All Chapters of Alpha's Rejected Secret: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Aria had barely slept.The velvet curtains of her chamber were drawn tightly, shutting out the morning sun, but it wasn’t the lack of light that kept her awake. It was the words she had overheard last night, whispered in the hall's shadows where no one was supposed to be listening. Words that clawed at her heart, words she wished she had never heard.“You cannot protect her forever. The past will catch up to her.”The voice had been unfamiliar, deep, threaded with menace. And then Killian’s reply, low and sharp, as though every syllable cost him:“I will protect her with my life. No matter what comes.”Her chest still ached at the memory. She pressed a trembling hand against her ribs, staring at the ceiling. Did Killian mean her? Was she the “her” he spoke of? And if so… what past was coming for her?The questions twisted inside her until she could hardly breathe.When a soft knock sounded on her door, she jolted upright, clutching the blanket to her chest.“It’s me,” Killian’s voice

The grand ballroom glittered with chandeliers, each crystal casting splinters of light across the gilded walls. Music swirled in the air, violins weaving a melody that spoke of elegance and restraint. But beneath the poised surface of nobility, Aria felt chaos boiling in her veins. Every pair of eyes seemed to follow her as she descended the marble staircase, her gown flowing behind her like a stream of midnight silk. She kept her chin high, her expression carefully composed, but her heart betrayed her — thundering, restless, as if trying to leap toward him.Darius stood across the room, his tall figure commanding attention even without a crown. His dark hair gleamed beneath the light, his broad shoulders stiff with tension. Their gazes met for the briefest moment — and the world fractured. It was not just a glance; it was a storm, a silent war of yearning and resistance, of secrets and unspoken promises.Aria’s chest constricted. How could he look at her like that? Like she was both

His words hung in the night air like a blade against my throat. Nothing will ever be the same again. The promise in his voice made my wolf thrash inside me, desperate to know, desperate to belong to the bond, desperate to unravel the secrets he kept. But my pride and fear tangled together, clawing at my chest. “Then tell me,” I whispered, though my voice trembled. “Tell me what I don’t know about myself.” Killian’s storm-gray eyes locked on mine, fierce, tormented. His hand lingered on my face, thumb brushing over the mess of battle’s dirt and blood like he wanted to memorize me. For a moment, it felt like he might finally give me the truth. But then— “Alpha!” a warrior called, rushing toward us. His body was battered, blood streaking his fur from the shift. “We found tracks. More rogues are gathering near the river.” Killian’s jaw clenched, torn between duty and me. He turned to the warrior with a sharp nod, commanding, “Double the patrols. Fortify the borders. No one mo

The forest had gone eerily quiet, too quiet for a battlefield that still reeked of blood. The dead lay scattered beneath the moonlight, but all I could hear was the pounding of my heart, the echo of Killian’s kiss, and the shadows still pulsing faintly under my skin.I wasn’t just a wolf anymore. I wasn’t just a rejected mate.I was something more—something dangerous.Killian’s thumb brushed the corner of my mouth, smearing blood that wasn’t mine. His eyes searched mine, stormy and restless, as if he wanted to hold me forever and feared he’d already lost me.“We can’t stay here,” he murmured, voice low but laced with command. “The hunters will return with reinforcements. They never give up once they’ve found a scent.”I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “They called me half-blood. They knew exactly what I was. What I am.”His jaw tightened, the Alpha mask sliding back over his features. “They don’t know everything. If they did, they wouldn’t have run. They would’ve tried to end you tonig

The ruins of the grand hall lay heavy around them, silence pressing in like a living thing. Broken wood and scorched walls reflected the chaos of the night, and the scent of blood still lingered, clinging to the air in a bitter, metallic tang. Aria’s chest rose and fell with ragged breaths, her forehead still pressed to Killian’s.“I don’t know if I can forgive you,” she had whispered, trembling. “But I don’t want to lose you either.”Killian’s hand had lingered against her cheek, his thumb brushing the tear that slid down her face. “Then that’s enough for me,” he had said. And for a fleeting moment, the world outside ceased to exist.But moments like that, fleeting as they were, never lasted. Not in the life they lived.The distant echo of footsteps made both of them tense, their senses snapping to alert. Wolves smelled danger, even in the quiet aftermath, and Aria could feel her wolf stir beneath her skin, restless and wary.“They’re not gone,” Killian murmured, his voice a low grow