Rejected by My Alpha Now He Replaced Me with a Copycat Luna novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Dexter’s POV

My fingers tingled where they’d brushed against Raven’s skin, the phantom pulse of her warmth lingering like a brand. I flexed my hand, trying to shake off the sensation. “You sure you didn’t rattle something loose up there?” The joke tasted bitter on my tongue.

A cheap deflection, but necessary. Those shadows she’d glimpsed? They weren’t for sharing. Not with anyone. Yet the way Raven’s gaze had pierced through my defenses made my chest ache with something dangerously close to want.

Raven shook her head sharply, ice clinking as she filled the glasses with mechanical precision. “Forget I asked.”

“Luv-”

“Just tell me if you’re making her damn drink.” The finality in her tone left no room for argument.

Fuck me sideways.

Creating distance was the smart play here. So why did it feel like cutting my own throat? My wolf growled his displeasure, the sound vibrating through my ribs. The beast had made his position painfully clear – Raven was ours to protect, not push away.

–

I inhaled deeply, letting her scent – that impossible blend of wild sage and something uniquely her – settle the restless creature under my skin. Asher’s theories about her being some kind of plant? Bullshit. Nothing that smelled this right could be wrong.

The kitchen bell shattered the moment. “Order’s up!”

Raven was already moving before the words faded. “I’ll get Nox’s food.” No hesitation, no backward glance.

I stared at the half-prepared drinks, my knife hovering over a jalapeño. The petty urge to spike Cecilia’s soda warred with professional pride.

Christ, what was wrong with me? Since when did I let some petty socialite get under my skin?

Since Raven had looked at me like she could see straight through the bullshit to the broken things I kept hidden.

With a sigh, I finished the drinks properly. Some lessons didn’t need jalapeños to be taught. But I’d thought I made it clear that she and I weren’t going to happen, but apparently, that needed reinforcement.

My grip tightened around the drink tray as I watched Raven move across the diner-every step fluid, effortless, like she owned the space without even trying. When she leaned down to set Nox’s plate in front of him, something he murmured made her throw her head back in a laugh, the sound sharp and bright.

A hot, unfamiliar twist coiled in my gut.

Jealousy.

The realization hit me like a lightening bolt. Since when? My brothers and I had shared plenty of women over the years, and I’d never given a

damn. But this? This was different.

A cold thread of unease wound through me. Mate. The possibility slithered into my thoughts, unwelcome. But no-I’d touched her. If she were my mate, the bond would have snapped into place, undeniable. This was just attraction. Just hunger.

Just.

As if that made it any less dangerous.

I snatched up the drinks and strode toward Cecilia’s table, the ice in the glasses clinking with each step. Setting them down with deliberate

force, I leveled her with a look that had her blinking up at me like a startled rabbit.

“Cecilia.” My voice was low, lethal. “Cut the shit.”

Her lips parted, a protest already forming, but I didn’t give her the chance.

“I was polite before. I won’t be again. You don’t get to waltz in here and make demands. Not of me, and definitely not of my staff.” The words came out razor-edged. “Try it again, and you’re banned. Permanently.”

Her mouth snapped shut, eyes wide. Good. Let her stew in that.

I turned on my heel before she could recover, my mood blacker than when I’d started. What I needed was a run-fur, earth, the night air sharp in my lungs. But that would have to wait.

For now, I was stuck here, simmering in a mess of my own making.

Nox’s voice slipped into my consciousness like a knife between ribs. “You alright?”

The pack bond hummed between us – a connection we rarely used in public. Too risky when humans might notice our silent conversations.

“Peachy.”

“You’re many things, brother, but a convincing liar isn’t one of them.” Nox’s mental voice dripped with amusement.

“That woman’s a walking migraine,” I finally conceded.

Nox’s psychic chuckle grated. “Took you this long to notice?”

“Bite me. Enjoy your burger.”

My attention never left Raven as she wove between tables, taking orders with effortless grace. But Cecilia’s venomous stares kept pulling my

focus. Raven could handle herself – that much was obvious – yet my muscles stayed coiled tight regardless.

When Raven reappeared at the bar, her tray balanced expertly on one hand, some of the tension bled from my shoulders. “Refills ready?” she

asked.

I slid the fresh drinks onto her tray. “Your chariot awaits, Cinderella.”

She arched a brow. “You haven’t proposed in the last sixty minutes. Should I be concerned?”

The corner of my mouth kicked up despite myself. “Darling, say the word and we’ll elope tonight. I know a chapel where Elvis still performs

miracles.”

(0)

(0)