All Chapters of Rejected Mate: Rise of the Lycan Princess : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Cain’s POV There are fights you win with strength. And there are fights you lose the moment you throw the first punch. Yesterday had been the second kind. I stood outside Eric’s office door longer than I should have. The corridor was quiet. Frostbite guards passed occasionally, offering nods of acknowledgment, but no one lingered. Word of the training yard fight had spread. Wolves always smelled blood .... literal or otherwise. I had embarrassed myself. Worse. I had disrespected her. That part sat heavier than the bruise on my cheekbone. I lifted my hand and knocked once. “Come in.” His voice was steady. Of course it was. I stepped inside. Eric stood near the wide window overlooking the eastern slope, sleeves rolled, reviewing reports. The late afternoon light cut across the room in cold silver lines. He didn’t look surprised to see me. “I was wondering how long it would take,” he said without turning. I closed the door behind me. “I came to apologize.” Now he turn

Cora’s POV It started subtly. So subtly that if I hadn’t been paying attention, I might have convinced myself it was coincidence. The first time was during morning drills. I had taken the field early, wanting to clear my mind before council meetings consumed the day. The air was sharp, frost clinging to the training posts. Warriors moved through sparring rotations in disciplined silence. I was halfway through correcting a guard’s footwork when I felt it. That familiar presence. I didn’t turn immediately. But I knew. Cain. He stood at the far end of the yard speaking with one of the captains. Not lingering. Not watching me openly. Working. Focused. Professional. When our eyes briefly met across the yard, he nodded once ...... respectful. Then returned to the discussion. No smirk. No tension. No heat. Just acknowledgment. It shouldn’t have mattered. But it did. The second time was in the council hall. We were reviewing scout reports when C

Cora's POV The late afternoon sun cut through the tall windows of Frostbite’s great hall, painting long, golden streaks across the polished wooden floor. Dust motes floated lazily in the light, like tiny stars suspended in a quiet universe. I followed my parents, each step a small reminder that this was no ordinary day. I wasn’t just a member of this pack anymore. I wasn’t just a girl caught between rogue attacks and impossible choices. I was their daughter. Their real daughter. And that truth carried weight ..... heavy, grounding, and slightly terrifying. We moved toward the dining area, our boots making soft thuds on the stone steps. My father's presence beside me was solid, unwavering, the kind of strength that commanded both respect and safety. My mother walked gracefully, a quiet, serene power in her posture, yet her eyes flickered occasionally toward me, soft with warmth. I felt the weight of her gaze on me, and for the first time in a long while, I felt truly seen. “C

Cora's POV The snow crunched under my boots as Eric and I walked back from our date. My cheeks burned from laughter, the cold, and something warmer .... the lingering brush of his hand on mine during dinner. Tonight had been perfect, in that quiet, unassuming way that made the world shrink to just the two of us. Every glance, every laugh, every small touch reminded me how deeply I felt for him. How safe I felt in his presence. We approached the main hall of Frostbite, the familiar outlines of the pack’s territory glowing softly under the moonlight. I let out a contented sigh, leaning slightly into Eric’s shoulder. “I… I really needed this,” I whispered. “Tonight… it’s like I could forget everything else for a while.” Eric’s hand tightened around mine. “Me too,” he said quietly, his voice warm, steady. “You deserve peace. And tonight, I wanted you to have it.” I smiled, feeling the heat in my chest. He had always been my anchor ..... solid, constant, dependable. I’d chosen hi

Cora's POV The morning light slanted through the tall windows of Frostbite, painting the snow-covered courtyard in shades of silver and gray. I had expected relief, warmth, after the night’s chaos. The rogues had been repelled, Cain had disappeared, and for a moment, the world should have felt calm. But when I found Eric, all the calmness dissolved like mist. He stood near the training yard, arms crossed, shoulders stiff, eyes fixed on the horizon. His jaw was set, his posture tight ..... the kind of posture that radiated control but also a quiet storm brewing underneath. And when he looked at me, it wasn’t with warmth. Not with the deep, familiar affection I had grown used to. It was… distant. “Eric?” I said softly, stepping closer. I tried to catch his gaze, to bridge the chasm that had grown overnight. “Are you… okay?” His eyes flicked to me briefly, a shadow of his usual softness there, but then he looked away, scanning the snow-dusted trees beyond the walls as if the r