Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 46

CHAPTER 43

Alpha Darius‘ POV

“Wow! So the great Alpha Darius does have a heart,” my wolf chuckled, causing me to roll my eyes.

“Shut up,” I mentally growled back. “I’m not in the mood for your commentary.”

“You’re never in the mood,” my wolf responded. “But I notice you didn’t deny it.”

I ignored him, pushing away from my desk. The conversation with Ronan and Lucien still echoed in

my mind. A gamble, yes, but one I was confident in winning. Now I just needed to inform the key

player in my plan.

Clara.

The thought of her name sent an unexpected warmth through me. The same woman who had

stumbled into my territory half–dead just months ago had today taken down my entire elite force.

Six of my best warriors, and she’d defeated them all without faltering.

“She’s magnificent,” my wolf murmured. For once, we were in complete agreement.

I left my office, nodding at the guards stationed in the hallway. They straightened as I passed, a show of respect I barely registered. My mind was already racing ahead to the conversation |

needed to have with Clara.

How would she react to being volunteered for yet another fight? Not just any fight, but against two Alphas? I’d seen the exhaustion in her eyes after today’s challenges, even as she’d stood tall and proud in victory. Would she see this as an opportunity or an imposition?

I found myself at her door sooner than expected, my feet having carried me there while my thoughts wandered. I paused, listening. No sound came from within. She might be sleeping–the smart choice after the beating she’d taken. Or perhaps she was in the bath, soothing her bruised

muscles.

I knocked firmly, waiting for a response. Nothing. I tried again, louder this time.

Silence.

Concern flickered through me. She had been injured today–nothing serious, but enough that she should be resting. What if something had happened after I’d left her?

“Or maybe she’s just sleeping deeply,” my wolf suggested. “After six fights, who wouldn’t be?” True, but I found myself reaching for the handle anyway. I’d just check on her, make sure she was alright. And if she was sleeping… well, I could wait. The news I brought wasn’t so urgent it couldn’t

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wait until she opened her eyes.

“That’s not why you want to go in,” my wolf teased. “You just want to see her again.”

I ignored him once more and pushed the door open slowly, cautious not to make too much noise in case she was indeed asleep.

The sight that greeted me was not what I expected.

Clara sat at her vanity, back to the mirror, twisting awkwardly as she tried to reach something on her shoulder blade. She wore only a thin tank top and shorts, leaving the bruises from today’s fights visible on her exposed skin. Her face was contorted in a grimace of pain as her fingers

strained to reach a particularly nasty–looking welt on her back.

Several tubes of ointment were scattered across the vanity, some opened, others knocked over in

apparent frustration. A glass of water and some painkillers sat untouched nearby. The room

smelled of medicinal herbs and her own distinct scent–wild and untamed, like a storm brewing

over distant mountains.

She was so focused on her task that she hadn’t heard me enter. For a moment, I simply watched her, struck by the contradiction she embodied. The warrior who had dropped six elite fighters to their knees today, now struggling with something as simple as applying medicine to her own

wounds.

I moved forward silently, reaching out to place my hand over hers where it stretched uncomfortably behind her.

The reaction was immediate. Clara jolted violently, her body tensing as she spun around, her free hand already formed into a fist. Pure instinct–the response of someone who had learned the hard

way to expect danger.

Her eyes met mine, wild with momentary panic before recognition dawned. “Darius,” she breathed, immediately trying to cover herself by grabbing a nearby robe. “I didn’t hear you knock.”

“I did,” I said simply, watching as she hastily pulled the robe over her shoulders, wincing as the fabric brushed against her injuries. “You didn’t answer.”

“So you just decided to let yourself in?” There was an edge to her voice, but no real heat. She was more embarrassed than angry, I realized.

“I wanted to make sure you were alright.” I glanced at the scattered tubes of medicine. “Clearly, you’re not.”

She straightened, chin lifting in that defiant way that always made my wolf stir with interest. “I’m fine. Just some bruises.”

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CHAPTER 43

75 Points

“Some?” I raised an eyebrow, reaching out to gently turn her around before she could protest. The back of her tank top was pulled up, revealing mottled purple and blue marks spreading across her otherwise smooth skin. “These aren’t just ‘some bruises; Clara.”

“I’ve had worse,” she said, but didn’t pull away as I examined the damage.

“I don’t doubt it.” I picked up one of the tubes. “Were you trying to put this on?”

A sigh escaped her. “Yes. But I can’t reach the ones on my back properly.”

I unscrewed the cap, the sharp herbal scent filling the air between us. “Let me.”

Her head turned, those impossibly blue eyes studying me with suspicion. “Why?”

“Because you need help, and I’m here.” I met her gaze steadily. “Unless you’d prefer I call for one of

the pack healers instead?”

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