Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 30

CHAPTER 27-1

Clara’s POV

I stared at him, anger and arousal battling for dominance inside me. How dare he use that tone, those words, after what he’d done yesterday?

The double meaning wasn’t lost on me nor on my wolf, who practically purred at the suggestion.

“Born ready,” I replied, my voice steady despite the rage boiling under my skin. Two could play at this game.

Something flickered in his eyes–amusement, approval, maybe even desire–before a smirk curved his lips. “Confident, aren’t we?” he said, stepping closer. The men around us watched our exchange with varying degrees of curiosity. “Let’s see if your performance matches your mouth.”

“It will,” I shot back. “Unlike some people, I finish what I start.”

His eyebrows rose slightly at the jab, but the smirk remained. He moved closer still, until he was speaking for my ears only.

“Oh, I always finish what I start, Clara,” he murmured. “But some things are worth savoring. Worth waiting

for.”

The heat in his gaze made my breath catch. Even in this freezing pre–dawn air, surrounded by his elite squad, he managed to make me feel like we were alone.

“Today’s task isn’t just about physical capability,” he continued, raising his voice again for all to hear. “It’s about adaptability. Thinking under pressure. Finding solutions where others see only obstacles.”

Dominic, the tallest of the four men, stepped forward. “What exactly are we looking for, Alpha?”

Darius’s expression revealed nothing. “You’ll know it when you find it.”

“And if more than one of us locates it?” Reid asked, his eyes flicking to me briefly. The unspoken end of his question hung in the air: What if she finds it first?

“Then whoever returns it to me first wins,” Darius answered simply. “This isn’t just training. It’s a competition. Winners get rewarded. Losers…” He smiled, and there was nothing warm about it. “Losers

pay.”

A ripple of tension went through the group. These men clearly knew what “paying” entailed in Darius’s training regime, and none seemed eager to find out.

Kai, the smallest but most wiry of the men, rolled his shoulders. “Rules of engagement?”

“No intentional injuries,” Darius replied. “Beyond that, you do what you must to win.”

The lack of restrictions surprised me. Was he really saying we could fight each other for the prize? The glances exchanged between the men suggested they were having similar thoughts.

CHAPTER 27-1

“One last thing.” Darius added. “This isn’t just about being first. It’s about how you get there. I’ll be watching.”

Of course he would be. Those amber eyes missed nothing.

“Any questions?” he asked, scanning our faces.

“What exactly is the reward?” I asked.

He smiled, and this time there was definitely heat in it. “Something worth fighting for.”

Before I could press for details, he stepped back.

“Begin,” he commanded.

Without hesitation, the four men dove into the river. I followed immediately, unwilling to show even a second of hesitation.

The moment my body hit the water, I nearly gasped from the shock.

Holy shit.

This wasn’t just cold, this was arctic. The icy water knifed through my thin clothes, instantly numbing my skin and sending pain shooting through my muscles.

The current was stronger than it looked, pulling at my legs and trying to drag me downstream. I fought against it, keeping my head above water through sheer determination.

None of the men showed any sign of discomfort. They swam skillfully, clearly having done this many

times before.

Each stroke was agony. My lungs burned from the cold, my limbs already growing heavy. With every movement, I silently cursed Darius with increasingly creative profanity.

That sadistic, arrogant, insufferable bastard. May his d**k fall off. May he get fleas in places he can’t reach. May he step on Legos every day for the rest of his miserable life.

My wolf burst into laughter. “Then how would we get our revenge?” she chimed in, her tone filled with

amusement.

The thought stopped my mental tirade.

Revenge. Yes. Not just on Darius for this twisted game he was playing, but for everything. For Jaden’s betrayal. For my sister’s betrayal. For the pack that had turned its back on me. For every person who’d ever

tried to break me.

Comments

LUCK DRAW >

Vote

130

CHAPTER 27 2

CHAPTER 27-2

The memory of Jaden’s face as he rejected me sent a stab of pain through my chest, sharper than the cold. The memory of how he had labeled me a criminal in a pack I had worked hard for to help build by his side.

But unlike before, it didn’t weaken me. It fueled me. The anger warmed my blood, pushing back against the icy grip of the river.

I kicked harder, my arms cutting through the water with purpose. I wasn’t just swimming to complete some training exercise. I was swimming to prove something to Darius, to his squad, to myself. That I wouldn’t break. That I was worthy. That I was strong.

To my surprise, I found myself pulling ahead of the others, my body finding a rhythm that seemed to work with the current rather than against it. My wolf was fully awake now, lending me her strength and instincts.

I caught a glimpse of Reid’s shocked face as I passed him. He’d clearly not expected the newcomer, especially a female newcomer, to outpace him. His surprise gave me an extra boost of satisfaction.

I reached the opposite bank first, pulling myself out of the water with trembling arms. The cold air hit my

wet clothes, making me shiver violently. I didn’t wait for the others. There was no time to celebrate being

first across.

Now I had to find whatever Darius had hidden.

The area he’d indicated was large, the terrain was unfamiliar so I was already at a disadvantage.

Fallen trees, dense undergrowth, and large boulders created a natural maze. Where would I even start

looking?

I heard splashing behind me as the others reached the shore one by one. Reid emerged first, followed quickly by Luka, then Kai and Dominic. Their faces showed a new wariness as they looked at me. I’d surprised them once so they wouldn’t underestimate me again.

Without a word, they spread out, each taking a different direction. Their strategy seemed clear. Cover as much ground as possible, as quickly as possible. I needed a different approach if I wanted to beat them.

What would Darius do? Where would he hide something important?

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify