All Chapters of Once Rejected Then Desired : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I pushed the door open harder than I meant to, the sound cracking through the air like my temper. My fingers trembled as I peeled off Ellie’s jacket, the one I’d thrown over my shoulders to hide the mark. The lingering scent of whiskey and stale alcohol clung to it, but no amount of scrubbing could cleanse my skin of the truth burning beneath it.Ronan’s mark was still there.Still fresh. Still claiming me.I had no explanation for it.Before I could gather myself, I rounded the corner and froze.Lucian was there, pacing the room like a storm trapped in human form. His face was tight with worry, his steps restless, as though the floor itself was accusing him.The moment his eyes caught mine, he stilled.“Seliene.” He stepped closer, his hand reaching for me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want last night to end like that.”I instinctively stepped back before he could touch me.His hand faltered in the air, then fell to his side.“I’m fine,” I muttered, my voice too sharp, too fast.He didn’t lo

The sun had finally dipped beneath the horizon, leaving a cool evening breeze in its place when I stepped outside. I tugged at the green dress, smoothing the fabric. As much as I refused to say it aloud, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It hugged my frame gently, the silver embroidery catching the last glow of daylight.I climbed into the car waiting for me, the silence inside suffocating, but the ride was long enough to collect my thoughts. Hours later, we arrived at the restaurant Lucian had arranged for the evening. It was an elegant place, resting beside a bayou that reflected the night sky like dark glass.Lucian was already waiting, standing just outside the entrance. He looked tired, shadows under his eyes, but his face brightened the moment he saw me.“You look beautiful,” he said, genuine warmth in his voice.I forced a polite smile. “Thanks.”He extended his arm and led me inside. I expected a crowded space, but the entire restaurant was empty. Just one solitary table stood at

She was Ronan’s mother. The thought sat heavy in my chest. If she knew I was the one who killed her son, why was she being so kind to me?I didn’t know how long I sat there, wrapped in warm cloth, my mind turning over that question again and again.The days that followed felt surreal. I wasn’t used to this. Routine, care, the sense of family. Evanna made sure I bathed early each morning, that I was fed, that the baby received daily checkups from the healer. It was strange, almost too quiet, as if I’d stepped into someone else’s life.I was lying on the bed when the healer walked in again with his kit of herbs and vials. He hummed softly to himself as he checked my bump, his hands warm and careful. After a while, he looked up with a gentle smile.“I think it’s a boy.”My eyes widened. “Really?”He nodded. “Strong heartbeat too. Very strong.”A soft laugh escaped me before I could stop it, and I pressed my hands over my belly, feeling the swell of life beneath my skin. A boy.Ronan’s so

The Rites were held twice each year, or so Evanna had told me, but this time they added an extra day to remember those they’d lost.Two weeks passed before that morning came. The sky was clear, the full moon still lingering as if it too had come to mourn. The air was filled with the heavy beat of drums, music that was supposed to carry the spirit of the dead, but no melody could mask the grief on the faces I saw.I watched from a distance as the wolves, one by one, carried flowers and drove carved sticks into the ground, each one bearing the name of someone they’d lost.Then Evanna stepped forward with the last cross. Ronan’s name was carved deep into the wood, bold and undeniable. Her tears fell freely as two girls held her steady while she knelt, laying the flower by his name before retreating, her sobs barely contained.Next was Draco. His face was hard, his posture straight, but when he stepped forward, he placed something different. A symbol. I didn’t need to ask to know that Ron

My hands were balled into fists so tight, I didn't even feel the sting until the warm trickle of blood slipped down my palm. I hadn’t meant to hurt myself, but the pain grounded me barely.Everything around me spun. The walls blurred. My breath caught in my throat, unable to escape. My body felt disconnected, floating through a haze of memory and regret.Then, like a phantom, a memory slashed through the fog. I could see him again. His face, so achingly familiar. His fingers brushing against mine, his mouth on my skin, the burn of that night still seared into me like fire etched into flesh. I remembered the way he looked at me then, as if I was the only one who existed.That fleeting moment when I thought I had him.When I thought he was mine.But he was never mine. Not really.And as I laid there, panting, I realized something crueler than any rejection. Even in all my memories of Ronan, even in the most intimate ones, he had never truly smiled at me. Not with warmth. Not with love.