Lahat ng Kabanata ng Rejected By Him; Claimed By His Crazy Brother: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

IXORA – POVI woke to the scent of dried blood.Not mine. Not even Ronan’s anymore. But the memory of it. The way it clung to his skin, soaked his shirt, stained our floor. It lingered in the air like something sacred and dangerous all at once.Ronan wasn’t in bed.The sheets beside me were cool.I sat up slowly, the ache between my ribs reminding me of the night before. Not just what we’d shared, but everything that came before, the look in his eyes when he stood in the doorway, soaked in vengeance. The bodies outside.Aiden.Marcus.Ray.All gone. Because of me.I wrapped my arms around myself and sat in silence, the weight of it pressing down like a fog. I didn’t regret Ronan coming back to me. But I couldn’t shake the knot tightening in my gut.This was going to cost us.Downstairs, I found Ronan shirtless in the kitchen, bruises blooming across his shoulder and ribs. He was nursing a mug of coffee, staring into it like it held answers he couldn’t find.He didn’t look at me when I

IXORA POVThe clouds were heavier than usual. They loomed low, almost like they knew something was coming. The wind carried more than just dust now—it carried whispers. Warnings.I sat on the windowsill, legs tucked to my chest. The room was quiet, too quiet. Not even the distant chatter from the pack house comforted me anymore. Two days had passed since Ronan had returned, covered in blood, bodies strewn like shadows behind him. I had held him, told myself it was over now—that maybe we could finally breathe. But breathing had never come easy in this life.Everyone said I needed rest. Rest. As if closing my eyes would stop the flashbacks. My body may have been still, but my spirit? It was stuck somewhere between fear and fury. I hadn’t told Ronan about the flare of rage I felt when Flora slapped me. Or the chill that ran down my spine when Chris showed up again.I hadn’t trained since that day Celeste wiped the floor with Flora. I should have been out there, doing something, anything.

IXORAThe morning air was crisp as I stepped out into the training grounds, the dew still clinging to the blades of grass like whispers from the night. My muscles ached slightly, but it was the kind of ache that reminded me I was healing, not just physically—but from everything. From Chris, from the abduction, from the fear. Slowly, I was becoming someone else. Someone stronger.Celeste was already waiting for me.“Didn’t think you’d show up,” she said without turning. Her long white braid glinted in the early light, and her posture was still as a blade. “I thought your mate would lock you up in a tower after yesterday.”I rolled my eyes, ignoring the stab of guilt that accompanied Ronan’s name. “I’m here. That’s what matters.”She smirked, then tossed a wooden staff at my feet. “Then let’s see what you’ve got, Little Alpha.”It wasn’t easy. My limbs screamed in protest, but I refused to back down. Celeste was merciless but calculated—never unfair. Strike after strike, I met her blows

IXORA'S POVThe morning mist coiled low around the trees like a sleeping beast, quiet but unsettling. I stood barefoot in the clearing behind the training grounds, the dew soaking through the hem of my sweats. Celeste’s sharp voice echoed in my head: *"Balance, then power. Breathe through your fear."*I did.The air filled my lungs like thunder. My heartbeat slowed, then steadied. I was learning to channel something more than just strength—something subtle, something inside me. The more I trained, the more I felt this gentle, silvery pulse in my chest, like threads of moonlight coiled beneath my skin. Celeste hadn’t said anything yet, but I knew she felt it too. My power was... different. Not raw and loud like Ronan’s. Not wild and scattered like the rogues'. Mine hummed like a whisper in a thunderstorm.I wasn’t ready for battle yet, not fully. My body still ached some days, and the memories crept up on me like shadows I couldn’t outrun. But I wasn’t helpless anymore.Celeste approac

IXORA POVThe air crackled around me as I stepped into the field. Morning dew clung to the grass, and a soft mist curled around the trees like spirits still deciding whether to rise or rest. My heart was a thunderstorm, quiet for now but aching with the promise of rain.Power hummed beneath my skin—soft at first, like the purr of something wild waiting to bare its fangs. I flexed my fingers, and the wind shifted, as though answering a call I hadn’t consciously made.Ronan stood across from me, arms folded, eyes sharp. There was pride in his gaze, but also concern. He never said it, but I knew he feared I would burn too bright, too fast.“You sure about this?” he asked.I nodded, jaw set. “I need to know what I can do.”So we began. Again.Each step, each movement, felt like unlocking a door I hadn’t known was sealed. My senses expanded. The ground beneath me wasn’t just earth—it was memory. The wind wasn’t just air—it was thought. My power wasn’t just mine. It felt... ancient.I raise