The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 77

“Michael, she’s coming back,” Kathy said, her voice trembling with emotion as she turned toward Michael. There was a brightness in her eyes that hadn’t been there for years–a fragile spark of hope wrapped in layers of regret and longing. “Elaine is coming back.”

“I heard,” Michael replied quietly. His expression was unreadable, a mask he had perfected through years of leadership and guilt. “But Kathy… you heard Alpha Darius. Elaine isn’t coming here for the past–she’s coming for Roselyn. Darius already warned us not to interfere, not to bother her. We have to respect that.” He exhaled heavily and looked out the window, his mind racing. “We’ll have to let the pack know, make sure no one does anything that might upset her or Alpha Darius.”

Kathy’s lips trembled. “But Michael, I need a chance to talk to her. To let her know that we of didn’t abandon her because we wanted to. We were forced to.” Her voice cracked as years suppressed guilt rushed out in a single breath. “I want her to know I never stopped thinking about her. I want a chance to get to know my sister again… to see who she’s become.”

Michael turned toward her, his expression softening. “I understand, Kathy. Believe me, I do. But as Darius said, Elaine is part of his pack now. She isn’t one of us anymore. We can’t demand her attention or her forgiveness–it has to be her choice.” He paused, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “The last thing I want is to make her feel cornered again.”

Kathy’s tears finally fell, silent trails of sorrow that stained her cheeks. “I know. I just… I miss her so much.”

“I’ll try to reach out,” Michael said after a long silence. “Maybe I can request a meeting. Just to talk, even for a few minutes. But I can’t promise she–or Darius–will agree. The wounds we caused aren’t easily forgotten.”

Kathy nodded slowly, understanding all too well. The pain they had caused Elaine was deep- perhaps unforgivable–even if their actions had been driven by impossible circumstances. As Roselyn once told them, being forced doesn’t erase the hurt. Elaine had suffered, and no amount of explanation could change that.

Still, Kathy’s heart whispered a quiet prayer–that somehow, her sister would be willing to listen.

Meanwhile, miles away, the sound of tires humming against the road filled the quiet interior of the car.

“We’ll be there in an hour, Elaine. I’ll let Darius know,” Evan said from the driver’s seat, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

Elaine smiled faintly, her fingers brushing absently against the window as the scenery blurred by. “Thank you, Evan.”

The journey had been long but uneventful. Their flight from Crescent Moon Territory had gone smoothly, and now they were only an hour away from Silverblade. The most memorable part of the trip had been Nathan’s endless excitement over the plane ride–it was his first time flying, and he had been bursting with questions from takeoff to landing.

“Mommy, how does the plane stay in the air?”

“Mommy, do clouds feel soft?”

“Mommy, can I tell Daddy about the big airport?”

He had been a whirlwind of curiosity, his enthusiasm infectious despite Elaine’s quiet anxiety.

Now, as Nathan hummed softly beside her, clutching his stuffed wolf, Elaine’s thoughts grew heavier. She was determined to see Roselyn–to be there for her the way she had been since the day they met. Roselyn had been her light during her darkest moments, and Elaine owed her more than words could say.

But beneath that determination lay a deep nervousness. Returning to Silverblade meant facing ghosts she had long buried–memories of betrayal, heartbreak, and abandonment. She was especially anxious about facing Michael.

She knew that the moment he saw Nathan, questions would arise–questions she wasn’t sure she was ready to answer.

But Elaine had already made up her mind about one thing: Nathan was not Michael’s son. Not in the way that mattered.

Yes, by blood, Michael was his father. But Darius… Darius was the one who stayed. He was the one who held her hand when the nightmares came, who rocked Nathan to sleep when he was sick, who made both of them feel safe and loved. Darius was Nathan’s true father–the one who had claimed them without hesitation, who had fought for them when no one else did.

And that was what Elaine would stand by, no matter what questions Michael asked or what truth the past tried to dig up.

The uncertainty of what awaited them in Silverblade twisted inside her like a knot. Still, she straightened her shoulders, determination settling in her chest. She had faced worse. She could face this too–for Roselyn, for Nathan, and for herself.

“Mommy, when can I see Daddy?” Nathan asked suddenly, his bright blue eyes full of hope. His little legs kicked with excitement as he leaned toward her.

“Soon, love,” Elaine said softly, brushing his hair back. “Very, very soon.”

Nathan grinned and pressed his face against the window, watching the trees rush by. “I’m gonna hug him first! Then I’ll tell him about the airplane and how I didn’t even get scared!”

Elaine chuckled, her heart swelling. “I’m sure he’ll love that.”

As the car continued down the winding road, Elaine’s thoughts drifted to Darius–his calm, steady strength; the way he always knew how to ground her when everything felt too heavy. Soon, she would see him again. And this time, there would be no more waiting, no more distance between them.

The three matings Darius was required to attend as per her deal with him, as a way for him to try to look for his fated mate, had finally ended with the close of this year’s mating ball. The Moon Goddess had answered Elaine’s prayer: Darius did not find his fated mate.

Which meant that he was free to claim her–finally, truly hers.

Elaine’s heart raced at the thought. After everything they had endured, the longing, the uncertainty, the sacrifices–they would finally be bound.

“Soon,” she whispered again, though this time it was more to herself than to Nathan. “Soon, everything will change.”