Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 51

CHAPTER 48-1

Alpha Ronan’s POV

425 Points

Turning towards the entrance, I was stunned to see a petite figure strutting my way.

This was her? This was the warrior who had supposedly taken down Darius’s entire elite force?

She couldn’t be more than 5’5“, with a lean frame that looked built for speed rather than power. Her

movements were fluid and confident as she approached, but still she was tiny compared to me.

Yet something about her made me pause. The way she carried herself, perhaps. Or her fierce

gaze.

“Clara,” Darius called out, his voice carrying across the now–silent arena. “I was beginning to think

you’d decided to go back to bed and sleep in.”

She smiled, but her eyes never left mine. “And miss all this? Never.”

Darius stepped forward, gesturing toward me. “Clara, this is Alpha Ronan of the Shadowmoon

Pack. Ronan, meet Clara.”

As she drew closer, her scent hit me, making my wolf surge forward in recognition.

Mate.

The word thundered through my mind, nearly escaping my lips before I caught myself. I inhaled again, more carefully this time. Yes, there was something there, a pull, but it was… complicated. Muted. As if the bond were present but incomplete.

And then I noticed something else–the subtle intertwining of her scent with Darius’s. Not marking, exactly, but a telltale sign they’ve been intimate.

My eyes narrowed.

Darius wasn’t one to sleep around.

Was she his mate? Was he using his own mate as a pawn in pack politics? Was this what Darius meant when he said he’d ensure my victory?

The thought should have disgusted me. Instead, I found myself intrigued. I already had a mate back home–a political match, made to strengthen pack alliances rather than follow the goddess’s will. Perhaps Darius had made a similar choice, keeping his true mate at arm’s length for reasons

of his own.

“I’ve heard impressive things,” I said, studying her. “Though I find them hard to believe.”

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“Most men do,” she replied, her voice cool. “Until I put them on the ground.”

The crowd murmured at her boldness. No one spoke to an Alpha like that, especially not an unmated female with no rank or title to protect her.

“You’ve got spirit,” I acknowledged. “But spirit alone won’t help you against an Alpha.”

$25 Points

“Are we going to fight or just talk about it?” She began stretching her arms, casual as if preparing

for a light workout rather than combat with one of the most powerful Alphas in the region.

Darius stepped back, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “Standard rules. First to

submit or unable to continue fighting loses.” He looked between us. “Begin.”

Clara and I circled each other, the crowd falling silent as they leaned forward in anticipation. I

studied her movements, looking for weaknesses, tells, anything to indicate her fighting style.

She gave away nothing, her posture was

relaxed yet she looked ready.

I decided to test her with a few jabs, nothing serious, just to gauge her reactions. She dodged the first two with ease, blocked the third with her forearm, then countered with a strike of her own that

I barely saw coming.

I blocked it, surprised by the force behind what had appeared to be a little girl. She was clearly still in human form yet her strikes had the full strength of a shifted wolf.

“Not bad,” I said, rolling my shoulders. “But I’m just warming up.

I increased my speed, throwing combinations designed to overwhelm a smaller opponent. To my surprise, she matched me move for move, her reflexes lightning–fast. When I attempted to use my size advantage to corner her, she slipped away like water.

Five minutes in, neither of us had landed a clean hit. The crowd was dead silent now, utterly

captivated.

all gani a =

ཟླ་

Time to stop playing. I feinted left, then drove forward with a powerful right cross that would have ended the fight if it had connected. Instead, Clara ducked under it, so close I could feel her breath on my arm, and delivered three rapid strikes to my ribs before dancing away.

Pain blossomed along my side. Nothing broken, but it hurt. She was way stronger than she looked.

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CHAPTER 48-2

“First blood to you,” I acknowledged, a new respect in my voice. “But don’t get cocky.”

Her only response was a slight smile as she resumed her fighting stance.

I attacked again, this time with combinations I’d developed for taking down opponents my own

size. She blocked, countered, moved with a grace that spoke of years of training.

The fight intensified, the tempo increasing as we tested each other’s limits. She was good–better

than good. Her technique was flawless, her timing impeccable. What she lacked in raw strength,

she made up for in precision and speed.

Ten minutes in, sweat beaded on my brow. I’d underestimated her stamina as well. She showed no signs of tiring, while I found myself breathing heavier than I would have liked.

Then she caught me with a spinning kick I never saw coming. Her foot connected with my jaw, the impact sending pain shooting through my skull and causing me to stumble back, nearly falling to

the ground.

The crowd gasped. No one had seen an Alpha taken off–guard like that in years.

I tasted blood. My teeth had cut into my cheek from the force of her kick. I spat blood onto the ground and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

“That,” I said, “is going to cost you.”

But as I moved in, I noticed a brief hesitation in her movements, a slight unfocusing of her eyes. She blinked hard, as if trying to clear her vision.

I took that advantage, throwing a flurry of strikes that forced her onto the defensive. She blocked most, but not with the same precision as before. Her responses were a fraction slower, her

footwork was disorderly.

She looked… disoriented.

For a split second, I had doubts…

Clara shook her head, clearly fighting whatever was affecting her. Her jaw set with determination

as she resumed her stance.

Her reactions continued to slow down, her coordination becoming increasingly impaired. I landed a solid hit to her shoulder, then another to her side. She staggered but didn’t fall.

“Submit,” I told her, not wanting to hurt her further. “There’s no shame in it.”

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CHAPTER 48-2

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