บททั้งหมดของ The Alpha King's Rejected Mate : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

ARIA “I don’t know you,” Kael said, his voice flat and controlled. “And I don’t know Malek. I go in with her, or she doesn’t go in at all. I brought a healer. She can treat Aria.”A large Black man stepped into the doorway, filling it easily. He frowned at the scene. “What’s going on here? You’re letting pests inside, Eldric.”“I apologize for waking you,” Eldric said calmly. “It seems you won’t be seeing her today.”The truth was, my knee already ached, and the longer we stood here, the worse it would get. Since the secret was already out, there was no reason to pretend anymore. “I’d rather Kael come with me,” I said at last. It was a lie, but it would save time.“I’m fine with it,” I added. “So there’s no issue, right?”Kael’s jaw tightened, and that small reaction felt like a win. Most of the control was still mine. And I wasn’t careless. Even without all this tension, there was no way I was walking into a dark place alone with someone I didn’t know.“I don’t care,” Malek said rou

KAEL “Aria is not in extreme pain,” the words came out low and sharp. “There was no reason for us to stay there for hours.”Liora shifted slightly before clearing her throat, careful not to draw attention to herself. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn,” she said. “But from what I see in these ingredients, Aria has been carrying a great deal of pain for some time. It doesn’t strike all at once. It builds. Slowly. If she’s already feeling relief, then this has likely been treated for several hours. At least two, maybe three applications.”The realization hit hard and fast. Anger followed right behind it. The gaze snapped to her. “Pain is not hidden here. Do you understand me?” The growl was controlled but dangerous. “Any weakness I don’t know about can get us killed.”“You were the one who told me to come along,” she said quietly, barely above a breath. “I can leave if that’s what you want.”“That’s not happening.” The words were final. The attention turned to Serah. “While we are he

ARIA A sharp breath left my chest as I nodded. He let go at once and stepped away. Cold air touched my skin. So did a quiet sense of loss as I pulled my shirt back into place. Hating how easily my body still reacted to him came just as fast. It was unwanted and familiar.What did the other wolves always say? If one wolf still had a hold on you, the cure was simple. Sleep with another.It wasn’t like I could get pregnant twice.The thought made my stomach twist, and I pushed it aside. Turning my back on him, I climbed into the bed. Kael said nothing, but his stare stayed on me. It lingered. Sleep took a long time to come.Morning light cut through the dirty window beside the bed. The space felt empty right away. Kael was gone. I rolled over quickly, heart jumping, but it wasn’t him.Nyssa sat cross-legged on Kael’s bed. A long knife rested in one hand. A stone moved slowly along its edge in the other. Any small spark of jealousy died the second metal scraped against metal and her ey

ARIAThe shadows around the giant oak shifted, and a moment later, Serah and a young woman stepped from behind its broad trunk. They had been looking up at the branches. Spotting us, Serah smiled warmly and waved us over. "Aria, Nyssa, come meet Tiana. She is our arborist.""Arborist?" I repeated, shaking the blonde woman's hand. "That means you're a doctor for trees?""Exactly right," Serah laughed. "I watch over them and help when I can. But this old oak is not well. It may not last more than a couple of years. These growths are a sign of poor health, and the leaves it drops show invasive beetles are inside.""Is there anything you can do?" I asked."Not for a tree this old and this big, I'm afraid. It has already started to drop dead limbs. So in another year or two, we will talk about taking it down. We can use the wood for building and for fire. We try very hard not to cut down trees that are still healthy."She was a scientist, not a witch. Nyssa had to be disappointed."Aria,"

ARIA We traveled for ten long hours up the mountain and never crossed paths with a single wolf. Not a scent. Not a sound. The quiet pressed in the whole way. The moment we finally stopped, the shift rolled off me and left me standing in my human skin again, cold settling fast into my bones. I shivered hard. My wolf had enjoyed the freedom too much. Every time she stayed out that long, pulling her back felt slower and rougher, like she resisted just to remind me she could.Liora shifted beside me and we dressed without speaking. The silence felt heavy but familiar. She dug through the pack and pulled out the small jar of cream, then nodded toward my knee. “It’s aching again, isn’t it? You should have let him break it. It would’ve healed the right way.”A fallen log sat nearby, half-rotted and worn smooth. I eased myself down and took the jar while she crouched to start a fire. “That’s easy to say for someone who’s never lived under a man’s hand.” The cream warmed as soon as it touche