Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 41

CHAPTER 38

Alpha Darius‘ POV

I didn’t wait for his response before hanging up. By the time I pulled on a fresh shirt and made my way back to my office, he would be there. Xander knew better than to keep me waiting when I used that tone.

The cleaning omega-Lily–had done her job well. No trace remained of what had transpired between Clara and me earlier. The floor gleamed, the air smelled of pine cleaner rather than sex, and the desk was meticulously organized. I made a mental note to ensure she received extra rations this week.

I’d barely settled into my chair when Xander knocked once and entered, his face composed but eyes alert.

“Alpha,” he greeted, closing the door behind him.

“We have a problem,” I said without preamble. “Ronan and Lucien are questioning my training methods. They believe my warriors–my elite squad–have grown soft. Outdated.”

Xander’s eyes narrowed. “That’s ridiculous. Our warriors are the strongest in the territory.”

“Are they?” I raised an eyebrow. “When was the last time we truly tested them? Not drills, not routine patrols. A real challenge that separated the elite from the merely competent?”

He hesitated, confirming what I already knew. It had been too long.

“The annual Alphas‘ meeting is in three weeks,” I continued. “Ronan and Lucien are planning to show off their so–called superior training methods. Make me look weak in front of every Alpha in the region.”

“We’ll be ready,” Xander assured me, confidence unwavering. “I’ll design a new training regimen immediately. Push them harder than before.”

“It won’t be enough,” I said, rising from my chair to pace the office. “They need to be broken down first. Shown their weaknesses. Forced to overcome something unexpected.”

Xander watched me carefully, sensing there was more. “What do you have in mind?”

I stopped pacing, turning to face him directly. “I want to pit Clara against them.”

A beat of silence. Then Xander’s mouth twitched, a smile threatening to break through his professional demeanor.

“Clara?” he echoed, disbelief evident in his voice. “Against our elite squad? Alpha, with all due respect, she’s barely been training for a few weeks.”

The smile he was fighting bloomed into a full grin, then a chuckle. “That’s a good one. For a moment, I thought you were serious.”

My expression didn’t change. I didn’t blink. Didn’t smile. Just stared at him with deadly seriousness as his laughter died in his throat.

His laughter died in his throat the moment he saw my face.

L

“You’re serious,” he said, all amusement draining from his tone.

“Dead serious.”

He straightened, posture shifting instantly. No longer the amused second–in–command. Now, the soldier.

“But she’s not ready. She’s not-”

“She doesn’t need to win,” I interrupted. “She just needs to fight. In front of everyone. And survive.”

Xander’s jaw clenched. “You want to humiliate her?”

“No.” I walked around the desk, stopping just short of him. “I want to expose my warriors.”

“To her?”

“To themselves,” I snapped. “They think they’re untouchable. I’ve let them grow complacent. Comfortable. Arrogant. They see a female who’s new to our ranks, one who hasn’t earned her place, and they’ll

underestimate her. That’s the point.”

Xander didn’t respond, but I saw the understanding begin to settle behind his eyes.

“She’s unpredictable,” I continued, my voice lower. “She doesn’t fight like us. Doesn’t think like us. That’s her strength. And if she lands even one hit–if she makes one of them bleed–it will humiliate the entire

squad. They need that. They need to be reminded they’re not invincible.”

“And Clara?” Xander asked. “She doesn’t strike me as someone who likes being used as a tool.”

“She’ll do it,” I said. “She doesn’t want to be protected. She wants to be tested. She wants to prove herself.

11

Silence stretched between us, heavy with everything unspoken. Then Xander gave a sharp nod.

“I’ll make the arrangements. Quietly.”

“Good. And one more thing…” I turned back to the window. “Not a word to Clara until the day of. I want her

instinctive. Raw. No mental prep. Just survival.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

He didn’t ask questions after that. Just gave a crisp nod and left the office, moving like a man who knew

the weight of what I’d just decided.

The moment the door shut, I leaned back in my chair, the adrenaline still pulsing in my veins. A reckless part of me–maybe the wolf, maybe just the man–thrived on this kind of disruption. Something brutal and unexpected to shake the rust from my warriors and the doubt from my title.

Clara would do it. She had no idea what was coming, but I’ve watched her fight, watched her bleed and bite and claw her way through every obstacle I threw at her. She wouldn’t flinch.

Keeping things professional, though… that was the hard part.

The following days tested every ounce of my self–control. Getting Clara ready meant isolating her, pushing

her, cornering her–while keeping my c**k out of her.

Which felt fucking impossible.

Every spar turned into a tease. Every drop of sweat on her bare shoulders tempted me to rip her to the floor and sink my teeth into her throat.

She met every challenge with fire in her eyes, lips parted, chest heaving, like she knew the effect she had

on me and didn’t give a damn.

I kept my hands to myself. Barely.

The squad didn’t know what was coming. No one did. I let rumors spread that I’d arranged a sparring contest, that the winner would receive a private reward from the Alpha himself. That was enough to light the fire. They’d all show up. Everyone wanted a prize from me, even if they didn’t know what it was.

And when they saw her step into the ring…

I couldn’t fucking wait.

***********

It was finally the long awaited day for the competition.

The sky was gray that morning. Heavy with the kind of weight that made wolves restless. Like the wind

itself was waiting for blood.

The arena filled fast. Warriors, elders, younglings. Even the omegas took spots along the edges, whispering theories. All they knew was there’d be combat. A prize. And it had come from me.

I stood on the upper ledge above the ring, arms folded, eyes sweeping the crowd. They went quiet the moment they saw me.

Let them wait. Let the anticipation claw at them.