All Chapters of Silent Rejection : Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

“Just dropped me off here and left, huh?” She whispers bitterly.Losing your parents in a town like this was the worst thing that could happen to anyone. But somehow, Claire had scaled through.She was still scaling through though, barely. She had spent years shuffled from one cold orphanage to another, each new place swallowing her hopes a little more. But she survived it. She had finally aged out, clawed her way through job after job, and landed something just steady enough to cover her bills.Now, she had her own place, grimy, crumbling, and barely big enough for her. A “shit-ass apartment,” as she liked to call it. But it was hers, and that was enough.Tonight she was standing before her parents and grandmother’s grave. Her fingers traced the worn edges of their names, etched into stone. Days like these, she didn’t know how she felt about them. Sometimes, she missed them with an ache that nothing could touch. Other times, she hated them for leaving her to face this broken world

“No way. There’s no way her mate is here!But that intoxicating scent, fresh rain and wild grass, it fills her senses, so strong, she feels as if she could drown in it. It’s undeniable, overwhelming, and she knows instantly what it means.Her mate is here.A spark of hope flickers to life within her as her eyes frantically search the room. Her heart races, her hands trembling with the possibility that this nightmare might end. Her mate is here.Her mate is here.And then, she sees him. Piercing red eyes stare back at her, intense and unblinking. His gaze is captivating, his aura so powerful it commands the room. Claire feels warmth bloom in her chest, her whole being lighting up with an indescribable joy. She knows her own eyes must be flashing blue, her bond instinctively calling out to him.Her mate is breathtaking, gorgeous, with an air of command, he’s dressed simply in a white shirt, sleeves rolled up, exposing strong, toned forearms. He looks like he’s stepped straight from a m

His face was a calm, emotionless mask. Her chest tightens as the crowd parts to let him through, and he strides toward the stage, his gaze sweeping over the cages without even a flicker of recognition in her directionThe man auctioneer flashed a well-practiced smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes, as he greeted her mate—no, not her mate, Claire corrected herself bitterly, but the heartless man who had chosen to turn his back on their bond. The highest bidder tonight, with no concern for the lives he was toying with.“Ah, Mr. Tyson,” the man in red announced grandly, his voice echoing through the grand hall. “It’s a pleasure to have you as our highest bidder.”Claire’s heart twisted as she watched the two men exchange a nod of mutual understanding. She fought to keep her face emotionless, though inside, she was screaming. Tyson knew of the bond. He had to have felt the pull between them, that instinctive connection meant to link them as mates. But instead of answering it, he l