All Chapters of The Alpha’s Rejected Mate: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I came back screaming.“Bring her to me,” Donovan said and I knew he meant alive.The fire did not fade gently. It tore through me like it was angry I had survived at all. My throat burned from the sound. My chest felt too tight to breathe.Hands gripped my shoulders.“Nova,” a voice said. Low. Urgent. “Stay with me.”Kieran.I clutched his arm. Hard. “It’s killing me.”“No,” he said. “It’s trying to.”The pain surged again. I cried out. My wolf thrashed inside me, wild and afraid.“I can’t hold it,” I gasped. “I’m breaking.”Kieran went still.There was a pause. Heavy. Final.Then he said, “I’m going to bind us.”The words cut through the pain.“What?” I whispered.“Just for a moment,” he said. “Just enough to anchor you.”My eyes widened. “That’s forbidden.”“Yes.”“You could lose control.”“Yes.”“You could”“I know,” he said sharply. “Look at me.”I did.His face was pale. His jaw was tight. His eyes are steady.“I won’t let you die,” he said. “But you have to trust me.”Fear claw

I trusted her once.My wolf opened her eyes and she did not ask for permission.That truth hurt more than the burn crawling under my skin.Lyra stood in front of me like she always did. Calm. Soft voice. Gentle eyes. She looked like she was safe. She always had.“You don’t look well,” she said. “Sit.”I didn’t move.My body felt wrong. Heavy. Slow. My thoughts dragged. The mark on my neck throbbed in a dull, steady way.“I’m fine,” I said.She smiled. Small. Patient. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”Something in her tone made my stomach twist.“You’re shaking,” she added. “Your suppressants must be wearing off.”My heart skipped. “They’re not.”She stepped closer. “Let me help.”Her hand reached for my arm.I pulled back.Her smile didn’t fade. It sharpened.“You’ve changed,” she said softly. “You’re stronger. Louder. The pack feels it.”“I didn’t ask for this,” I said.“No,” she agreed. “You didn’t.”The pause stretched.Then she said it.“Donovan did.”The name hit me like a sla

They called my name like it was a crime.“By Blood Moon Law,” Donovan said, “her fate is no longer her own.”I walked forward without lowering my head. My legs felt steady even when my chest burned. I refused to give them fear. Fear was what they fed on.“Nova of no rank,” a voice said. “You stand accused.”The word echoed. Accused.I kept my eyes forward.“Of treason,” the voice continued. “Of concealing power. Of endangering the pack.”Murmurs rose. Whispers. Judgment.I breathed in. Slow.“This is a trial?” I asked.“It is mercy,” another voice replied. “You are allowed to speak.”Allowed.I almost smiled.Kieran stood beside me. He did not kneel. He did not bow. His presence was a blade drawn halfway from its sheath.“Alpha Kieran,” the council said sharply. “Kneel.”“No,” he answered.The silence that followed was heavy.“This defiance will be noted,” the voice warned.“I hope it is,” Kieran replied.My chest tightened. Gratitude. Fear. Pride.Adrian stood on my other side. His h

“There’s a ledger,” he said. “Hidden records. Council transactions. Orders signed and buried.”My mouth went dry. “By who?”Elijah looked at Kieran. Then back at me.“Donovan,” he said. “And others.”The word others felt worse.“What does it say?” I asked.“That your parents weren’t traitors,” Elijah said. “They were threats.”I laughed softly. It came out broken.“I knew,” I said. “I just didn’t have proof.”“You do now,” he replied. “Names. Dates. Payments.”Kieran exhaled slowly. “Where is it?”“Safe,” Elijah said. “For now.”“For now,” I repeated.Elijah nodded. “Someone tried to access it already.”My wolf stirred.“Lyra,” I said.“Yes,” Elijah confirmed.The name tasted bitter.“She won’t stop,” Kieran said.“No,” I replied. “She’ll escalate.”As if summoned by the thought, pain exploded behind my shoulder.I twisted.Instinct moved before fear.I grabbed a wrist mid-swing.Lyra gasped.Her eyes were wild. Desperate.“You won’t replace us,” she hissed.I shoved her back. Hard.S

Adrian’s eyes burned through me like fire, and I could feel my pulse answering his rage.Before I could move, strong hands gripped me, and darkness swallowed my world.Adrian’s eyes burned through me like fire, and I could feel my pulse answering his rage.“You belong with me, Nova,” he said, low and dangerous. His voice pressed against my chest like a weight I couldn’t lift. “You always have.”I swallowed, trembling. “I don’t belong to anyone,” I said, though my voice cracked. “And this child… it doesn’t belong to you either.”He stepped closer, and my stomach clenched. “Don’t lie. I can smell it. I can feel it. The Alpha blood… it’s ours to claim.”“No,” I whispered. “It’s not yours to claim. Not ever.”“You think you can defy me?” His teeth clenched. “You think hiding it from me will protect you?”I pressed my hands over my stomach, fighting the panic. My wolf surged, angry, protective, raw. “I’m not hiding it from you because I’m afraid. I’m hiding it because I can’t trust you.”A