Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 254

CHAPTER 232

CHAPTER 232

Clara’s POV

“There’s always a choice.” He prepared an IV drip. “I’m going to give you fluids and nutrients. It’ll help, but it won’t be enough. You need days of rest, not hours.”

I watched the needle slide into my arm, the cool liquid starting to flow into my veins. “Do what you

can.”

“This is madness,” Ronan said from where he stood by the door. “Call off the fight. Tell Mira you’ reschedule when you’re recovered.”

“She won’t accept that. She’ll see it as weakness and attack anyway.”

“Then let her. The pack will defend the territory.”

“And how many of my people will die because I was too weak to fight my own battle?” I closed my

eyes. “No. This ends today. One way or another.”

Dr. Mitchell finished setting up the IV. “I’ll give you something for the nausea too. And supplements

to help with energy. But Clara, I’m telling you as your doctor and as someone who cares about your wellbeing, you should not fight today.”

“Noted.”

He left, shaking his head. Ronan remained, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met,” he said.

“I’ve been told that before.”

“It’s going to get you killed.”

“Maybe. But at least I’ll die fighting. Not hiding. Not running. That counts for something.”

“Does it? Does dying with pride matter more than living?”

“Sometimes, yes.” I looked at him. “You wouldn’t understand. You’ve never had to choose between your honor and your life.”

“Haven’t I?” His expression darkened. “I’m here, aren’t I? Knowing that by the time Darius returns, I’ll have lost you anyway. Knowing that even if you somehow survive Mira, you’ll choose him. I’m watching the woman I love destroy herself and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

The raw honesty in his voice made my chest ache. “Ronan, I never meant to…”

CHAPTER 232

“Don’t. Don’t tell me it’ll be okay or that I’ll find someone else or any of the other lies people tell 10

make themselves feel better.” He pushed off from the wall. “I’ll be at the fight tonight. And when you fall, I’ll be there to catch you. That’s all I can do.”

He left before I could respond.

I lay there connected to the IV, watching the fluids drip into my arm. The medical wing was quiet except for the steady beep of monitors.

Hours passed. The IV bag emptied, and Dr. Mitchell replaced it with another. He gave me pills for the nausea, something to help with energy. I forced down some bland food that he brought, though every bite felt like swallowing rocks.

By late afternoon, I felt marginally better. Not good. Not even close to fight-ready. But better than had been.

“That’s all I can do for you,” Dr. Mitchell said, removing the IV. “The rest is up to you.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I still think this is a terrible idea.”

I returned to my room to change. Combat clothes, sturdy boots, hair braided back tight. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw a warrior. Broken, exhausted, barely holding together. But still a

warrior.

The sun was setting when I made my way to the clearing where the fight would take place. It was a traditional dueling ground, used for centuries to settle disputes between werewolves. A flat, open space surrounded by trees where pack members could gather to witness.

And they were gathering. I could see them already, forming a circle around the clearing. Some looked worried, others excited. A few wore expressions that said they hoped to see me lose.

The three Alphas were there too. Killian stood with his arms crossed, face unreadable. Lucien’s dark eyes tracked my every movement. Ronan looked like he was preparing for a funeral. Maybe

he was.

At the far end of the clearing, Mira and her group waited. She stood at the center, dressed in fighting leathers, her hair pulled back. She looked strong, healthy, ready. Everything I wasn’t.

Derek approached me as I reached the edge of the circle. “Luna, the pack is assembled. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“There’s still time to appoint a champion. No one would think less of you.”

CHAPTER 2321

“I would.” I stepped into the clearing.

The crowd fell silent. All eyes turned to me as I walked to the center, facing Mira across the open space.

An elder stepped forward. Thomas, ironically. He looked at both of us with a grim expression.

“This is a formal challenge, witnessed by both packs,” he announced. “Luna Clara of Shadowcrest Pack versus Mira of the Northern Ridge Pack. Combat to submission or death. Are both parties willing?”

“I am,” Mira said, her voice strong and clear.

“I am,” I said, hoping mine didn’t shake.

“Then let the challenge begin.”

Thomas stepped back, leaving just Mira and me in the center of the circle.

She smiled, and it was the smile of someone who knew they’d already won. “Any last words, Luna?”

“Just one question. When this is over and you’ve won, what then? Will killing me bring Ronan back? Will it fix what’s broken?”

“No,” Mira said. “But it’ll make me feel better.”

She shifted before I could respond. One moment she was human, the next a massive grey wolf launching toward me with teeth bared.

I barely got my own shift started before she hit me.

The impact drove me backward, claws raking across my shoulder. Pain exploded through my body. I rolled, trying to gain distance, but she was already on me again.

Fast. She was so much faster than I expected.

Her jaws snapped at my throat. I twisted away, but felt teeth catch my ear instead. Blood poured down the side of my face.

The crowd was screaming. I couldn’t tell if they were cheering for me or her. Didn’t matter. All that

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