Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 205

Clara’s POV

He caught my hand, pressing it flat against his cheek. “Just be careful. Lucien is more dangerous than he looks. And he’s very good at getting what he wants.”

Later that evening, I was in the gardens looking over the day’s reports when I heard footsteps on the gravel path behind me. The sound was too quiet, too careful, like someone trying not to be heard.

“I hope I’m not bothering you,” Lucien said, coming out of the shadows.

My heart jumped at his sudden appearance. “What can I do for you?” I asked, setting down my papers with hands that weren’t quite steady.

“I wanted to speak more freely than we could earlier.” He moved closer, and I could smell his scent on the

evening air. It felt something dark and powerful that made my wolf stir restlessly. “About your win and

what it means for your future.”

“My future seems pretty clear. I’m managing the integration of Shadowcrest territory into our alliance

structure.”

“Is that really all you want? To be someone who manages territory?” His voice became more intense as he stepped closer still. “Clara, you beat an Alpha in single combat and claimed his land. That level of power should be developed, not wasted on boring politics.”

I thought about the burst of strength I’d felt during the final moments of my fight with Jaden. The power that had seemed to come from somewhere deeper than just adrenaline.

“What are you suggesting?”

“You know what you are now. We talked about the Red Moon bloodline before, but you haven’t really accepted what that means.” His eyes met mine with complete certainty, and I found myself unable to look away. “You’re settling for a tiny piece of your potential.”

The mention of our previous conversation made me more alert. He’d told me about the bloodline after the battle, but I’d been too overwhelmed to fully process it.

“Even if that’s true,” I said slowly, “what does it matter?”

“It matters because you’re wasting gifts that were meant for greatness. The Red Moon bloodline carries power that most wolves can’t even imagine, but it needs proper training to access.”

He stepped closer again, close enough that I could feel the heat coming off his body. My back was against the garden wall now, and I realized he’d been slowly backing me into it while we talked.

“Training from who?”

“From someone who understands what you are. Someone who shares your bloodline.” His voice dropped

CHAPTER 10

to almost a whisper, and I found myself leaning forward to hear him better. “Clara, I can teach you things about your power that no ordinary wolf could understand.”

The way he said it made my skin prickle. There was promise in his voice, but also something darker. “In

exchange for what?”

“For choosing the path you were meant to take. For accepting your true nature instead of diluting it with

bonds to lesser wolves.” His hand came up to rest against the wall beside my head, trapping me.

I could feel my heart beating faster, whether from fear or something else, I wasn’t sure. “Are you talking

about Darius?”

“I’m talking about keeping something sacred safe. The Red Moon bloodline has been watered down for generations by wolves who mated outside their kind. You have a chance to restore its purity.”

His other hand came up to brush against my cheek, and I felt a jolt of something that wasn’t quite electricity run through me. My wolf stirred again, more restlessly this time.

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