Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 12

CHAPTER 11

Clara’s POV

I stood outside Darius’s office for a moment, gathering my courage. The hospital gown made me feel exposed, but I refused to wait any longer for answers.

I knocked on the heavy wooden door.

“Enter,” came his voice from inside.

I stepped into his office, taking in my surroundings as I moved stiffly but tried to stay controlled. The space was sparse and functional, with no decorations except weapons mounted on the walls. Maps and strategic plans covered his desk. Everything here had a

purpose.

Darius didn’t look up immediately from the papers spread in front of him, making me wait. I could feel his presence like a weight in the room, commanding attention even when he wasn’t giving it.

“Leave us,” he told someone behind me. I heard footsteps and the soft click of the door

closing.

Finally, he leaned back in his chair and raised his eyes to study me. The intensity of his gaze made my skin prickle with awareness.

“You look better than expected,” he said. “Samuel tells me you’re healing quickly.”

I straightened my spine, lifting my chin slightly. “I’ve always been a fast healer.”

“Sit,” he ordered, gesturing to the chair across from his desk. “Before you fall.”

For a moment, I considered refusing just to prove I could remain standing. But my body was still weak, and practicality worn out. I lowered myself carefully into the chair, trying not to let

him see how much the movement hurt.

“You wanted to see me,” he said when I stayed silent.

I met his eyes directly, refusing to show submission. “I want to know exactly what I’ve agreed to. In the forest, you were… vague about what you expect from me in exchange for your

protection.”

Something that might have been approval flickered across his face. “Is that what you want to talk about now? Or would you rather focus on recovering first?”

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I didn’t back down. “I think three days unconscious was recovery enough. I need to understand what I’ve gotten myself into.”

+25 Points

He studied me for a long moment, and I forced myself not to fidget under that penetrating stare. This close, without the haze of pain and blood loss, I could see just how dangerous he was. And how handsome, though I tried to push that thought away.

“You’ll know when it’s time,” he said finally. “For now, all you need to worry about is getting

stronger.”

Frustration flashed through me. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting today.”

He stood and moved around his desk until he was standing directly in front of me. My breath caught as he leaned down, placing his hands on the armrests of my chair, bringing his face close to mine. His breath fanned across my cheeks, and I felt heat bloom on my skin.

“I wanted to see for myself that you’re recovering well,” he said, his voice dropping to a low rumble that I felt in my chest. “Samuel says another week of rest, and you should be well enough to leave the medical wing.”

My pulse jumped, and I could feel my body responding to his proximity in ways I didn’t want to analyze. “Leave for where? Am I a prisoner here?”

“A guest,” he corrected, though we both knew the distinction didn’t matter much. “But you’re free to wander the pack grounds once you’re stronger. Under supervision, of course.”

I nodded, absorbing this information. Then determination filled me, and I straightened in my chair, looking up at him with resolve. The movement brought our faces even closer together.

“I have a request,” I said.

His eyebrow rose. “You’re hardly in a position to make requests.”

“I want you to train me,” I said, ignoring his dismissive tone. “Personally.”

That seemed to surprise him. I could see the shift in his expression, the way sharpened with interest.

his eyes

“Rest and recover first,” he said, but he didn’t move away. “We can discuss training later.”

“You saw what I could do against Jaden’s men,” I insisted, leaning forward despite the pain it caused. Our faces were now inches apart, and I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. “And that was when I was weak, untrained, running for my life. Imagine what I could become with proper training. With your training.”

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CHAPTER 11

Something predatory flickered in his eyes, and I felt my heart rate spike in response.

+25 Points

“Do you know what my training involves?” he asked, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through me. “It’s not like whatever gentle exercises your previous pack practiced. I break people down to their core and rebuild them into weapons. Many don’t survive the

process.”

Instead of intimidating me, his words only strengthened my resolve. I leaned forward slightly,

closing what little distance remained between us.

“Good,” I said, holding his gaze. “Break me down. Rebuild me. Make me into something that can never be broken again.”

Heat flared in his eyes, and I felt an answering warmth spread through my body. The air between us seemed to crackle with tension that had nothing to do with our discussion of

training.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he said, his voice even lower now.

“I think I do,” I replied, matching his tone. “You said you saw potential in me. Prove it.”

He pulled back slightly, and I could see something like impressed approval in his expression.

“Very well,” he decided. “Once Samuel clears you for physical activity, your training begins with me.” He moved back to his side of the desk, putting distance between us, making me feel a physical loss. “But remember this moment when you’re begging me to stop. Remember that you asked for it.”

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