All Chapters of Too Late To Want Me: his reject, her rising: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Mara’s POV The room had barely settled after the shadowy figure froze under our scrutiny when Dresden’s eyes locked onto mine, amber flames igniting with determination. My pulse thundered in my ears, a rhythm perfectly synchronized with the rapid pounding of my wolf beneath my skin. The pack house felt alive with tension, every creak of the wooden floorboards, every whisper, every faint shuffle amplified by the anticipation of what was about to unfold. “Who are you?” Dresden demanded, his voice low, lethal, the words slicing through the stillness. The figure—a male, tall and lean, his posture rigid—hesitated, glancing nervously at the others. My wolf’s claws flexed, craving confrontation, sensing deceit. This wasn’t just a simple intruder; this was someone embedded, someone who had been walking among us, feeding secrets to enemies who lurked beyond the borders. “I… I mean no harm,” the man stammered, his voice shaking, betraying his calm facade. “I… I only wanted to speak to the

Mara’s POV The aftermath of the skirmish left the forest eerily quiet, a deceptive calm that pressed against my chest like a weight. My wolf, still buzzing with adrenaline, paced beneath my skin, restless, demanding retribution, demanding action. Every instinct screamed that the rogue woman was still out there, waiting, calculating, observing our next move. Dresden’s hand was firm on my back, grounding me, but his amber eyes burned with controlled fury. He scanned the tree line, muscles taut, every sense alert. “She’s clever,” he muttered, low enough that only I could hear. “Too clever for a simple trap, too bold to hide in plain sight. She’s testing us.” I swallowed hard, feeling the mix of fear and exhilaration twist in my stomach. My wolf growled softly, vibrating through my chest, responding to his words. Clever or not, she wouldn’t get the better of us—not while Dresden and I were bonded, not while my wolf was awake and fierce. “We need to track her,” I said, voice steady bu

Mara’s POV The dawn broke over the Crescent pack lands, pale light spilling across the trees, painting the forest in a golden haze. Yet, the serenity of morning did nothing to calm the storm within me. My wolf pulsed beneath my skin, restless, tense, aware. She had felt it long before I did—the rogue woman hadn’t just fled into the shadows; she was plotting, hunting, biding her time. And every instinct screamed that we were walking into a trap. Dresden moved beside me, silent, alert, amber eyes scanning every ridge, every tree, every flicker of movement. The events of the previous night still echoed in my mind—the rogue’s speed, her cunning, the way she had toyed with us. She wasn’t just a threat; she was a predator, and I knew predators thrived on fear. My wolf growled softly, vibrating through my chest, fierce and insistent. “We can’t let her dictate this,” I whispered, voice low, yet resolute. Dresden’s hand found mine, fingers entwining, grounding me. “We won’t,” he said firml

Mara’s POV The moon hung low, casting pale silver streaks across the Crescent pack house. My wolf throbbed beneath my skin, restless, coiled like a spring, ready to explode. The events of the cliffs haunted my thoughts—the rogue’s escape, Dresden wounded, the betrayal of one of our own. My fingers itched with the need to strike, to hunt, to protect, but the cold reality pressed down: we needed strategy, not recklessness. Dresden sat heavily against the edge of the main hall, his amber eyes dark with pain and calculation. The wound on his side was deep, precise, likely the work of someone trained in stealth and blade. He let out a low growl as I approached, wolf stirring, sensing his vulnerability. “Mara,” he rasped, voice tight, “we need the pack gathered immediately. She won’t stop at this, and neither will her allies.” I nodded, leaning close, wolf vibrating with fierce loyalty and unspoken fury. “I’ll gather the council. Everyone needs to know the truth. The rogue isn’t just a

Mara’s POV The forest was a war zone before the sun even thought of rising. Mist curled around the trees like serpents, carrying with it the scent of blood, sweat, and fear. My wolf was alive beneath my skin, taut and tense, her claws scraping the ground as if she could tear through the earth itself to reach the rogue. Every hair on my body stood on end, and every heartbeat echoed like a drum, warning me that this was it—the moment we had been preparing for, the storm we had known would come. Dresden was beside me, his amber eyes scanning the tree line, his muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike. He hadn’t slept properly in days, nor had I, but exhaustion didn’t matter. Survival mattered. Protection mattered. And vengeance—oh, that cold, burning vengeance—mattered most. “Are you ready?” he murmured, voice low, dangerous, intimate. The words were more than a question—they were a warning, a promise, a tether to hold me steady as the chaos approached. I inhaled deeply, letti