Semua Bab Rejected by my mate, Claimed by Alpha Ryder: Bab 61 - Bab 70

The morning light was soft when I slipped out of bed. Ryder was still asleep, his arm stretched across the empty space where I had been. His face looked peaceful, the lines of worry from yesterday smoothed out in sleep. I stood there for a moment, watching him, my heart aching with love and something heavier — the secret I still carried.The poison.I could feel it now, a low burn under my skin, a quiet reminder that time was not on my side. But I refused to let it stop me. I was done being the girl who hid and done being the one who waited for someone else to save her.I showered and moved quietly to the closet and chose my school uniform. I dressed carefully, wincing a little when the fabric brushed the bandage on my shoulder. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a girl who had chosen to keep living even when the world tried to break her.I was still brushing my hair when Ryder stirred.He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. The moment he saw me fully dres

The question wouldn’t leave my head.First, how did he know my parents?Not just my father… but my stepmother too. And somehow, that knowledge had been enough to make him spare me that day. The moment he realized whose blood ran through my veins, his entire demeanor shifted from predator to something else. Something like a reluctant savior.But why?***FLASHBACK — THE ABDUCTION***A man stepped into my blurry view.He wore dark clothes, hood pulled low. He bent down over me. His face stayed in shadow, but I saw one thing clearly when he leaned closer. I saw a big scar running across his left cheek and down his neck. It looked old, years old, like a wound that had never healed properly. The skin was raised and twisted, pale against his darker tone, as if someone had cut him deep a long time ago and the mark refused to fade.He stared at me for a moment. His eyes were cold, but there was something else in them, almost like surprise, or recog

~ Kael ~I left the pack house quietly after the lights went out.The night was cool and still. I moved through the trees, staying low and careful so no one would see me. Luna had asked me to do something important. This was the first real job she had given me, and I did not want to let her down.I reached the big old house where the Lucious family lived. It sat far from the main pack house, behind a tall fence. I found a safe spot in the thick bushes and waited, watching.At first, everything was quiet.Then the man with the scar stepped into the yard where the other warriors were gathered.He was broad across the shoulders, solid but not massive — the kind of build that came from years of real fighting, not just show. The scar on his face caught my attention, ugly and raised, running from cheek to jaw like someone had tried to peel half his face off and almost succeeded. The other warriors called him Richard. They laughed with him, slapp

“What do you mean I have no children?” Richard’s voice trembled with barely contained rage. “Anna, you know how dangerous I become when I’m angry. Don’t test me right now.”“Richard, what you’re about to do will—”“Scatter my family,” he finished bitterly, his words laced with pain. “I’ve known you were selfish and greedy for years, Anna. But I never imagined you could sink this low.”Anna stood with her arms folded tightly across her chest, her posture rigid like a coiled spring. A sharp hiss slipped past her lips. “I’m not selfish or greedy,” she said coldly. “I just took a man from a weak and careless woman.”The words hung between them. Richard shook his head slowly. “Dora was never weak,” he said quietly, his voice heavy with memory. “She was only foolish enough to trust you— someone she took as her own younger sister.”He took a step closer, his shoulders tense. “Tell me something, Anna. How would you have felt if Dora had taken me from you while we we

~ Ryder ~The restaurant was quiet when I walked in.It was the same place Clara and I used to visit years ago, back when everything between us was simple and our friendship had no strings attached.She chose our old corner—the table by the window. The building was completely empty. No customers, no waiters, just soft lighting and the faint smell of fresh meals from the kitchen.She had booked the entire place.I almost smiled. Classic Clara. Always dramatic.She sat exactly where we used to sit. When she saw me, she waved, her smile bright and hopeful, like I might not notice the only person in the room. I walked over and pulled out the chair opposite her. “You booked the whole restaurant?”She shrugged, still smiling. “I wanted it to be just us. Just like old times.” “But come to think of it, you’re so damn early.” She said, glancing at her wrist watch. I smirked. “Are you already mad that I took just three hours to get here? Fine. I can leav