.

If only she had fought harder. If only she had stood by her sister instead of bowing to fear and duty. If only she had spoken up. Her sister pup might have been alive today.

But she hadn’t.

She had chosen her pup. She had chosen the pack.

And in doing so, she had lost her sister.

The regret gnawed at her. Day after day. Night after night.

Even her wolf–fierce and loyal–still mourned the loss of her sister’s wolf. They had once hunted together, howled together under the full moon. Now, there was only silence between them. A bond severed.

Kathy blinked back the sting of tears. She couldn’t afford to cry. Not now.

Leo giggled behind her, making soft growls as he pounced on his stuffed toy. Innocent. Blissfully unaware of the storm that had led to his birth.

She smiled again, this time more wistfully.

One day, she would tell him everything. He deserved to know. She would advise him to wait for his mate. To honor the Goddess’s will. To respect the mate bond.

But not today.

Today, she would smile. She would dress for the mating ball. She would lead the pack beside Michael.

Michael, she knows his regret as well. They love each other, respect each other but they couldn’t deny that the foundation of that love is the pain and suffering of Elaine.

And she would carry the weight of her choices, quietly, like she always had. Like how Michael carry his.

But in her heart, she would whisper a silent prayer–to the moon, to the stars, to her sister wherever she was.

That one day, forgiveness might find them.

And maybe, just maybe, love too.