The Rejected daughter chosen by the Alpha (Maya and Atila) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24

MAYA

Hours earlier

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My fingers still ached as I began to rub my wrists. The marks left by the chains hadn’t faded-purplish, swollen lines circling my skin in uneven rings, as if the metal were still wrapped arom nie. Miss Langford had finally trusted me enough to unchain me, and the relief came tangled with a strange, almost guilty weight. I traced one of the marks with my thumb, drew in a slow breath, and closed my eyes, trying to convince my body that I was safe,

The last few hours rushed back in jagged waves. What I’d said. The edge in my voice. The way the words had slipped out unchecked-sharp, reckless Heat crept up my face, an uncomfotable flush burning my cheeks. How had I lost control badly enough to say that to him? It felt as it hadn’t been in command of myself at all. Something powerful inside me had awakened a version of me I didn’t even know existed, taken over for days, and pushed me into a place I no longer recognized

I dropped onto the bed with a shallow sigh, the mattress creaking beneath my exhausted body. The room felt too small for the chaos inside my head. That was when I heard it-a faint sound outside, a low rustle, barely more than a whisper through leaves. My eyes flew open My heart started racing before I even lecided to move.

1 rose slowly and crossed to the window. The latch gave with a so click as I turned it. I pushed the glass open, and the cold night air rushed in, carrying the damp scent of the garden and fe forest beyond. That was when I saw him.

The black wolf stood at the edge where the lawn met the shadows of the trees. Large. Still. As if he were part of the night itself Moonlight traced the outline of his body, and when he lift his head, those blue eyes caught the light and fixed on

me

The same eyes.

A smile slipped free before I could stop it.

I didn’t know why seeing him there again made me happy. May because, without realizing it, he had become a good memory from my old life-something untouched, Something that had never hurt me.

What if I went down there? What if I got closer?

I glanced at the locked door behind me and swallowed hard. No That was a terrible idea. I knew it. Miss Langford would stop me before I ever reached the garden. Still, my gaze driftedownward, guided by a stubborn impulse, to the side of the window. There was an old carved stone column there, its wide reliefs just large enough to brace my feet. A drainage pipe ran alongside it, bolted to the wall with metal brackets. It wouldn’t be easy-but it was possible.

I’m not actually thinking of doing this… am I?

By the time I realized it, I was already perched on the windowsif I climbed down carefully, testing each foothold before shifting my weight. My hands slipped slightly on the cold metal pipe, but I managed to keep my balance. The last stretch required a small jump. I landed on the grass with a soft thud, bedding my knees to absorb the impact.

4 looked up immediately.

The wolf was watching ame

I took a few steps toward him, my heart racing for no clear reason. Then, in a single silent movement, he backed away and shipped into the forest, vanishing between the trees.

“Hey-wait!”

My voice came out louder that I meant it to Without thinking, hurried after him, crossing the line between the matucured garden and the uneven forest floor. The shadows closed around he at once.

T

O

10:17 Mon, Mar 9 MA

Ghapter 24

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“Where did you go?” I said aloud, pushing aside curtains of mos hanging from low branches, Cold dampness brushed my skin. “Why are you hiding from me? You remember me right?

Ukept walking, stepping over roots, my skirt catching now and then. The forest’s silence felt alive, pulsing. I talked to myself more to keep the fear at bay than because I expected an answer

“I know we’ve never really talked before, but it feels like we’re already friends.”

My foot slipped.

The world spun too fast 1 crashed into a fallen trunk, the impac knocking the air from my lungs. Sharp pain exploded across my forehead. I pressed my hand there on instinct, and when I pulled it away, my fingers were slick with red.

“Shit

Then I heard a heavy crack to my right. Something was moving rough the brush. I lifted my head, my body going rigid- and I saw it

This was no ordinary animal. Its shape was far too large, as if tor straight from a nightmare. Its dark hide looked thick and hardened, carved with deep grooves, and chains hung from its body as though they were fused to the flesh itself. Curved horns crowned its massive head, and when it opened its mouth, ong, jagged teeth gleamed with thick saliva. Red eyes burned in the darkness, locked on me with a silent hunger. The trench was putrid-rust, old blood, decay-so strong my stomach turned, and my entire body knew, before my mind could catch up, that this thing existed for one purpose only.

“Heavens… what is that?” I whispered, my voice breaking.

I forced myself to stand, my legs shaking. I took two steps back. then turned to run. I didn’t get far. A snarl ripped through the air, and the impact came before I could react. I hit the ground, curling in on myself, arms over my head, a scream trapped in my throat.

The next collision was different. Heavier. A massive body cut through the space between us. I opened my eyes just in time to see the black wolf launch himself at the creature. They slammed together with brutal force, rolling across the ground, teeth and claws crashing in a dry, vicious sound. The smell of blood filled the air.

I scrambled backward, unable to tear my gaze away. The wolf was fast-precise-every movement charged with a ferocity that felt almost unreal. When he finally threw the monster to the ground, he lifted his head and looked straight at me.

The command was there. Clear, Silent.

Run.

I did

I bolted down the first path I saw, branches whipping my arms, aring the thin fabric of my dress. Pain came in sharp bursts, but I didn’t slow. The farther I ran, the more certain I became that I wasn’t heading back to Atila’s house. The forest seemed to close in around me, pulling me deeper.

The ground gave way without warning. I tumbled down a steep nbankment, my body slamming into rock and dirt until 1 came to a stop with a muffled groan. I tried to stand, and a searing pain shot through my foot, my legs buckling beneath me I fell again, breath shallow, tears burning my eyes.

I lay there for a moment, struggling to breathe, before lifting my gaze. The moon appeared only in fragments through the high canopy, impossibly far away. I tried to climb, my hands slipping in the damp earth. There was nothing I could do.

I dragged myself to a small hollow in the side of the embankmeta shallow cave of sorts, hidden from direct view 1 curled up inside, wrapping my arms around myself, just trying to survive.

Shit I’m screwed

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10:17 Mon, Mar 9 M

Chapter 24

Pain throbbed everywhere. The cold crept in slowly At some pot exhaustion won Everything went dark

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