His Rejected Mate: Her Cold Hearted Alpha のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 11 - チャプター 20

*Adele’s point of view*I had been standing outside the Alpha’s office for at least five minutes now. Maybe more.Time felt strangely slow when my nerves were involved. Seconds stretched, dragged, crawled. Oxygen felt scarce, the hallway felt too quiet, the silence pressing against my ears like it wanted to suffocate me. I felt anxious.I'd come here to talk to him.Well… technically to ask permission.And that alone irritated me.I had not seen Demarion since that night in my room. Two weeks. Which was fourteen days of distance that I had worked hard to turn into progress. Out of sight, out of mind. That was the plan. It was intentional. And it had almost worked.The first few days were torture. Every corner reminded me of him. Every memory tried to replay itself. But I drowned it in training. In work. In exhaustion. I pushed my body until my muscles burned so bad that my mind had no energy left to wander.And slowly… he faded. He stopped showing up in my thoughts when I lay in bed.

*Adele's point of view* So far the road trip had been painfully quiet. Didn't mean it was peaceful. But it was just… empty.The kind of silence that made every small movement sound louder than it should. There was the hum of the engine, the tires rolling against the hard road, his slow breathing, my own heartbeat thudding in my ears like it was trying to betray me by reaching his ears eventually.On the outside, I managed to pretend like nothing was going on with me while I was dying inside.Inside me, everything was going on.My thoughts had not settled once since we left. They kept circling back to him, to my daydream, to the scenarios I should have not had going on in my head. The more I tried to shut them down, the stronger they came back. My cheeks had been warm for hours, and I prayed he would blame it on the heat or the long ride.I did not dare look at him.Because if I did, he might see it. The conflict. The pull. The embarrassment that came with wanting someone who made me

*Adele's point of view* When Paul and I finally pulled into their driveway, the sky had already started dimming into evening shades. The soft porch light glowed like a welcome sign, and for the first time all day, my chest eased just a little.Home.Or at least, the closest thing to it.The car had barely stopped before the passenger door flew open and Claire rushed out like a storm. I had just stepped out when she collided into me, arms wrapping around my shoulders so tight my feet nearly left the ground."Hey," I croaked, my voice squeezed out of my lungs. "Missed you too, but I would like to survive this hug.""I missed you, you idiot!" she said, pulling back just to grab my face, then shaking me lightly. "You barely called! Do you know how worried we were?""Her mate didn’t exactly give her much freedom," Paul muttered, his tone edged with irritation.Claire’s expression softened, the anger fading into understanding. She squeezed my hand and led me inside without another word, li

*Demarion's point of view*What did I do?The question would not stop echoing in my head.What did I do?!My hands shook as I ran them through my hair, pacing the length of the room like a caged animal. I had lost control. Not my wolf, not instinct, but me. I marked her.I forced a claim that should have been sacred, mutual, chosen. Instead, I branded her in fear, in desperation, in selfishness. I saw the hurt in her eyes and did it anyway.She must hate me now.And I do not blame her.The thought of her leaving me paralyzed me from the inside. I could not let her get too close, but I could not let her drift away either. She was fire and oxygen at the same time. Too near, I burned. Too far, I suffocated.And now… she was leaving.For good.Images of her flooded my mind like a storm. The stubborn tilt of her chin when she was angry. The way her lips curled when she laughed in spite of herself. The softness in her face when she slept, unaware of the world.Yes, I watched her.I would sn

*Adele's point of view*Concern was written all over Paul's face. Suddenly, the weight I had been carrying all night felt heavier than ever.Paul looked almost relieved when he approached me. His eyes scanned my face slowly, like he was checking for damage, searching for cracks. The intensity of it made my skin prickle. At first, it was just concern.Then his gaze dropped, and everything changed. His eyes darkened the moment they landed on my neck."Adele… what is that?" he asked carefully, his voice low, controlled, but no longer soft."What is what?" I replied, forcing confusion into my tone, even though my stomach had already dropped to my feet.This was going to spiral."Do not play dumb with me," he said, stepping closer. "What is that on your neck?"His voice hardened. I saw his jaw tighten. The shift in him was subtle but unmistakable.However, I felt cornered."Mosquito bites," I answered quickly, too quickly. I shuffled back a few inches, pretending it was casual movement, th