All Chapters of Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Pack: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Lila POV A warm breeze drifts over me and drags my hair across my face. I brush the strands back and tuck the now-dyed lock behind my ear. I’m so used to seeing the white streak in the corner of my eye; it’s strange to lose that part of my identity. But if I want to survive in this world, sacrifices must be made.I lean against the wall surrounding the city and stare up at the burning tree in the near distance.“So… how do we get to the trials?” I ask, glancing at Caleb sitting on the edge of the wall.“You really are new here, huh?”He twirls a dagger between his fingers, grinning at me.“The roots of the tree are made up of magical ley lines. See that portal at the hollow?”He points the tip of the blade toward the archway carved into the tree; the portal glows with sapphire light.“You step into it and think about where you wanna go, then voilà—you’re there.”“That’s pretty neat,” I admit, pushing off the wall. “Then we should get going. How do I look?”He gives me a slow once-ove

Lila POV The courtyards of the Demon Hunting Trials are beautiful in a way I never expected Hell to be. Instead of being dead and covered in flames, it is full of green and life. Different plants fill every corner and line the sides of rocky stone pathways.The buildings are made of old yellow stone with black metal balconies. There are pillars and archways everywhere I look. This place feels like a mixture between Greek and Foster design. Everything is covered in red-flowered ivy, curling around the statues of the Crescent Mother we pass.The statues make me feel like I’m back at the academy, where they have statues everywhere.We head around dim corridors, through pathways, and into one of the tallest buildings at the back of the compound. The structure stretches into a branch that crosses the roof, letting ivy and vines trail around it like they’re embracing it.I follow Caleb through the entrance hall, which is empty except for a single green sofa, and into a corridor full of doz

Lila POVI smile at Dove, and she seems to look curious about something, but we are distracted as Caleb comes back out of his bedroom. He sits on the sofa next to her, and she rests her head on his shoulder.“So who is your lucky partner?”“The other girl in the trials. She hasn’t said much. She seems like the silent but completely deadly type,” she explains with a sigh. “I gave up trying to make conversation with her, but I can hope she is an expert hunter.”“At least you don’t have a newbie over here,” Caleb counters, pointing at me.“Hey, I’m not that bad at fighting and figuring out demons,” I reply shortly. Truthfully, I’m clueless—but I’m a quick learner.He laughs, and Dove shakes her head.“I can help you train, you know, if you want. I’ve been training since I was young.”“I can hold my own,” I state. “But thank you.”“I hope so. The first test is tomorrow,” she replies. “It won’t be easy.”“Don’t worry. I’m happy to carry all the weight in our partnership, songbird,” Caleb c

Caleb POVThe demon—something from the pixie demon line by the looks of the pink shade to her skin and bright glowing eyes that look like she’s underwater—comes over.Zodiac orders us three more drinks, and we both stay silent until she drops them in front of us.“I hope whoever you’re protecting won’t fuck up your chances with the DHT,” he tells me, pushing a whiskey tumbler toward me.I drink it in one.“Always good seeing you, Zodiac. Tell my father to fuck off when you see him, won’t you?”“Caleb—” he calls after me, but I’m already walking out of the bar.I suck in a deep breath of smoky air once I’m outside and glance up.What in the name of the Crescent Goddess am I doing?I’ve always been a sinking ship, and I never should have let Lila on board with the promise of protection. A sinking ship can’t save anyone from a tidal wave.I head down the busy streets away from the bar, knocking into dozens of people as I always do in this city of far too many. Eventually, I reach the ley

Lila POV Ever so slowly, Caleb reaches out to touch my face, and maybe I’ve gone crazy, but I close my eyes and wait for him to kiss me.But he doesn’t.He just ruffles my hair like he did when I was a girl.Confused, I open my eyes and stare up at him. He’s grinning at me.What an assho—“Let’s get going,” he says with a grin.And then he saunters off, whistling, as if he wasn’t just about to kiss me.What. The fuck.I glare at his retreating figure for a minute before following.Why is it that Caleb Hardling can reduce me to that little girl again with just a mere look? I need to watch myself around him from now on.Falling for half-demons is the last thing I need in my life.Glaring at Caleb waiting for me outside the alleyway, I shadow him down one of the many winding cobbled streets.Back to the task at hand.We need to capture this demon and take it back to Hell if we want to complete the mission—and get a point. The more points we get, the greater our chances of being in the t