Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 233

CHAPTER 215

Clara’s POV

I sat frozen on the bed as Darius disappeared through the broken doorframe. The sound of his footsteps echoing down the hallway filled me with a cold dread I couldn’t explain.

How long had he been there?

The question burned in my mind as shame washed over me. My nightgownt was still twisted around my body, my hair a complete mess. I could feel the heat still radiating from my skin, the evidence of what I’d been doing written all over my face.

What if he’d seen everything? What if he’d heard everything?

My wolf whimpered with embarrassment and confusion. We’d been lost in that dream, lost in sensations

and desires that felt more real than anything I’d ever experienced. But now, seeing Darius’s reaction, the

way he’d looked at me before storming out, I knew something was terribly wrong.

His behavior wasn’t normal. The way he’d destroyed the door, the anger radiating from his body, the suspicion in his eyes when he’d asked if I was thinking about him.

Something had happened before he came here. Something that made him look at me like I was a stranger.

Concern overrode my shame as I scrambled out of bed. Whatever was going on, I needed to know. Darius was my mate, and seeing him in pain like this was tearing me apart.

I rushed toward the broken door, my bare feet slapping against the cold stone floor. The hallway stretched out before me, dimly lit by the torches along the walls.

“Darius,” I called out, my voice echoing off the stone. “Wait.”

I could see his silhouette in the distance, his broad shoulders rigid with tension. He was walking fast, but I

was faster.

My wolf urged me forward, desperate to reach our mate, to comfort him, to understand what had caused this sudden change in his behavior.

I ran down the hallway, my nightgown billowing behind me. The stone was freezing against my bare feet, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was catching up to Darius.

“Darius, please,” I called again, my voice breathless from running.

He stopped so suddenly that I couldn’t react in time. I crashed into his back, my hands flying up to catch myself against his solid frame.

The impact sent me stumbling backward, but Darius’s hand shot out to steady me before I could fall. His touch was gentle despite his obvious anger, and that small kindness gave me hope.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice rough but concerned.

CHAPTER 215

Lahook my head, looking up into his face. Up close, I could see the pain in his eyes, the way his jaw was slenched tight with some emotion I couldn’t identify.

“I’m fine,” I said softly. “But you’re not. What’s wrong, Darius? What happened?”

His hand dropped from my arm like i’d burned him. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Don’t lie to me,” I said, taking a step closer. “I know you. Something is bothering you. Talk to me.”

Darius turned away, running a hand through his dark hair. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“If it’s affecting you, then I need to worry about it,” I insisted. “We’re mates. We’re supposed to share our problems.”

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. “Mates. Right.”

The way he said it, like the word tasted bad in his mouth, made my chest tighten with fear. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Darius said, but his tone suggested it meant everything.

I moved around him, forcing him to look at me. “Darius, you’re scaring me. Please, just tell me what’s going on.”

His blue eyes met mine, and I saw a storm of emotions there. Anger, pain, betrayal, and something else.

Something that looked almost like loss.

“You want to know what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

I nodded, though part of me was suddenly afraid of the answer.

“Tell me about the mate bond,” he said.

The question caught me off guard. “What about it?”

“Do you feel it? With me?”

“Of course I do,” I said without hesitation. “You’re my mate.”

“Am I?” Darius stepped closer, his presence overwhelming in the narrow hallway. “Am I the only one you

feel

uld he possibly know about the others? I’d been so careful, so confused

anyone.

ou’re asking,” I said, but my voice came out weak and uncertain.

arius replied, his eyes never leaving my face. “I’m asking if you feel the mate bond with

question hit me like a physical blow. I opened my mouth to deny it, to lie, to protect the secret carrying for months. But the words wouldn’t come.

Darius’s expression darkened at my silence “Til take that as a yes.”

“It’s not that simple,” I said desperately.

“Isn’t it?” His voice was getting louder now, echoing off the stone walls. “Either you feel the mate bond with other men or you don’t. Which is it, Clara?

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling very small in my nightgown. My wolf was pacing restlessly inside me, confused and scared by the confrontation.

“Yes,” I whispered. “I feel it with others.”

The admission hung in the air between us like a death sentence. I watched as something died in Darius’s eyes, some last hope he’d been clinging to.

“How many others?” he asked, his voice deadly quiet.

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “Three, maybe four. I’m not sure.”

“You’re not sure,” Darius repeated slowly. “You’re not sure how many other men you’re mated to.”

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