Rejected by My Alpha Now He Replaced Me with a Copycat Luna novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Raven’s POV

His lips quirked, revealing a dimple that didn’t match the shadows in his gaze. “So I’ve been told.” He held up both hands in mock surrender, the movement making his watch glint. “Just here to see a man about a horse. Or possibly a whiskey.”

The joke fell flat between us. I could still feel the echo of his pain humming in my bones, a discordant note beneath the charm.

“Try again in thirty minutes,” I said flatly, edging toward the bar.”Now get out of my way.”

His chuckle followed me like a physical touch. He whispered to himself, obviously amused.

“Alright, Kael, point taken.”

The man’s smile could’ve powered a small city-all blinding white teeth and effortless charm. “You must be Raven,” he said, leaning against the bar. “Joe mentioned you, though he criminally undersold your… Let’s call it visual appeal.”

My fingers dug into the countertop as I fought to steady myself. Between the lingering echo of his pain and that intoxicating whiskey-and-campfire scent, my senses were in open revolt.

When he reached toward me again, I recoiled so fast my elbow knocked a salt shaker off the counter. “I said don’t touch me.”

To his credit, he didn’t take offense. Just raised those tattooed hands in surrender. “Noted, lady. But you look like you could use a decent meal.” He nodded toward the kitchen. “My grilled cheese has been known to cure existential crises.”

I studied him through narrowed eyes. Everything about him screamed predator-from the way his muscles flexed under that worn Jack’s tee to the barely leashed energy in his stance. Yet his tone remained light, teasing. “You still haven’t told me who you are.”

“Dexter,” he said, tapping the embroidered name above the bar logo. “The one and only bartender before you come, luv.”

Recognition flickered. “Ah. The one who was supposedly hiking the Andes. Joe mentioned you once or twice.”

“Last month it was Annapurna,” he corrected with a wink. “Joe’s creative with my absences.”

The constant chatter grated against my frayed nerves. “Do you ever stop talking?”

“Only when fascinating women stop asking me questions.”

Against my better judgment, I followed him into the kitchen. Hank’s not here yet, it’s too early. My hand stayed near the knife concealed at my back as I took a stool at the stainless steel island counter.

Dexter moved with surprising grace for someone his size, pulling ingredients from the fridge.

“You got a migraine?” he asked without turning around.

I stiffened, “How-”

“Pupils dilated, light sensitivity, and you’re squinting like you’re trying to read fine print in a dark room.” He cracked eggs one-handed into a bowl. “I’ve got a friend with the same issue. I have some of his herbal tea bags here that, according to him, helps a lot. Wanna try?”

The familiarity of his observation set my teeth on edge. “No, thanks. Aspirin’s fine. And I’ll get it myself.”

Those moss-green eyes assessed me again, and the resemblance to Kael’s penetrating gaze was unmistakable. Same intensity. Same unnerving ability to see too much. It confirmed my suspicion-they were connected. It made sense. Both had been out of town at the same time. I

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Rejected by My Alpha. Now He Replaced Me with a Copycat Luna?

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Chapter 19

wondered if they actually had a security company. Maybe the company’s just a cover. Maybe it was simply pack business.

As Dexter slid a perfectly golden grilled cheese across the counter, I caught the faintest whiff of something beneath his cologne-not just wolf, but pack. The realization sent a treacherous spark of longing through me.

I took a deliberate bite to avoid responding. The flavors exploded-sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, some herb I couldn’t name. Damn him for being right about the food.

“Good?” he asked, that infuriating smirk back in place.

I wiped my mouth with a napkin. “It’s edible.”

His laughter filled the kitchen, rich and warm. “Highest praise I’ve gotten all year.”

Dexter’s POV

There was something utterly fascinating about the way Raven studied the aspirin bottle she grabbed from one of the cabinets-like she expected

it to bite her.

Kael hadn’t exaggerated about her scent. Beneath the surface notes of sage and crisp mountain air, there was something… muted. Like a radio

tuned just slightly off-frequency. It should’ve set off alarm bells. Instead, it pulled at me with an intensity that was damn near inconvenient.

Normally, that kind of primal pull would’ve sent me sprinting in the opposite direction. Mating bonds were messy business-all territorial pissing contests and lifetime commitments. But Raven? She was different. A riddle wrapped in razor wire, and I’d always been a sucker for dangerous puzzles.

I busied myself with the grilled cheese, layering aged cheddar and a whisper of thyme between sourdough. From the corner of my eye, I watched her tense shoulders, the way her fingers tapped an uneven rhythm against the counter. I could tell that the aspirin wasn’t doing her

much favor.

My brother’s herbal tea bags were tucked behind the premium bourbon-Nox got those from one of our witch friends. I signed and took one

from the box and put it into a glass of hot water. The brownish powder in the bag dissolving into the water with an ominous swirl.

“Come on, darlin’. Even I can see that headache’s killing you there.” I said, sliding the murky concoction across the island. “Give the tea a chance,

you’ll thank me later, I promise.”

Her nose crinkled in adorable disgust. “It looks like mud.”

I flashed my most disarming grin. “It’s n… Okay, it looks like mud. But I’ve seen it work wonders for my screen-addicted pal countless times.”

The cheese sizzled as I pressed the second sandwich into the skillet, the rich aroma filling the kitchen. Raven’s gaze flicked between the tea and my hands, suspicion warring with need.

“Why are you doing this? We literally just met.” She blinked.

I flashed my most disarming grin. “Yeah, what can I say? I have a golden heart.”

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Rejected by My Alpha, Now He Replaced Me with a Copycat Luna?

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