Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 27

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 24

Clara’s POV

I lunged forward, thrusting the spear toward his chest. He sidestepped easily, not even bothering to block.

i spun and attacked again, this time shifting into my partial wolf form mid–swing for extra speed.

He dodged that too, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Frustration built with each failed attempt. I tried everything from feints, spins, even dropping into full wolf

form to lunge at his legs before reverting to human and swinging the spear in the same motion.

Nothing worked. He anticipated every move, reading my body like it was an open book written just for him.

With each failure, my frustration twisted into something else, something darker and more consuming. Arousal layered over rage until I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. My skin felt too tight,

my body too hot.

“Stop playing with me,” I growled, breathing hard.

“I’m not playing,” he replied, circling again. “You’re just not trying hard enough.”

I attacked with renewed fury, channeling all my confused emotions into each strike. My scent spiked again, and I knew it did from the way his nostrils flared and a quiet snarl escaped his throat.

I saw my opening when he glanced away for just a split second, distracted by something in the distance. I thrust the spear forward with all my strength, certain I’d finally land my hit.

But his hand shot out, catching the shaft inches from his chest. Before I could react, he yanked the spear forward, using my own momentum against me. I stumbled, off–balance, and he swept my legs from under

1. me.

I hit the ground hard, the air rushing from my lungs. In the next heartbeat, he was over me, one hand pinning my wrists above my head, the other resting lightly on my throat. Not choking, just… there.

Dominant. Claiming,

My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath. Our faces were inches apart, his golden eyes boring into mine with an intensity that made my wolf howl.

“Still not mine?” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through my entire body.

There was no smugness in his tone. No victory. Just hunger, raw and barely contained. His thumb traced a gentle line across my pulse point, feeling the frantic beat beneath my skin.

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. Could barely breathe with the weight of him above me and the heat

building between us.

The pressure of his body against mine sent shockwaves through every nerve ending. His thigh had wedged between my legs, pressing against my core in a way that made it impossible to hide my reaction.

< CHAPTER 24

Clair

The tension between us stretched, thickened. When he finally spoke again, his voice was deeper, rougher.

It was a sound that seemed to stroke me from the inside out.

“Answer me, Clara.” His grip on my wrists tightened fractionally. “Are you still claiming you’re not mine?”

My mouth opened, but all that came out was a shaky exhale. My wolf was writhing beneath my skin, desperate to submit to the dominant male above me. The human part of me fought against the instinct,

but it was like swimming against a riptide.

His eyes tracked the movement of my throat as I swallowed hard. Those golden irises had nearly consumed the usual amber, his wolf as close to the surface as mine. The hand at my neck shifted slightly,

his thumb brushing the sensitive spot just below my ear.

Something inside me cracked open. Before I could stop it, before I could even understand what was happening, my wolf responded to his dominance. Not with aggression or fear, but with submission. The strangest sense of calm washed over me as I tilted my head, exposing more of my throat to his hand.

What the hell was I doing?

My body had never betrayed me like this. Not with Jaden, not with anyone. But one touch from Darius, and I was offering up submission like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring as he caught the change in my scent. His eyes darkened further, pupils dilating until only a thin ring of gold remained.

For a moment, I thought he might close that final distance between us, claim my mouth with his own. The anticipation of it made my heart race even faster, my body tensing with need.

Instead, he released his grip slowly, easing back just enough to let me sit up. The loss of his weight left me feeling strangely bereft, my skin cooling rapidly where his heat had been.

Without thinking, without questioning why, I sank to my knees before him.

Not from defeat.

Goddess knows I still wanted to claw his eyes out for how easily he’d bested me, but because some deep, primal part of me needed to. Needed to acknowledge what had just passed between us.

My pride screamed in outrage, but I didn’t rise. I stayed there, on my knees, looking up at him as he circled me slowly. The air between us changed. Thickened. The power dynamic shifting into something I didn’t fully understand but couldn’t deny.

Why did this feel like peace?

My wolf, usually so defiant, had gone quiet and content. As if kneeling wasn’t shameful but safe. As if this was where I belonged.

What the hell was he doing to me?

Darius stopped behind me, so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. Even without touching

CHAPTER 24

me, his presence enveloped me like a physical caress.

When his fingertips finally made contact with the nape of my neck, the touch was so light I might have imagined it except for the jolt of electricity that shot down my spine.

Claim

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