All Chapters of Reject Me, Alpha Tate: Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

Nicole's POVI was sitting at my desk, holding a blue plastic syringe and carefully measuring a dose of liquid baseline solution into a tiny glass vial. The glass clinked softly against my metal tray. On my screen, the colored brain maps of the trial patients pulsed with light.A sharp, hesitant knock sounded at the door.I set the syringe down on the tray, watching a single clear drop cling to the tip before looking up.Jonathan Hayes was standing in the open doorway. His hands hung loosely at his sides. His face looked completely stripped of the smooth, professional mask he usually wore.I didn't gasp. I didn't look shocked. I just stared at him, my hands flat on the desk, my fingers pressing hard into the dark wood. I had spent the last few days since Tate told me the truth waiting for this exact moment. The anger in my chest was not a sudden spark; it was a cold, heavy block of ice."Dr. Carter," Jonathan said, his voice quiet. "Can I have a few minutes?""Come in, Jonathan," I s

Tate's POVThe drive back to South River took four hours. I spent every minute staring at the asphalt, watching the yellow lines get swallowed under the hood. The last time I made this trip, I was driving in the opposite direction. I was furious, driving toward the institute to force a woman named Dr. Carter to explain herself. I hadn't known then that I was driving toward my entire life. Now, I was driving away from it, if only for a day. Some things couldn't be settled on neutral ground. Some things needed to happen on pack soil, in front of pack eyes, so there could be no pretending afterward that anyone hadn't heard me clearly.Jonathan sat beside me in the passenger seat, staring straight out the windshield. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap, his shoulders stiff. He was quiet, still healing from things that had nothing to do with his body."Are you going to be able to look at them?" I asked, my voice cutting through the hum of the engine.Jonathan didn't turn his head.

Tate's POVThe car hummed as it chewed up the miles on the highway back toward the institute. Jonathan sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the passing trees, his shoulders rigid. The phone on the dashboard buzzed, the screen lighting up with the name of the lead guard I had left at the research campus.I tapped the screen, putting it on speaker. "Report.""Alpha," the guard’s voice crackled through the car speakers, tight and hurried. "We have a situation in the central dining hall. Beta Hayes’s mate just caused a massive scene."My fingers dug into the leather of the steering wheel. "What did she do?""She insulted Dr. Carter in front of the alliance staff, sir," the guard said. "She was loud. She called the pregnancy tactical and questioned the bloodline legitimacy right in front of the researchers."Beside me, Jonathan stiffened, his head snapping toward the dashboard as his face went completely white."Did she touch Nicole?" I growled, Storm instantly clawing at the surfa

Nicole pov "I know it doesn't," Tate said softly. He took a half-step closer, his expression suddenly breaking, the terrifying Alpha alpha mask dropping away to reveal the raw, bleeding guilt underneath. "I told them I intend to bring you home the exact moment you agree to it. Not a second before. But until that day comes, I need every wolf in our territory to know exactly who you are to me. I won't have you hiding in the dark anymore, Nicole. I won't have Lily or anyone else treating you like a secret mistake from my past."I closed my eyes, the memory of Lily's venomous words from breakfast echoing in my ears. A convenient pregnancy. A tactical career move."Lily told me today that I was just an omega from the slums," I whispered, opening my eyes to look at him. "She said you would never let me use pack laws against her because of what my father did."Tate's chest heaved. He reached across the desk, his large, calloused hand hovering just an inch above mine, waiting for permission.

Nicole pov "We designed," I corrected gently. "I couldn't have calculated the synthesis models alone, Marlon.""Maybe," he said, picking up his glass. "But it's your work saving her mind."I leaned back, taking in a slow, steadying breath as the weight of the day settled over us. "Let's just finish the lab work today. One step at a time.""One step at a time," Marlon agreed, finally picking up his fork.Tate’s POVDays later My boots clicked against the cold linoleum. The light from the west corridor lab spilled onto the floor, casting long shadows against the wall. Inside, Marlon stood by a steel table. He picked up a small glass bottle, looked at the label, and set it down. Then he picked up a metal tray, moved it two inches to the left, and set it down again. His fingers were stiff.I stopped at the open door frame. I leaned my shoulder against the wood, crossing my arms over my chest. I watched him move the tray back to where it had started."You're not doing any real work," I