Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 18

Clara’s POV

“Let me go!” I tried twisting away, but the hold only tightened.

“Is this how you’d escape a rogue who caught you unaware?” A familiar deep voice rumbled against my ear, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

“Alpha Darius?” I stopped struggling, my pulse skyrocketing for an entirely different reason

now.

“Why would your mate reject such a resourceful asset to his pack?” he asked, his breath warm against my neck. “A woman who knows secret cave entrances and battle strategies?”

I stiffened. Not because I was hiding anything–he already knew. I’d told him everything. But the way he said it, like my worth was a weapon Jaden had stupidly cast aside, scraped at something raw inside me.

“Doesn’t matter what he thought,” I muttered, pulling slightly against his grip. “I’m not his anymore.”

“No,” Darius said, his voice deep and firm. “You’re mine now.”

He finally released me, and I spun to face him, taking a quick step back to put distance between us. The morning light cast shadows across his face, making his expression hard to

read.

“Your information about the caves was correct,” he said, watching me with that unnerving intensity. “You may have saved several of my wolves from walking into an ambush.”

I blinked in surprise. “You checked?”

“I sent scouts last night. They found exactly what you described. A hidden exit behind a rock formation.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You were right about everything, down to the bottleneck.”

“I told you I wouldn’t lie about something that could get warriors killed,” I said, lifting my chin.

Something like respect flickered in his amber eyes. “No, you wouldn’t.”

We stood there for a moment, the tension between us shifting into something I couldn’t quite name. Then he broke the spell, turning to retrieve something leaning against a nearby tree.

“Today’s training will be different,” he said, returning with a bow in one hand and a quiver of

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arrows in the other. He gestured toward a target board I hadn’t noticed earlier, set up about fifty yards away. “This teaches patience, precision, and control. All qualities a wolf needs when hunting.”

I took the bow he offered, trying to hide my surprise. “I’ve never shot an arrow before.”

“Then it’s time you learned.”

He demonstrated the proper stance and grip, then stepped back to let me try. My first attempt sent the arrow sailing embarrassingly wide of the target. The second was no better, and the third fell short, barely making it halfway to the board.

I lowered the bow in frustration. “This is pointless. I can’t do it.”

“You’re doing it all wrong,” Alpha Darius said, coming up behind me. Without warning, his arms encircled me again, but this time to adjust my stance. “Straighten your back. Relax your shoulders.”

His body pressed against mine as he guided my arms into position. I was suddenly hyper–aware of every point of contact–his chest against my back, his arms along mine, his hands covering my own on the bow. Heat radiated through my thin shirt, and I had to concentrate just to breathe normally.

“Focus on the target,” he instructed, his voice low and close to my ear. “Visualize the arrow’s path before you release it.”

But focusing was impossible with him so close. His scent–pine and leather and something else–surrounded me, making my head swim. When he leaned in further to adjust my elbow, his lips nearly brushed my ear.

“Breathe in as you draw,” he whispered. “And out as you release.”

A warmth that had nothing to do with exertion pooled low in my belly, and I found myself clenching my thighs together involuntarily. My fingers trembled slightly on the bowstring.

“I- I think that’s enough training for today,” I stammered, trying to step away from his overwhelming presence.

His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me back until my head rested against his chest. I could feel the steady thump of his heart against my back, so at odds with my own racing pulse.

“We’ve barely begun,” he said, his voice a low rumble I could feel through my entire body.

I swallowed hard, trying to focus on something–anything–other than the heat of his body against mine. “I don’t understand why we’re shooting arrows anyway. We’re wolves. We fight

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with claws and teeth, not bows.”

+25 Points

Alpha Darius loosened his grip slightly, turning me to face him. There was no mockery in his

expression, only intensity.

“That limited thinking is exactly why I hold the title of warlord while others fall,” he said. “A wolf’s first instinct is violence. To attack fast. To tear. To overwhelm your opponent with brute force and strength.” His amber eyes held mine. “Archery teaches the opposite.

Stillness. Control. The perfect moment to strike.”

He gestured toward the forgotten bow. “Not every battle is won with fangs and claws. Sometimes victory goes to the one who can hold their breath the longest. Who can wait. Who doesn’t flinch when everyone else breaks.”

The passion in his voice was mesmerizing. This wasn’t mere boasting. It was his hard–earned wisdom he was sharing.

“This discipline,” he continued, tapping the bow, “is why I’ve survived when stronger wolves didn’t. Why no pack has ever defeated mine in battle.” A dangerous smile curved his lips.” Why I’ve never lost a fight I chose to enter.”

There was something magnetic about his confidence, his absolute certainty. I found myself leaning toward him unconsciously, drawn by the force of his conviction.

“Now,” he said, his voice softer but no less commanding, “try again.”

He positioned himself behind me once more, his chest pressed firmly against my back as his arms encircled me. This time, I melted into the contact, allowing my body to align with his as

he guided the bow into position.

“Better,” he murmured, his breath hot against my ear. “Much better.”

His hand swept my hair aside, exposing my neck to the morning air. The gentle brush of his fingers against my skin sent electricity racing down my spine. I bit my lip to keep from making a sound.

“You’re still too tense,” he observed, his lips brushing the sensitive spot just below my ear. Relax.”

”

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