All Chapters of Rejected by the Alpha, Chosen by the King: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

It had been eight months since I first met Lucien. Eight months of conversations that never felt forced, of shared silences that somehow spoke louder than words, and of a connection that I hadn’t expected to find again. A month ago, he had asked me out, and we had begun going out every now and then, slowly, carefully, like testing the waters without knowing the depth beneath.I liked him. Liked him enough that my chest warmed every time I saw him, liked him enough that I caught myself smiling at small texts and fleeting memories. He was the first man in a long time who genuinely sparked something in me. Unlike Alex, whose presence had been dictated by fate and duty, Lucien offered choice. He offered curiosity, laughter, and a strange comfort I hadn’t known I craved.We hadn’t officially started dating, but I knew it was on the horizon. Each shared meal, each walk, each quiet conversation chipped away at the walls I had built over the past years. Lucien was patient, kind, and undeni

Elizabeth’s smile lingered on my chest long after the dinner plates were cleared. It was the kind of smile that could soothe even the sharpest edges of my soul, the sort of warmth my wolf always clawed toward, no matter how many times I forced him back.Dinner had been simple, wine, laughter, little stories traded like secrets, but it hadn’t felt ordinary. There had been a weight in the air, a hum beneath the surface, as though the night itself knew something was coming.Usually, by now, my guards would have taken over like they always did. Elizabeth never knew about them, how they shadowed her from a distance, how I made sure nothing touched her once she walked away from me. She thought the night ended at the restaurant doors but for me it continued in the silence of certainty, in knowing she was safe.But tonight, I couldn’t sense them,not one of them seemed to be close.The absence gnawed at me as we stepped outside. The street beyond the restaurant was too still, the kind of sti

The male vampire stepped forward, his grin widening, fangs glinting under the moonlight. “Then we take her.”I shifted my stance, putting myself directly between them and the wrecked car where Elizabeth still lay slumped.My wolf clawed at the inside of my chest, snarling, demanding release. Every instinct screamed at me to tear them apart, to shred their smug faces until they were nothing but ash. But the moment I lost control, if Elizabeth saw what I truly was, everything would change.“Try it,” I said, my voice low, steady, but every muscle coiled and ready to strike.The female tilted her head, studying me like a predator sizing up prey. “You reek of restraint, Prince. How curious, one would almost think you’re hiding something.”I ignored her taunt, keeping my eyes on the male as he moved closer, step by deliberate step. I could hear Elizabeth stir faintly behind me, a small groan escaping her lips. My heart lurched. If she woke and saw this, saw me, it would all be over. But if

I stood frozen, my eyes narrowing as Elizabeth’s words cut through the night air sharper than any blade.“Come again?” I asked, my voice low.“You heard me,” she said, her tone cold despite the tremor in her voice.For a moment, the world stilled around us. The smell of burning rubber and blood lingered in the air, the wreck groaning where it leaned against the tree. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted, oblivious to the storm rising here.“You know what I am?” I pressed, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, her eyes refusing to meet mine. “I’ve encountered your kind before. You only bring me bad luck and misery.”I stepped toward her without thinking, but she flinched asstopping me in my tracks. She was afraid of me.“Please,” she whispered, her voice cracking between exhaustion and fear. “Just leave me alone. Is this some sick joke from Alex?”That name stopped me cold. My head tilted. “Alex?”“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talkin

The convoy slowed to a halt in front of the modest apartment building. I stepped out of the lead car, the night air biting against my skin, though the chill that settled in me came from elsewhere. My eyes found her immediately as the van doors slid open.Elizabeth.She looked pale, exhausted, but very much alive thanks to the same wolves she now recoiled from. I moved toward her, intent on helping her down, but the instant she saw me walking towards her she flinched away, her eyes flashing with the same raw fear she had shown in the van.I stopped,her fear cut sharper than any knife, but I would not push her for I understood why she was scared of me.“Very well,” I murmured, stepping back. “I’ll keep my distance.”With Isla at her side, Elizabeth made her slow way to the entrance. I followed several paces behind, every part of me taut with the need to bridge the gap, but respect chained me in place. She didn’t want me near her and though it twisted in my chest like a blade, I would