The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 92

They were silent after the Crescent Moon pack left.

Roselyn stood by the window, watching the trees sway against the gray morning light. Their silhouettes stretched long and thin across the clearing, fading into the mist that blanketed the forest. For the first time since arriving in this pack, she was completely alone.

—

The silence pressed against her heavy, almost suffocating.

Doubt crept in, quiet but relentless.

Did I make the right decision?

The thought came like a whisper, like a shadow slipping between the cracks of her resolve.

But then, she remembered Elaine’s words – steady, gentle, certain.

“This is your life, Roselyn. You’re the one who will live with the regret if you don’t give yourself a chance to be happy with your fated mate.‘

A chance at happiness. That was what Elaine had urged her to take. Not the illusion of it – but the real, uncertain, fragile thing.

Roselyn wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze drifting beyond the glass to where the morning fog kissed the treetops. Elaine was right. She didn’t want to grow old with the same bitterness that hung over this pack like a curse.

Every time she looked at Michael and Kathy, she could feel the weight of their regret. It lingered in their voices, in the way they avoided each other’s eyes, in how they carried themselves – two people who once had everything and lost it all because they defied the goddess’s will.

Calvin had confirmed it last night.

“After what happened,” he’d told her quietly, “there was no peace here. Not for the wolves, not for the pack, not for them. That’s what happens when you reject the blessing of the Moon Goddess. She never offers the same gift twice.”

Those words had settled deep in her bones, a chilling reminder of what defiance costs.

Still, she had her doubts – fears she couldn’t hide, not even from him.

“What if Michael orders you to leave me?” she’d asked, voice barely above a whisper, staring into the firelight. “What if I never feel at home here? How am I supposed to act around him and Kathy? Because I’m not Elaine, Calvin. I can’t play nice when I don’t mean it. If they expect that, they’re in for a surprise. Michael and Kathy are officially on my blacklist.”

Calvin had laughed softly then, his smile warm against the flicker of the flames.

“That,” he’d said, “I can believe, mate.”

—

Then his eyes softened those calm, steady eyes that always seemed to see right through her defenses.

“But to answer your questions… first, I’m not the kind of man who makes the same mistake twice. If Michael orders me to leave you, we’ll go together. Second, if you’re not happy here, tell me. I’ll step down as Beta, and we’ll leave. Don’t ever think my position here is more important than you, because it isn’t. You are. You’re what matters most to me. Always.”

He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You act how you feel, Roselyn. As long as you respect their titles as Alpha and Luna, you don’t need to pretend to like them. Believe me – they’ll understand.”

Roselyn had let out a long, trembling breath, some of the tension easing from her shoulders.

Respect and pretense were two different things.

—

She could manage the first the second was impossible.

“I can’t see myself being best friends with Kathy or Michael,” she muttered, half to herself.” But I can be respectful while still being a b***h, right? That’s possible… right?”

Calvin’s laughter filled the room – low, warm, genuine. It lit the darkness like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

“I’ll talk to the Alpha,” he said, still smiling. “And I agree with you, mate Beta material. But at least you’re honest about it.”

—

Roselyn grinned despite herself. “I’m always honest. I had to be. Growing up in the pack house with a brother like Darius, a Beta like Marcus, and a Gamma like Evan point lying. They always figure it out. I don’t even know how, but they just… know.”

Calvin chuckled again, shaking his head. “Goddess, I love that about you.”

And in that moment in the quiet laughter and warmth of the fire Roselyn had felt it. The bond. The connection everyone spoke of but she never believed in until now. It wasn’t just attraction or the pull of destiny; it was the feeling that she could breathe again. That she could say anything and he would still look at her like she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

It was terrifying.

And beautiful.

Now, staring out into the gray morning, she felt his arms slide around her waist from behind, pulling her gently back to the present.

“Don’t worry,” Calvin murmured near her ear. “You’ll see them again. We can visit Crescent Moon whenever you like.”

Roselyn smiled faintly, leaning back into his warmth. “I know. But I’ll still miss them. Darius and Elaine… they’re finally happy, Calvin. Really happy. You should’ve seen them together – it’s like they’ve found the peace this place lost. My brother loves her so much. He was protective from the start, even before they knew they were mates.”

Calvin’s eyes softened. “And I’m grateful for that. More than I can say. My sister deserves all the happiness in the world.”

Roselyn nodded, emotion swelling in her chest. For once, she agreed completely.

The sound of footsteps behind them broke the moment. When she turned, she found Michael standing there, his expression unreadable.

He hesitated – a rare crack in his stoic Alpha demeanor – before asking quietly, “Is Nathan always that smart? He acts older than his years.”

The question caught her off guard. Roselyn blinked, studying him. She didn’t think he’d meant to say it aloud. But it was out now, and the air seemed to still around them.

She considered ignoring it – pretending she hadn’t heard. But that would be rude, and if nothing else, she could still be civil.

“Yes,” she said finally, her tone measured. “He’s a smart kid. He dreams of becoming Alpha one day, like my brother – his father. Darius has been training him a little every day.”

Michael’s jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. “He is my son, Roselyn. He’s mine.”

The words hit like a slap.

Roselyn pursed her lips, biting back the storm of replies that rose instantly to her tongue. There were a dozen things she could say all of them sharp, none of them respectful.

Michael studied her expression. “Say what you want to say, Roselyn. Don’t bottle it up.”

She met his gaze squarely, her voice steady as she spoke.

“Alright, Alpha – since you asked. Nathan is not your son. Being a donor doesn’t make you a father. My brother has been Nathan’s father in every way that matters. He’s the one who protected them, who loved them. He went to every checkup, stayed up through every sleepless night. He was there when Nathan was born, and every day after. That’s what being a father means.”

Her voice softened, but her eyes stayed fierce.

“You may share his blood, Michael. But Darius shares his heart. And that’s what makes him Nathan’s father – in all the ways that count.”

Silence filled the space between them, heavy and final.

For once, the great Alpha Michael had no words.

—

And Roselyn – standing tall, unflinching – knew she had finally spoken the truth that no one else dared to say.