Rejected by My Alpha Now He Replaced Me with a Copycat Luna novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Asher’s POV

“Also, Kael’s already had Nox dig her files.”

Dexter’s casual mention of Kael’s involvement sent a ripple of tension through my shoulders. “Kael’s already met her?” The timeline didn’t sit right-we’d barely been back a day, and this woman had already crossed paths with our Alpha.

“Apparently she took a hit at the club last night,” Dexter said, flipping another sandwich. “Kael played gentleman and walked her home.”

My teeth ground together. Classic predator tactic-playing vulnerable to get close. The perfect cover for surveillance or worse.

Dexter slid a perfect grilled cheese across the counter. “Relax. She’s harmless.” A beat. “Unless you count the ball-slicing threat. That might’ve

been sincere.”

I took an aggressive bite, the sharp cheddar doing little to soothe my suspicion. “You’re taking this remarkably well for someone who nearly lost vital organs.”

Dexter shrugged, slicing his own sandwich with infuriating calm. “Word of advice? Don’t make a play for her. Kael’s got that look in his eye.”

I scoffed. “When doesn’t he?” Our Alpha had a savior complex that no amount of bloodshed could cure.

“Ash.” Dexter’s tone shifted-rare seriousness cutting through his usual levity. “Don’t kill her.”

The request caught me off guard. Since when did Dexter care about my targets?

His next words landed like a gut punch: “I really like her.”

Fuck.

That changed everything. In our world, attachments were vulnerabilities. And vulnerabilities got people killed.

The cheese turned to ash in my mouth. Every instinct screamed to eliminate the threat now, before she could sink her claws deeper into my pack.

But the look in Dexter’s eyes gave me pause.

This wasn’t just another mark.

This was becoming personal.

The bar hummed with its usual mid-afternoon lull when I spotted Joe juggling drink orders and dirty glasses. Even with only a handful of patrons, the man moved like he was putting out fires.

“Sure you don’t need me?” I adjusted the strap of my duffel, the weight of my emergency supplies pressing against my shoulder.

Joe wiped chin

ha bar towel. “Get outta here, kid. No, wait, on a second thought, maybe help me fix this damn thing first?” He jerked his en register tablet.

ing behind the counter. “No promises. You know I’m barely tech support.”

er’s screen remained stubbornly black despite my repeated taps. A hard reset did nothing-just that infuriating flicker before dying

12:11

Rejected by My Alpha. Now He Replaced Me with a Copycat Lung2

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.

“Need help with that?”

The voice came from my left, soft-spoken but clear. I hadn’t noticed the man when I entered-which was saying something, given how he stood out. Lean frame wrapped in dark flannel, black-rimmed glasses framing intelligent gray eyes. Handsome in an unassuming way that somehow

made him more striking.

Then the scent hit me-wolf. Of course. This town seemed to be crawling with them lately.

What surprised me was my reaction. Where Dexter’s presence put me on edge and Asher’s sparked defiance, this man’s quiet energy wrapped around me like a weighted blanket. Safe. Comforting.

The way his hesitant smile crinkled the corners of his eyes didn’t hurt either.

An unexpected tightness gripped my throat as memories surfaced-California sunshine, Brian, my one and only friend in years, his mates’ easy laughter, the crushing guilt when I vanished without explanation. I shoved the thoughts down hard. Sentimentality got people killed.

The stranger waited patiently while I wrestled with my hesitation. His fingers hovered over the tablet’s screen, careful not to make sudden movements, like someone approaching a skittish animal. The consideration in that small gesture disarmed me more than any charming smile

could have.

“You’d need to undock it first,” he suggested gently.

I studied his setup-the expensive laptop, half-eaten burger, leather messenger bag spilling cables. Too much to abandon for a cheap POS system. With a decisive click, I freed the tablet and carried it down the bar.

As I neared, his scent wrapped around me-rich cocoa with a hint of chili spice, warm and comforting like my rare indulgence at that little Manhattan café. The familiarity hit me like a physical blow, stirring something dangerously close to homesickness.

His hands brushed mine as he took the device, his touch deliberately light. No lingering contact. No testing grip. Just respectful distance that somehow felt more intimate than any forced proximity.

I caught the way his gaze stayed carefully averted, the subtle tension in his shoulders. Not fear. Not submission. Just… awareness. Like he understood exactly how much this small act of trust cost me.

The tablet flickered to life under his precise taps. “When did you last update the OS?” His voice matched his scent-smooth with underlying

depth.

I leaned against the bar, arms crossed. “Never. It’s barely a month old.”

His lips quirked at that, revealing a faint dimple. “Ah. The classic ‘if it works, don’t touch it’ approach.”

Against my will, a laugh escaped me-the first genuine one in weeks. The sound seemed to startle us both.

For a fleeting moment, the weight of my secrets felt lighter.

And that terrified me more than any outright threat ever could.

♡ (0)

906

(0)

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

8.8%