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Todos os capítulos de The Silver Alpha's Rejected Mate : Capítulo 11 - Capítulo 20

167 Capítulos

11

SKYMy clothes are dirty and stiff with dried mud, but I’m alive. That’s a start I can work from.I walk for a while, my legs weak and trembling, until I see the bright glow of headlights cutting through the dark road. Desperate, I wave my arms, hoping someone will stop. For a moment, I think he won’t, but the sound of brakes squealing tells me he has. My heart leaps as a mid-sized truck slows and pulls to the side.A man steps out, his belly rounding against his jacket. “Where you headed?” he asks.“New York,” I manage to say, my voice small and shaky.He nods and gestures toward the truck. “Hop in. I’ve got a delivery going that way. I’ll drop you off at Port Authority. It’s too late to be out here alone.”Relief hits me so hard I burst into tears. I try to stop, but I can’t. The fear and exhaustion come pouring out all at once. “Sorry,” I mumble, wiping my face as I climb into the seat. “I’m just… having a bad night.”The man glances at me with concern. He has a thick, scruffy bear

12

DAMIEN “We have to hit Yorkville on First Avenue. That old geezer in there did not pay last month’s kickback. He owes a thousand. Drake, you have Park Avenue, The Franklin Hotel. The owner’s name is Franco. He already paid. Just collect the invoice from him.”I read from the crumpled run sheet Gareth gives me at the start of every month. The paper is soft at the creases and smells faintly of smoke. We have just arrived in New York and I can feel the storm about to roll in. My heart is pounding, and adrenaline is already doing its work. This is the part of the job I live for. There is a sharp, greedy joy in it. I even hope, selfishly, that a few people fall behind on payments so we can teach them a lesson and wreck the nice things the upper class protects.I look up at Nova. She is taking off her fingerless biker gloves and flexing her fingers like she is stretching before a fight. “Nova, you have Hosea. He is at the Penbloom. Big haul. He owes four thousand. Make him wire it on the

13

DAMIEN My father’s pep talks never leave my mind. I still hear his voice reminding me of loyalty, control, and power. I want the best for my pack, but Gareth only lets me go so far. I’ve asked him more than once to expand our territory and let me handle more pack members, but he always says I’m not ready.So, I decided to do things my own way. I set up an offshoot rogue operation at the university. It’s been my secret rebellion—and it’s working. I move through the streets of New York, blending into the crowd. Everyone here is in a rush, eyes down, minds elsewhere. That’s the beauty of this city. You can disappear in plain sight.I quicken my pace toward Greco’s restaurant. Perfect timing—the lunch crowd is just picking up. Inside, the place buzzes with chatter. People are sipping expensive lattes and bragging to their friends about things that don’t matter. If I wanted to, I could silence every one of them, but I’ve got business to handle. Money to collect.At the counter, the small

14

SKYLamen is standing on the far side of the truck, his shadow stretching long under the dim streetlight. My brain is racing so fast that I don't even think before leaping into the passenger seat. Not my brightest move, I'll admit. Why do I always do reckless things? What did I even plan to do-drive the truck myself?The trucker stumbles back, his face pale, as the low, menacing growls of Lamen and his pack ripple through the air. He sniffs sharply, his voice cutting through the night."I can smell her. I know you're hiding her. She's here. Give her to us, and you won't get hurt."Lamen's voice is thick with threat, and it sends shivers down my spine. My heart pounds against my ribs as I grab my knapsack and sling it over my shoulder. The next second, the trucker hauls himself into the driver's seat and turns the key. His eyes widen when he spots me crouched beside him."You!" he yells, voice cracking. "You didn't tell me you've got Silver Moon wolves after you!"Before I can say a si

15

SKYIt’s hard to feel my tongue. It’s swollen and heavy, and while I ran, it kept hanging out of my mouth like I had no control over it. My lips are cracked and dry, and licking them doesn’t help at all. My throat feels like sandpaper.I don’t even have the strength or calm to admire the tall buildings around me. My shoulder blades burn, and every step reminds me of the chafing under my shirt from where my knapsack rubbed against my fur earlier.A woman walks toward me wearing a long brown coat with a floral dress underneath. Her face looks soft, kind even, so I take a chance. I gather the little courage I have left.“Hi, excuse me,” I say quickly, my voice trembling. “I’m new to the city. Do you know where I can find a hostel for the night?”Her expression changes almost instantly. The calm smile fades, and her lip curls slightly. Without answering, she sidesteps me as if I’m something to avoid.My chest tightens. I drop my head, fighting back tears that sting my already dry eyes. Th

16

SKY Today is the day. My knees are knocking together. No, really. They are.This is the dream I’ve always wanted but never dared to admit out loud. If anyone from the Silver Moon Pack knew I wanted to go to college, they’d either laugh in my face or do everything they could to stop me. That’s how things usually go.When I was in my first year of high school, my father, Lucien Silver, agreed—reluctantly—to let me go to college.“Sure, you can go,” he had said, his tone flat and serious. “But you’ll need to keep your grades high so you’ll be useful to the pack.”Even back then, I could tell he didn’t believe I’d actually make it happen. He definitely didn’t think my request to live on campus would be approved.When he finally said yes, I almost fell over.“This is expensive, Sky. You’d better pass. If you’re staying on campus, I expect perfect grades. During semester breaks, you’ll return for Silver Moon duties.”Both my eyebrows had shot up at that. I couldn’t believe he was allowing

17

SKYHis mouth curls into a wide grin, the kind that reminds me of the Joker. I don’t even bother responding. I dip my shoulder forward and squeeze past him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of eye contact. Idiot.When I finally reach the orientation hall, I’m relieved that I can sign up for all my classes without a single problem. The process is surprisingly easy, but my eyes keep wandering through the crowd, searching for that toxic boy—the one with the dark hair curling over his forehead. Thankfully, he’s nowhere to be seen. Neither are his friends.Good. I’ve had enough trouble and trauma to last me a lifetime.Once I’m done, I slip out of the hall and find a quiet patch of grass under a tree. I sink down and pull out a soggy sandwich, trying to gather my thoughts. Around me, students laugh and talk like life is perfectly normal. I wish I had that kind of peace. I wish I had friends—real, good people—but I’ve never been lucky that way.I take a bite of my sandwich and remind m

18

SKYI gather the few things I have and follow the narrow path leading through the dorm area. My footsteps drag as I stare down at the map in my hands, trying to figure out where to go. Life can’t possibly get any worse than it already is.When I finally spot the building with my assigned room number, I stop and stare up at it. This is going to be my new home, at least for most of the year. The thought feels strange—comforting and terrifying at the same time.Suddenly, I feel a chill on my hip. The cold seeps through the fabric, making me shiver. I open my bag and look inside. The icy feeling is coming from the envelope with the stone inside. When I touch it, it’s colder than before.That’s odd.I take a deep breath and continue walking down the hallway. Each step feels heavy with nervous energy. My hands twitch a little, and I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. Then I see it—Dorm 13C. Of course, it had to be thirteen. Just my luck.I knock softly on the brown door, uncertain what Lower

19

SKYKiana blinks, a small laugh bubbling from her lips. “Last time I checked,” she says teasingly.I sip my soup and shrug. “Hmm. I’m not. I’m a wolf. Well, mostly a wolf. There’s something else in me too, but my family won’t tell me what. Still, yeah, I’m a wolf.” I say it like it’s no big deal.Kiana slowly sets her spoon down, studying me with wide eyes. “I thought you might be,” she says softly. “The lights flickered when you walked in.”I frown. “That has nothing to do with me.”“Yes, it does,” she insists. “My lava lamp’s been acting strange since you came in. Look.” She points toward it, and I see the glowing liquid inside bubbling and moving much faster than usual.“Maybe the light’s faulty or something,” I say quickly, but before I can finish, Kiana pinches my arm sharply.“Ow! Why did you do that?” I snap, rubbing my arm.She points upward. The light above us flares bright, glowing white for nearly thirty seconds. My mouth falls open. There’s no mistaking it now—it really is

20

DAMIEN Interesting… now she’s really got my attention. This is the second time I’ve crossed paths with the little blonde vixen. Who is she running from anyway? She doesn’t like me, that’s clear as day, but that only makes her more fascinating. Her pretty bow-shaped mouth has a way of catching my eye. She’s not like Nova or any of the other college girls who throw themselves at anyone with a bad attitude and a bike. No, she’s different. There’s something glowing in her, something untamed. And the way she hugged those textbooks to her chest makes me want to knock them right out of her hands just so she’ll finally look at me.The deep rumble of my Harley fades as I park between the rows of student vehicles. My eyes, though, are locked on one in particular, Marcus Bern, the Dean of the school and one of my favorite clients. The man’s an addict, a desperate one. I swing my leg off the bike, rolling my shoulders with a smirk. Extortion has its perks, and this one is sweet. I watch the a

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