Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 31

CHAPTER 28

Clara’s POV

I stared at the scrap of black lace in disbelief. It was my underwear. My favorite pair of crotchless panties that I’d worn just two days ago. The delicate pattern along the edge was unmistakable.

Although a part of me felt like it was just panties and it could be anyone’s… but I couldn’t help this nagging feeling that hinted at me that it was mine.

And remembering how he looked at me during the whole speech he gave….

Damn!

But how the hell did my underwear end up here, under a rock, in the middle of nowhere?

My mind raced through possibilities, each more disturbing than the last. Had Darius been in my room?

Had he gone through my things? The invasion of privacy sent a wave of outrage through me, quickly

followed by mortification.

This was his test? His prize was my goddamn underwear?

I heard rustling in the underbrush behind me. One of the men was approaching. Panic shot through me. There was no way in hell I was letting any of them see what I’d found.

My fingers closed around the damp fabric, quickly balling it up in my palm. I shoved it into the pocket of my soaked pants just as Reid emerged from between two trees.

“Found something?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as he took in my crouched position by the boulder.

“No,” I lied, standing up too quickly. I tried to appear casual, but I knew my face was betraying me. “Just checking the water.”

Reid didn’t look convinced. His gaze dropped to my pocket, where my hand still rested protectively.

“What’s that?” he nodded toward my hand.

“Nothing.” I stepped back, my heel hitting the edge of the water.

“Doesn’t look like nothing,” he said, moving closer. The other men were converging on our position now, drawn by our voices. I was about to be cornered.

My wolf growled in warning. “Run.”

Without another thought, I bolted.

I sprinted away from Reid, dodging between trees and leaping over fallen logs. Behind me, I heard shouts of surprise, then the sounds of pursuit. They were fast. Faster than I’d expected. And they knew these

woods better than I did.

“How would it feel if they grabbed these undies from us?” my wolf chimed in, and I felt heat rush to my

CHAPTER 28

cheeks. That right there would be premium embarrassment. Life–altering, never–live–it–down humiliation.

Although my scent wasn’t on them anymore because it was probably washed off by the river water. But the knowledge that a bunch of guys would be handling my underwear, examining it, maybe even figuring out it was mine… I’d rather die.

I pushed harder, my legs burning from the cold and exertion. Once I made it out of here, I was going to have a serious word with Darius about his sick games. What was he playing at? What kind of twisted test was this supposed to be?

A shadow moved to my right, and suddenly Kai was there, cutting off my path. I veered sharply left, nearly losing my footing on the slippery ground.

“She’s got it!” he shouted to the others. “Whatever it is, she’s found it!”

Dominic appeared ahead of me, moving to block my escape route. I was being herded, their coordination flawless as they closed in on me from multiple directions.

I spotted a narrow gap between two large trees and made a break for it. If I could just get back to the river, maybe I could escape. My heart pounded against my ribs, adrenaline flooding my system. I wasn’t going to let them catch me. I wasn’t going to let them take my underwear and pass it around, studying it, laughing

about it.

A root caught my foot and I stumbled, barely catching myself before I fell face–first into the dirt. Those precious seconds of imbalance cost me. I heard heavy footsteps closing in fast behind me.

“Gotcha!” Luka’s voice came from too close.

I spun around just in time to see him lunging for me. I tried to sidestep, but he anticipated my move. Something solid hit me from behind, tackling me to the ground.

The air rushed from my lungs as I landed hard, pine needles and dirt pressing into my face. Luka’s weight pinned me down, his hands already moving to grab at my pockets.

“Get off me!” I snarled, twisting beneath him.

“Hand it over,” he grunted, struggling to hold me still. His fingers dug into my hip as he tried to reach into my pocket. “Whatever you found, it belongs to the winner.”

“And that’s going to be me,” I growled.

His knees pressed painfully into my thighs as he tried to subdue me. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck, hot and ragged from the chase. The position was too vulnerable, too exposed. Panic clawed at my chest, mixing with outrage.

“Just give it up,” he said, his voice strained as I continued to struggle. “You’re not winning this one.”

“Wanna bet?” I hissed through clenched teeth.

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