Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 238

Clara’s POV

I looked up at him, noting the tension in his shoulders and the careful neutrality of his expression.

Around the table, conversations had quieted as pack members noticed the interaction. The last thing! needed was another Alpha trying to influence my decision, especially in front of my pack.

“I’m in the middle of dinner,” I said, taking another bite of my food to emphasize the point.

“It’s important.”

“I’m sure it is.” I didn’t look at him this time, instead turning to respond to something Seraphina was saying about the upcoming school enrollment.

Ronan remained standing there for several long moments. I could feel his presence like a weight beside me, but I refused to acknowledge it. Finally, he stepped back.

“When you have a moment, then,” he said, his tone carefully controlled.

I nodded without looking up. “I’ll find you later.”

He left, and I felt some of the tension in the room ease. The pack members around me resumed their

conversations, though I caught a few curious glances.

I forced myself to finish my meal, to laugh at the right moments, to ask appropriate questions about pack business. But inside, I was dreading the conversation that was waiting for me.

When I finally couldn’t delay any longer, I excused myself and went looking for Ronan. I found him in the east wing, pacing in one of the smaller meeting rooms.

“You wanted to speak with me,” I said, closing the door behind me and leaning against it.

He stopped pacing and turned to face me. “You made your point.”

“And what’s that?”

“That you won’t be summoned like some subordinate. Message received.”

I crossed my arms, maintaining the distance between us. “What did you want to discuss?”

Ronan studied my defensive posture, the way I’d positioned myself near the exit, the careful neutrality of

my expression. Something shifted in his demeanor, becoming more cautious.

“How are you feeling today?” he asked, his hazel eyes studying my face intently.

“I’m managing,” I said, looking away from his searching gaze.

“That’s not what I asked.”

I shifted uncomfortably against the door. “It’s all I’m willing to share right now.”

CHAPTER

Bonnn was quiet for a rnoment, then took a small step closer. “Clara, you can’t keep carrying all of this alone

“I’m not alone. I have my pack,”

“Your pack doesn’t know about the mate bonds. They don’t know about Darius’s ultimatum or the choice you have to make.”

The reminder hit like a blow. I closed my eyes briefly, trying to push down the wave of exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm me.

“Clara?”

I opened my eyes to find him watching me with genuine concern, not the calculating look rd expected. The gentleness in his expression made my defenses waver.

I sighed, my shoulders sagging with the weight of everything I’d been holding back.

“Like my world is falling apart,” I admitted quietly.

“I can imagine,” Ronan replied, his voice gentle now. “This situation would be difficult for anyone to navigate.”

“Is that why you’re here? To discuss how difficult this is?”

“I’m here to offer you a solution,” Ronan said calmly. “A way to end this suffering and build something

stable and lasting.”

“Which is?”

“Choose me,” Ronan said without hesitation. “I can offer you something none of the others can provide.”

“And what’s that?”

“Peace,” Ronan said simply. “Stability. A life without constant emotional upheaval and drama.”

It sounded wonderful in theory, but something about his clinical approach made me uncomfortable.

“What about love?” I asked.

“What about it?”

r

“Don’t you want to love your mate? Don’t you want passion and fire and the kind of connection that makes you feel alive

R

ful. “I think those things are overrated and dangerous. Passion burns hot

nothing but ash and regret.”

onan corrected. “I’ve seen too many relationships destroyed by unchecked emotion.

to love each other but can’t seem to stop hurting each other.”

CHAPTER 24

“Like Darius and me?

Like Darius and you,” Ronan confirmed. “He’s already given you an ultimatum, Clara. He’s already shown you that his love comes with conditions and demands.”

Once again, his words hit harder than I expected, and I felt my chest tighten with a mix of anger and pain.

“Don’t,” I said, my voice sharper than intended. “Don’t stand there and analyze my relationship like it’s some failed experiment.”

“I’m not analyzing it,” Ronan said, his tone remaining frustratingly caim. “I’m stating facts. Darius left you. He couldn’t handle the truth about your bonds, so he ran.”

“He didn’t run,” I snapped, pushing away from the door. “He gave me space to think.”

“He gave you an ultimatum,” Ronan countered, taking a step closer. “Choose him or lose him. That’s not love, Clara. That’s possession.”

“And what you’re offering is better?” I challenged, my emotions finally spilling over. “This cold, calculated arrangement where we pretend the mate bond doesn’t matter? Where we ignore the fire between us in favor of your precious stability?”

For the first time, something flickered in Ronan’s eyes. Something heated and dangerous that made my

breath catch.

“You think there’s no fire between us?” he asked, his voice dropping to a low rumble.

The air in the room suddenly felt charged, electric. I could feel the mate bond humming between us, that undeniable pull that had been there since the moment we met.

“I think you’re afraid of it,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

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