Lahat ng Kabanata ng His Rejected Mate: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

Some days demand more of you than you ever thought you could give. Today was one of them.The sun was barely up when I stood on the balcony outside the Alpha wing, a steaming mug of black coffee in my hand and a thousand thoughts clawing at my brain. The chill in the wind did little to shake the exhaustion that clung to my bones. From my perch, I could see the training grounds bustling with the sound of metal clashing, orders being shouted, and the distinct thump of combat boots against gravel. The Russian warriors were already up—disciplined, fast, and efficient. Just as I expected. Our own men were trying to keep pace, bruises from yesterday’s fight still fresh on their skin.The scent of lavender and baby powder drifted faintly from the room behind me. Ariana and Aurora. My sanctuary amidst this growing storm.I sighed, placing the mug on the ledge, the warmth lingering on my fingertips as I turned away and re-entered the room.Ariana was still asleep, but at least today she wasn’t

 I ran. My feet pounded the hospital floor, heart hammering in my chest, lungs burning with the ache of holding too much fear, too many thoughts.She had been fine just hours ago. Weak, yes. Tired, definitely. But not… not this. Not cut open on a surgical table, unconscious, drained, fragile. Not barely clinging to consciousness while her son—her son—fought for every breath of his first moments in a cold, clinical world.I turned the corner and slammed into the ICU doors, shoving them open, startling a nurse in blue scrubs. I didn’t apologize. Couldn’t."Where is he?" I asked, voice shaking despite my Alpha command. "Where is my son?"My son. Yes. Xavier might have been his true father, but I was his father. He was my son.

Do you ever wish to freeze some moments in life? Capture them in a box or pack them in a bag and always keep them with you?I was feeling like that today.In spite of everything that happened—Xavier’s betrayal, the deterioration of my health, the premature birth of Ryan, and the tension of the upcoming war—I was at peace. A rare, still kind of peace.It wasn’t the aching silence of emptiness I’d been carrying with me for so long. It wasn’t the cruel kind of quiet that comes after someone slams the door and never returns. No, this was a tender silence. A comforting one. It didn’t feel like a void anymore.I didn’t think I could ever fill that hole Xavier left behind. I used to believe that no matter how much I tried, no matt

The council chamber buzzed with a low, tense energy, the kind that seeped into your skin and made your heart pound faster even when you were sitting still. I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the heavy oak table, fingers interlaced tightly. Ariana sat across from me, a thick folder of maps and reports open before her. Her face was calm, but her fingers trembled slightly as she turned a page.No one could blame her. We were planning a war.Around us, the council members—heads of the strongest families and allied packs—were murmuring, exchanging notes, pointing at strategic points on the giant map sprawled across the table.“We need to cut off their supply routes here,” Marcus said, jabbing his finger at a narrow valley south of the Darkpine Forest. “Otherwise, they’ll corner us.”“They’re vampires. They don’t need supplies. They just need blood,” snarled Liam, his voice rough. “They’ll feast on our people if we don’t stop them.”Ariana flinched slightly at that, and my heart twiste

The walls of the tent felt like they were closing in on me. Ryan whimpered in my arms, tiny fists waving helplessly as he searched for comfort I wasn’t sure I could give. I cradled him closer to my chest, trying to rock him back to sleep. His body was so small, so fragile it terrified me. Every breath he took was a small miracle, a tiny battle fought and won.I brushed a kiss to his forehead, breathing in the soft, sweet scent of him—milk, baby powder, and something uniquely his own. Outside, the camp buzzed with movement. I could hear the warriors sparring again, could hear the council arguing strategies in low, urgent voices. There was no time to rest. No time to feel. But I couldn’t switch it off.Tears pricked my eyes as I pressed my cheek against Ryan’s fine, dark hair.  I was supposed to lead them. I was supposed to be strong.