The Alpha’s Rejected Mate의 모든 챕터: 챕터 31 - 챕터 40

Someone stepped in front of me.The blade did not reach my throat.A body did.Adrian moved so fast I did not understand it at first. One moment the blade hovered near my skin. Next, Adrian was there. Between us. Blocking the strike meant for me.Steel sank deep.Time broke.“No,” I whispered.The assassin pulled back, shocked. Blood spilled. Too much. Too fast.Adrian did not fall right away.He stood there. Steady. Like he always had.“You don’t get her,” Adrian said calmly. “Not today.”The assassin cursed and lunged again.Kieran roared.Everything exploded at once. Hands. Shouts. Violence.But my eyes stayed on Adrian.“Adrian,” I said. “Move.”He looked back at me.And smiled.A real smile. Soft. Regretful.“I couldn’t,” he said quietly.The assassin was dragged away. Screaming. Fighting.It didn’t matter.Adrian staggered.I caught him.“No,” I said again. Louder. “You’re not allowed.”He laughed weakly. “You were always bossy.”Blood soaked my hands. Warm. Slipping.Kieran kne

Peace never lasts.I felt it before anyone said a word.The quiet was wrong.Not calm. Not earned.Waiting.I folded my hands together and kept my voice steady. “Say it.”No one spoke at first. That was the problem.Kieran stood across from me, jaw tight. He hated moments like this. Moments where instinct screamed but proof stayed silent.“Elijah hasn’t checked in,” he said finally.I nodded once. “How long?”“Too long.”A pause stretched between us.“He wouldn’t vanish,” I said. “Not without warning.”Kieran’s eyes darkened. “Unless he was taken.”The word settled heavy.I leaned back and closed my eyes for one breath.Lyra.She had been gone too long. Quiet too long. Careful.“She’s back,” I said.Kieran didn’t ask how I knew. He trusted the same sense that lived in my bones now.“She never left,” he replied. “She was waiting.”I opened my eyes. “Then we stop waiting.”He studied me. “You’re thinking three moves ahead.”“I have to,” I said. “She won’t come for you. Or me.”His mouth

The words reached me like an echo.I turned my head. “Say it again.”Elijah’s voice came next. Hoarse. Real. “I’m here.”I faced him. Alive. Bruised. Breathing.I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.“You should be dead,” I said quietly.He gave a weak smile. “She tried.”I closed the distance between us. Put my hands on his shoulders. Solid. Warm.“I’m sorry,” I said.“For what?” he asked.“For trusting her,” I replied. “For not killing her sooner.”His eyes darkened. “That wasn’t mercy. That was hope.”Hope.A dangerous word.Kieran stepped closer. His face was hard. Controlled. There was blood on his shirt that wasn’t his.“She’s been found,” he said.I already knew who he meant.“Alive?” I asked.“Yes.”I nodded once. “Bring her.”No one argued.They brought Lyra in chains. Burned. Furious. Still smiling like she had won something.“You look awful,” she said when she saw me.“You look finished,” I replied.She laughed. “You didn’t die.”“No,” I said. “You failed.”Her

She asked for a price, not a prayer.I knew she was there before she spoke.You stand at the edge again,the Moon Goddess said. And you still refuse to kneel.“I won’t,” I said. “Not for power. Not for mercy.”Pain pulsed low and steady. Not gone. Waiting.Kieran’s hands held mine. Tight. Anchoring.“Talk to me,” he said. “Where did you go?”“I’m here,” I whispered. “I just she's back.”His breath hitched. “What does she want?”The Goddess answered before I could. What I always want. Balance.“I don’t believe you,” I said. “You want control.”A pause. Heavy.Control is order,she replied. And order is safe.“For who?” I snapped. “For you?”Another wave rolled through me. Stronger than before. I cried out.Kieran leaned close. “Breathe with me.”I tried. I failed. I tried again.The healer’s voice cut in. “The heartbeat is faint but present.”Hope flared. Sharp. Dangerous.“Don’t lie,” I said. “I can feel the truth.”She swallowed. “I won’t. It’s unstable.”The Goddess pressed closer ins

They came without asking.I felt it before anyone spoke. Not fear. Not anger. Pressure. Like hands on my chest that did not belong there. I did not move. I did not shout. I held my child closer and waited for the first voice to break the quiet.“You don’t get to decide alone anymore.”The words were calm. Too calm. I lifted my eyes and met the speaker’s stare. He did not bow. He did not lower his head. Others behind him did. Some did not. The split was clear.I said, “No blood.”Kieran turned to me fast. “Nova”I touched his wrist. “No blood,” I said again. My voice did not rise. It did not need to.A woman stepped forward next. Her voice shook, but she stood tall. “We felt the birth. Every pack did. You don’t get to hide what belongs to us all.”Something inside me went cold. Not weak. Sharp.“Belongs?” I asked. “Say that word again.”She hesitated. That was new. They had expected a monster. Or a goddess. Not a mother who looked back without blinking.An elder from my side leaned clo