All Chapters of Rejected But Elevated : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Jamie's PovThe moon was high over the Vale Pack territory, shining down on the woods that surrounded our pack palace. I stood on the balcony of my mansion, the cool night air on my skin, but it did nothing to calm the turmoil inside me. Cassie was gone and I was to blame. I had made my choice and now I was wondering if I’d made the right one.Cassie was a low wolf, a mere shadow in the grand hierarchy of our pack. I had rejected her, thinking my duty as Alpha required me to choose someone of higher standing. Alexa, the daughter of one of the elders, was the perfect choice politically. She was strong, capable and had the backing of the pack’s influential families. But as I stood there, looking out into the darkness, I couldn’t help but think of Cassie’s laughter, her spirit and the way she made me feel alive.“Jamie!” Alexa’s voice cut through my thoughts like a knife. I turned to see her striding into the room, her posture stiff and her expression annoyed. “You’re supposed to be gett

“You don’t close your eyes, Cassie! Stay with me! We’re going to get you home,” he pleaded, the desperation formed a lump in his throat. At the palace, Daisy watched in horror as the search party trampled through the trees, carrying a figure in Mark’s arms that made her heart stop. Cassie was pale, translucent skin marked with blood across her cheeks. As anxiety blitzed her mind, it collided with a rush of excitement from what was about to happen. “No…” she said, a mix of disbelief and dread washed over her. Mia, standing next to her, gasped. “They found her!”Daisy’s mind was racing. She hoped this day would arrive, but not like this. “What if she is dead,” she said, her eyes icy and scary.Mia was taken back for a moment, she stared at her friend, speechlessly."She is alive!" Mia snapped, her eyes full of fury. "You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking that!" But with her heartbeat thundering wildly in her ears, Daisy's brain had started to whirl chaotically. What wo

The dungeon under Greyer's Palace is a dimly lit, grimy, and foreboding area hewn deep into stone. The air stinks of mildew odor, rot, blood, and filth. Flickering torches make eerie shadows along the dark, grimy corridor lined with rusty metal bars and grimy straw. Chains jingle in the distance, and noises are only dripping water or distant wails. It's a world that is stuck in time, weighed down with memories of suffering and secrets—larger than a prison, it's a witness to suffering and deception.Daisy winced, her arms shaking under the burden of bruises. The guards hadn't been kind to her. There were no orders to beat her up, of course, but wolf guards did have a certain loyalty—particularly where Cassie was concerned. A push there, a sore grip here, a slammed cell door that scraped her shoulder hard enough to bruise. Daisy felt all the injuries, body and mind, seep under her skin like searing needles.She stretched out on the icy stone floor, her breath shallow and lips parched, m

Cassie’s POVWhen I arrived back at the palace, the dawn broke like a battered white color on the horizon. The servants were stirring, fire and wet earth scent filled the halls. I walked through the east wing, jaw set high, feet slow—towards a serenity I lacked.But all around me the air pulsed. As if the magic I'd drawn in had trailed after me, catching itself up in silken threads at my ankles. Something in me was altered. Not only physically, but way down in my soul.And I wasn't the only one who recognized it."Cassie."I froze at the sound of Mark’s voice. He leaned against the archway that led to the inner gardens, dressed in a dark tunic, his hair still damp from morning training. His golden eyes flicked over me.“You smell. different.”My heart beat once, hard. “Do I?”He stepped closer, gaze narrowing. “Not bad. Just—new. Like rain in the desert. Like something awakened.”I swallowed. “Maybe I’m just tired.”He reached out, brushed a stray lock of hair from my cheek, and let h

The palace kitchens remained at twilight, the dishes clinking and the chatter of the chefs faded to quiet several hours ago. But in the solarium—a glass room filled with moonlight that bathed rose gardens—candlelight sparkled warmly on a table for two. The scent of roasting lamb and sage was hardly present in the air, and crystal glasses waited beside white porcelain plates.Mark stood beside the table, open collar, restless hands re-adjusting the gear for the third time. He didn't make plans. He wasn't accustomed to this sort of thing. His movements were too practiced, too deliberate—like a pugilist faking something more spontaneous. Cassie appeared, her simple pale silver dress illuminating candlelight like the first glimmer of morning. She tracked Mark's movements."You didn't have to do that," she said, the sentence hesitant."I wanted to," Mark replied quietly. "No patrols. No politics. Just. us."She smiled at him, faintly, though shadows ran at her eyes.They sat, said small t