Lahat ng Kabanata ng Rejected by my mate, Claimed by Alpha Ryder: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

But I wasn’t the same girl who had been pushed around for years. The referee’s voice finally echoed through the speakers. “Final round for the title of Luna of the Year. Luna Doris of Moon Pack versus Luna Nova of Star Pack. Please return to the circle.” Ryder squeezed my knee once. “You’ve already won in my eyes,” he said softly. “Now go show them why.” I stood, smoothed the front of my garment, and walked back into the arena. The crowd was louder than before. Flags waved wildly. Chants mixed together in a chaotic roar. Sun Pack supporters were still upset about Celina’s disqualification, but Moon Pack voices rose above them. “Moon Pack!” “Luna! Luna!” “Luna of Moon Pack!” A group of werewolves near the front rail were making bets, voices loud and rough. “Ten gold on Nova. She’s never lost.” “Fifteen on Doris, she’s got fire.” “Twenty on Nova. Moon Pack Luna is still new. She’ll break.” I ignored the bets. I kept my chin high and stepped into the central circle. The stone

Chapter 53The car rolled down the quiet road. Ryder sat beside me in the back seat, his hand rested on my thigh, thumb tracing slow circles over the silk. The heat of his touch burned straight through the fabric and into my skin.My body felt alive in a way it never had before. The victory, the cheers, the way he had kissed me on stage in front of everyone — it all mixed into something hot and restless inside me. I shifted closer, my knee brushing his.My voice came out soft, almost shy, but the words were clear.“I need you right now,” I whispered.Ryder’s breath caught. His hand tightened on my thigh. For a second he just looked at me, eyes dark with the same hunger I felt. He leaned in and kissed my temple, then my cheek, then the corner of my mouth.“We should get home first,” he whispered against my skin, voice low and rough. “Don’t you want to get home first?”I shook my head, my breath already coming faster. “No.”The word came

Morning light slipped through the heavy curtains. I woke slowly, my body was heavy and sore in the best way. Every muscle ached from the fight, from the victory, and from the way Ryder had taken me last night until I couldn’t think of anything but him.I was still naked under the sheets, skin warm from his body heat. Ryder lay beside me, propped on one elbow, watching me with that soft, intense look that always made my stomach flutter. His hair was messy, his jaw shadowed with stubble, and the sheet had slipped low on his hips, showing the hard lines of his chest and the faint scratches I had left on his skin during our sweet night.I blushed just thinking about it.He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.“Good morning, my beautiful Luna,” he murmured, voice still rough from sleep. He kissed my nose, then my cheek, then the corner of my mouth. “My strong, brave girl. My everything.”I smiled, still half-asleep, and turned into him. His

The classroom door burst open with a loud bang.A guy rushed in, eyes wild, knife flashing in his hand. He ran straight at me, face twisted with rage. Students screamed immediately and chairs scraped back. The teacher shouted something I didn’t really catch.I didn’t think.I lifted my hand.The golden glow flared across my palm. I pushed forward with everything I had. The force slammed into the guy’s chest like an invisible wall. He flew backward, feet leaving the floor, and crashed hard against the back wall. The knife clattered to the ground. He slid down, gasping, trying to push himself up. Before he could stand, Blade was there.Blade moved faster than I had ever seen him. He grabbed the guy by the collar, slammed him back down, and pinned him to the floor with a knee on his chest. His hand came down hard on the side of the guy’s head, not enough to knock him out, but enough to make him groan.“Why?” Blade growled, voice low and dangerous.

CHAPTER 59Cold water splashed across my face.I gasped and jerked awake, pulling in a sharp breath. My chest rose fast as I tried to catch my breath. My head hurt, and for a moment, everything around me spun.Then slowly… it stopped.I realized I was in Ryder’s arms.He held me tightly, one arm wrapped around my waist, the other supporting my head like he was afraid I might fall again.“Doris,” he said softly, his voice filled with worry. “You’re okay. I’ve got you, baby girl.”I blinked up at him. His eyes were fixed on mine, full of fear and concern.“I’m okay,” I said, though my voice came out weak.The room came back into focus.The Alphas and Lunas stared at me. Water dripped from my chin onto my gown. Someone obviously had poured water on me to wake me up.I slowly sat up. My body still felt a little weak, and my head wasn’t fully clear yet. My shoulder ached from earlier, but I forced myself to stay steady.I was awake.And