Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Alpha Darius’s POV

“Alpha Darius,” the warrior whispered, fear evident in his voice.

I ignored him. My attention was fixed solely on the bloodied woman lying on the ground. I had been

observing her for longer than she realized. From the shadows of the forest, I had watched her fight against

the Shadowcrest warriors earlier, before they cornered her in this clearing.

Despite her injuries, she had fought with skill and determination. Her movements, though hampered by

pain and blood loss, showed training and instinct. She had taken down two warriors before her strength

gave out. Impressive for anyone, let alone a female wolf who was clearly at her limit.

She had trespassed into my territory, neutral ground that I claimed and patrolled regularly. Any other day,

this would mean death for the intruder.

But today was different.

Her scent had drawn me here. Not just the metallic tang of blood, though there was plenty of that.

Something else, something that called to my wolf in a way I had never experienced before.

I stood naked after my shift, unconcerned with such trivial matters. Nudity meant nothing to werewolves.

Power, strength, dominance, these were what mattered. And this woman, despite her broken state,

radiated all three.

I studied her carefully. Deep gashes crossed her chest and side. Her shoulder was torn open, muscle

exposed beneath. Blood soaked her tattered clothes and pooled beneath her. Her eyes were lowered, not

meeting mine, a mixture of exhaustion and resignation in them.

Pitiful, yet somehow still strong. Most would be begging for mercy or crying in pain. She simply lay there,

spent but unbroken.

My wolf stirred within me, unusually interested in this dying stranger.

“Mine,” he growled inside my mind, the possessiveness taking me by surprise.

I felt a flash of irritation at my wolf’s reaction. Now wasn’t the time for distractions.

“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice carrying the full weight of my authority.

“Clara,” she whispered, blood bubbling at the corner of her lips. Her eyes still avoided mine, fixed on a

point beyond my shoulder. “Clara Ashburn.”

I turned my attention back to the Shadowcrest warriors who still lingered at the edge of the clearing. They shifted nervously under my gaze, caught between their fear of me and whatever mission had driven them

to cross borders.

“You are trespassing on my claimed territory,“CHAPTER 7

Clara’s POV

I stumbled forward into the neutral territory, my body screaming with pain. According to wolf laws, I should have been safe once I crossed the border. The pack shouldn’t follow me here. They couldn’t.

But laws meant nothing when a prize was at stake.

I had only gone about a hundred yards when I heard them–branches snapping, leaves rustling, paws

pounding the earth. I turned, my heart sinking. Through the trees, I could see shapes moving–wolves from

the Shadowcrest Pack, following my trail of blood.

“There she is!” a voice shouted. “Don’t let the traitor escape!”

They had crossed the border. The promise of reward from Jaden was stronger than their respect for pack

law. I forced my battered body to move faster, pushing deeper into the unknown forest.

Each step was agony. My wounds had not stopped bleeding. Blood dripped from the gashes on my chest,

my torn shoulder, my slashed side. Every movement reopened them, sending fresh waves of pain through

1. me. But I had no choice but to keep going.

My breath came in ragged gasps. The taste of blood filled my mouth. My vision blurred, the trees around

me sometimes doubling or tripling. I stumbled often, my legs threatening to give out beneath me.

“I can smell her trail!” The voice was closer now. “She’s leaving blood everywhere!”

They were right. Each step left a crimson footprint, a trail a child could follow. I couldn’t outrun them, not in my condition. I needed to hide, to find somewhere they couldn’t track me.

Ahead, the ground sloped downward toward a small stream. Water. If I could reach it, maybe I could throw them off my scent. I pushed forward, half–running, half–falling down the slope.

My foot caught on a root, and I tumbled the rest of the way, landing hard at the bottom. Pain exploded through me as I hit the ground, injuries screaming in protest. For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t

breathe, spots dancing across my vision.

“Get up,” my wolf urged. “They’re coming.”

I dragged myself to my feet, swaying dangerously. The stream was just ahead, the water reflecting moonlight. I waded in, gasping as the cold water hit my wounds. It stung like fire, but I welcomed the pain.

It kept me conscious, kept me moving.

I followed the stream for several minutes, hoping the water would mask my scent. When I couldn’t go any further, I dragged myself onto the opposite bank and into the cover of a thick patch of bushes.

I lay there, trying to quiet my breathing. The world spun around me, darkness creeping at the edges of my vision. I had lost too much blood. My body was shutting down. But I couldn’t rest, not yet.

Voices drifted to me from across the stream.

“Where did she go?”

“The trail ends here.”

“She must have gone into the water.”

“Split up. Some go upstream, others downstream. She couldn’t have gone far in her condition.”

They were right. I couldn’t go far. But I had to try.

+5 Points

I crawled from my hiding place, moving as quietly as my broken body would allow. Each movement sent

fresh waves of pain through me, but I bit down on my lip to keep from making a sound.

I made it to the edge of a small clearing before my strength finally gave out. I collapsed onto my stomach,

unable to go any further. My body had reached its limit.

“There she is!” a voice shouted from behind me.

I turned my head to see three warriors approaching, their faces twisted with excitement at finding their

prey. They had shifted back to human form, likely to claim the credit for my kill more personally.

“Nowhere to run now, traitor,” the first one said, stepping toward me.

I tried to get up, to face them on my feet, but my body wouldn’t respond. I had nothing left. I was going to

die here, on my stomach in the dirt, like an animal at slaughter.

“Just end it,” I whispered, more to myself than to them. “Make it quick.”

The warrior laughed. “Oh no. The Alpha didn’t say we had to make it quick. I think we’ll take our time with

you, traitor.”

“Yeah,” another said, stepping closer. “After all the trouble you’ve caused, you deserve to suffer.”

I closed my eyes, preparing for pain. Instead, I heard the sound of movement in the trees behind them.

The warriors must have heard it too, because they stopped. “Who’s there?” one called, suddenly nervous.

No answer came, but I felt something–a presence, powerful and dangerous. The air seemed to thicken,

charged with a strange energy. My wolf stirred within me, alert despite our exhaustion.

A growl cut through the night. It was low, menacing, and unlike anything I’d ever heard before. It wasn’t the

sound of a normal wolf. It was deeper, more primal, filled with power and threat.

The warriors froze, their faces draining of color.

Another growl, closer this time. Then a massive shape emerged from the shadows at the edge of the

clearing. A wolf, but larger than any I had ever seen. His fur was as black as midnight, his eyes glowing

amber in the darkness. He stood taller than a normal wolf, his shoulders broad, his stance radiating dominance and power.

This was no ordinary Alpha. This was something else entirely.

+5 Points

The warriors backed away, suddenly forgotten. Their faces twisted with fear, a fear so deep it overrode

even their desire for Jaden’s reward.

“We didn’t know this was claimed territory,” one of them said, his voice shaking. “We were just-”

The black wolf snarled, cutting him off. He took a step forward, and the warriors took three steps back.

“We’re leaving,” another warrior said. “Right now. We meant no disrespect.”

But the wolf wasn’t looking at them anymore. His amber eyes had found me, and they stayed fixed on me,

intense and unreadable. I stared back, too exhausted to be afraid. What did it matter who killed me now?

The warriors began to back away, eager to escape while they could. The black wolf let them go, his

attention still on me. He approached slowly, his movements graceful despite his size.

I should have been terrified. This creature could kill me with a single bite. But strangely, I felt no fear.

Perhaps I was too far gone, too close to death for fear to matter anymore.

The wolf stopped beside me, lowering his massive head to look me in the eyes. There was intelligence in

that gaze, a calculation that went beyond animal instinct. He was reading me, judging me.

I reached out a trembling hand, not sure why. Perhaps to touch something beautiful before the end.

The wolf didn’t pull away. He allowed my bloodied fingers to brush against his fur. It was soft, surprisingly

so for a creature that radiated such danger.

The rational part of me thought that what I was doing was insane and a crazy way to court death. But…

with all that had happened today, dying this way wouldn’t be bad. At least, I wouldn’t have to die by the

hands of the people I thought were my family. The pain of betrayal will be much less.

Curious to know who my executioner was, I whispered, “Who are you?”

The wolf’s form began to change, shifting in that fluid way all werewolves could. But even his shift was

different. It was smoother, faster, more controlled than any I had seen before. In moments, a man knelt

where the wolf had been.

He was tall and powerfully built, with short dark hair and those same amber eyes. His face was handsome

in a harsh way, all sharp angles and uncompromising lines. He wore no expression, but power radiated

from him, an almost tangible force that made the air around him seem to vibrate.

One of the warriors, who had been retreating, stopped and turned, his eyes widening in recognition.

“Alpha Darius,” he whispered, the words barely audible.

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I said coldly. Anger burned in my chest, though my voice

< CHAPTER 8

+5 Points

remained controlled. These fools had dared to enter my lands without permission. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t tear your throats out where you stand.”

The bravest of them stepped forward slightly, though still keeping a safe distance. His face was pale with fear, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool night air.

“This doesn’t concern Shadowfang Pack, Alpha Darius. She’s a rogue, a traitor to our Alpha. We have

orders to…”

“Your orders mean nothing in my territory.” I let my power fill the clearing, a pressure that made them shrink back instinctively. I enjoyed watching them cower. Fear was a useful tool, one I had mastered long ago. “Your Alpha should know better than to send his dogs hunting across borders. Especially into land that I patrol.”

The warriors exchanged nervous glances. My reputation was well–known throughout all territories. There was a reason they called me warlord, a title I had earned through blood and strategy. I had built Shadowfang Pack from nothing, turning it into a force that even the oldest packs feared.

“Alpha Jaden has promised a reward for her head,” one of them said, his voice shaking. “She killed our

packmates.”

I felt a surge of grudging respect for the woman bleeding out on the ground. So she had fought back against those sent to kill her. Good. Weakness disgusted me.

I let my eyes flash with power, enjoying how they flinched. “And I promise a war if you continue this hunt on my land. Is your Alpha prepared for that?”

The question hung in the air between us. Everyone knew the answer. Jaden Silverstein was no match for

me or my pack. Shadowcrest had numbers, but Shadowfang had warriors born and bred for battle. I had

personally trained each one, breaking them down and rebuilding them into perfect killers.

I made a swift decision, tired of this conversation and suddenly eager to speak with the woman alone.

I whistled once, sharply. From the shadows, three of my elite warriors emerged. They had been following at a distance, as they always did when I patrolled.

“Kill them,” I ordered simply, satisfaction coursing through me as I watched fear bloom on the warriors‘ faces.

My warriors moved with deadly precision. The Shadowcrest wolves tried to flee, but they had no chance. Within moments, their bodies lay scattered across the clearing, throats torn out, eyes staring sightlessly at the sky.

I turned back to Clara, whose eyes had widened slightly at the swift execution. Her body tensed, fear finally finding its way through her exhaustion. For the first time, she raised her eyes to mine, then quickly looked away again, as if the sight of me was too much to bear.

“Why?” she whispered, her voice weak, trembling slightly. “Why help me?”

<CHAPTER 8

+5 Points

I knelt beside her, examining her wounds more carefully. She had lost too much blood. Without immediate

help, she would die within the hour. Despite her pitiful state, I couldn’t help but admire her resilience. She

should have been dead already, yet here she was, still fighting to live.

“Why were they hunting you?” I asked instead of answering her question. My voice was hard, demanding. I

had never been one for gentleness. “What did you do to make your Alpha send warriors into my territory?”

She hesitated, her eyes darting away. “Nothing. They were mistaken.”

Anger flared inside me. I hated lies, hated weakness of character even more than physical weakness. My

wolf growled, equally displeased.

I moved closer, my naked body just inches from hers. With one hand, I grasped her chin, tilting her face to

mine.

Her skin was cold under my fingers, her pulse fluttering like a trapped bird. I leaned down until our faces

were nearly touching, my fingers pressing into her jaw with just enough pressure to make my point.

“I can smell a lie,” I said softly, my voice more threatening for its quietness. “I’ve killed people for less than

lying to my face. Try again.”

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