Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 215

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CHAPTER 201-1

Ronan’s POV

I woke up to silence at the Shadowfang pack. Not the peaceful kind that came after a good night’s rest, but the empty kind that meant something was missing.

I rolled out of bed and looked around the guest quarters Darius had given me. The room felt too quiet, too still. When I stepped outside, the hallways were mostly empty except for a few Shadowfang warriors going about their morning duties.

Where was everyone?

I made my way to the main hall, expecting to find the usual crowd gathered for breakfast. Instead, I found only Killian sitting alone at one of the tables, picking at his food like he wasn’t really hungry.

“Morning,” I said, taking a seat across from him.

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Killian looked up, and I could see something restless in his eyes. “Finally awake. I was starting to think you’d sleep until noon.”

“Where is everyone?” I asked, looking around the nearly empty hall.

“Gone.” Killian’s voice was flat. “Darius and Clara left early this morning for Shadowcrest territory. Took a

full escort with them.”

The words hit me like a cold slap. “They left? When?”

“A few hours ago. Something about organizing the survivors and setting up new leadership.” Killian pushed his plate away. “Apparently it’s going to take a few days.”

A few days. Clara would be gone for a few days, and I hadn’t even known she was leaving.

“Did they say when they’d be back?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.

“No exact timeline. Could be three days, could be a week.” Killian studied my face. “Why? You look like

r someone just stole your favorite horse.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t explain the sudden hollow feeling in my chest, the way everything felt wrong now that she was gone. Clara wasn’t mine to miss. She belonged with Darius. I had no right to feel anything about her leaving.

But I did feel it. The absence of her presence was like a physical ache.

“What about Lucien?” I asked.

“Left about an hour after they did. Said he had business to attend to back at his pack.” Killian’s expression darkened slightly. “Though between you and me, I think he was more interested in following Clara than handling pack business.”

That made something angry twist in my gut. I’d seen the way Lucien looked at Clara during the battle, the

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way his eyes followed her every movement. The thought of him pursuing her made my hands clench into fists.

“So it’s just us,” I said.

“Just us,” Killian agreed. “The visiting packs are staying another day or two to help with cleanup, but the interesting people are all gone.”

I sat there for a moment, trying to process the feeling of disappointment that was way stronger than it should have been. Clara was Darius’s mate. She had a life to build with him, responsibilities to handle. Her leaving shouldn’t matter to me at all.

But it did.

“I should head back to my pack,” I said, standing up.

Killian raised an eyebrow. “Sudden decision?”

“I’ve been away long enough. My people need their Alpha.”

It was true, but it wasn’t the whole truth. The real truth was that staying here without Clara felt pointless. Every room reminded me of her, every conversation made me think of things she’d said. I needed distance to get my head straight.

“Safe travels,” Killian said. “Try not to brood too much on the ride home.”

I wanted to tell him I wasn’t brooding, but we both would have known it was a lie.

The journey back to my pack took most of the day. I rode hard, pushing my horse faster than necessary, trying to outrun thoughts that followed me anyway. By the time I reached my territory, the sun was setting

and my horse was ready for a long rest.

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