All Chapters of Beyond Chosen: The Alpha's Fated Mate : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

~ Elvira ~ The flour on my hands felt dry, the white dust a reminder that I was supposed to be a quiet servant who stayed in the kitchen and followed the rules while my mate chose someone else. 'He hates us,' Val said in my head. 'He wants us to just go away.' 'Then we’ll show him we aren't going anywhere,' I thought back. I gripped the wooden rolling pin tightly. Gabriel’s mean words kept playing over and over in my head. A mistake. A rogue wolf. Someone from the gutter. He wanted me to run away? He wanted me to just disappear because I was an embarrassment to him in his pack? "Elvira, you're squashing the dough," Silas said gently. He put a hand on my shoulder. "Take a deep breath, kid. You’re shaking." "I'm okay, Silas," I lied. My voice sounded wobbly. "No, you're not. And you're a terrible liar." He sighed, looking at the door. " If this is about the Alpha you should understand that he's a complicated man, Elvira. Being the leader means he has to follow a lot of

~ Elvira ~ If you ever want to know what a hurricane feels like before it hits, you should visit the Silverblade kitchen on the morning of a Selection. By five in the morning, the air was already thick with the smell of roasting boar, rosemary, and honey-glazed hams. My feet were throbbing before the sun even cleared the trees. Every surface was covered in silver and golden plates, glasses, and enough baked bread to feed a city. "Move it, Elvira! Those spiced apples won't garnish themselves!" Silas barked, looking just as exhausted as I was, his apron was covered in flour, and he was juggling three different timers at once. I just kept my head down and my fingers moving rather than complain. Outside, the entire pack field had been transformed. From the kitchen window, I could see long tables set up under white silk tents. The warriors' dark blue and silver banners snapped in the wind, looking proud and intimidating. "I heard the Elders are bringing their own wine,"

~ Elvira ~ Pain is a crazy feeling. For me, it was this sharp throb in my jaw and an ache in my ribs every time I try to take a breath. When I finally opened my eyes, the world was blurry and too bright. I was not on the sandy floor of the pit anymore. I was not in my room either. I was lying on something incredibly soft, wrapped in dark sheets that smelled like expensive soap. My heart flipped as I wondered where I was, definitely not the pack hospital, they didn't have beddings as soft and comfy as this. I looked around carefully and realized I was in the Alpha's own room. Not the servant area, nor my own room, but the private part of Alpha Gabriel where very few people are allowed to be. I tried to sit up, but sharp pain shot through my side, pinning me back down. A tiny whimper escaped my lips. My jaw felt heavy and stiff. "I don't care about her heart, Cole! She’s a liability!" That was Gabriel's voice, he was talking to someone, he sounded like he

~ Elvira ~ For three long days, the Alpha’s guest suite felt more like a prison cell than a bedroom. Every time I tried to put my feet on the cold floor, a healer with a grumpy face would appear out of nowhere and tell me to lie back down. "Alpha’s orders, rogue," she’d grumble, tucking the sheets so tight around my legs I could barely move. "You move when the bruising is gone, and not a second before." Gabriel never came back into the room while I was awake. At least, I did not see him. But sometimes, in the middle of the night, the air would change and smell like a pine forest after a rainstorm. I’d feel a weight on the edge of the bed and hear a long, ragged sigh that made my chest ache more than my cracked ribs. I’d keep my eyes shut tight, pretending to be asleep. My heart pulse would increase slightly, but I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me awake. If he wanted to feel bad for me in the dark, let him. It did not change the fact that he was still

~Elvira~ Something bad happened, Elvira. The way she said those four words felt like a bucket of ice water poured over my head. My heart literally stopped. I looked closely at Lisa, and the joy of seeing my old friend vanished, replaced only by an agonising dread. She looked tired from the long trip and entirely empty. "What is it?" I whispered, taking a step toward her. I ignored Gabriel’s shadow behind his desk. "Lisa, you’re shaking. Where’s Carson? Why isn't he with you?" I expected her to tell me he was waiting at the border, or that he was parked down the road in their old truck. I expected her to complain about how he did not want her coming into the woods alone. Instead, Lisa gave a sob that sounded painful. She reached out, her thin, trembling fingers fumbled with the pocket of her denim jacket. She pulled out a crumpled, stained piece of white paper and held it out in the air. "He’s gone, Elvira," she said, her eyes filled with tears. "He’s just... gone