The Rejected daughter chosen by the Alpha (Maya and Atila) novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

– MAYA

After Atila’s mother left, the house fell into complete silence.

On vounters

Not the awkward kind-more like a shared exhale, as if even the walls needed a moment to absorb everything that had just happened.

Atila and I looked at each other at the same time.

And we smiled.

It was a small, slightly awkward smile, heavy with relief. A second later, we both laughed-the kind of laughter shared by two people who’ve just survived an overly intense social encounter.

We sat side by side on the living room couch. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a long breath.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said, shaking his head. “My mother… she’s not usually that expressive. She only gets like that when she’s truly happy.”

I looked at him, still trying to untangle everything I’d felt over the past few minutes.

“You really think she was happy?” I asked, my voice coming out softer than I meant it to. “I mean… do you think she actually liked me?”

He turned to me with an almost offended expression, as if the question itself were absurd.

“Are you kidding?” he replied without hesitation. “She adored you, Maya. If she could’ve, she would’ve officially adopted you as her daughter-in-law today.”

I let out a short laugh, but it faded quickly. Something was still knocking insistently at the back of my mind.

I just… didn’t understand one thing.”

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

‘What is it?”

I took a deep breath before asking, choosing my words carefully.

Why did she say she was… relieved?”

Something shifted in his eyes.

It wasn’t fear. Or surprise. It was more like an old weight rising back to the surface. He looked away for a moment, rested his elbows on his knees, and fell silent-clearly searching for the right words.

“It’s no secret,” he began slowly, “that my mother always wanted me to marry someone from the Melrose family Honestly…. she’s always been too worried about my future within the pack.”

He inhaled deeply before continuing.

“Since my father died in a power war decades ago, our family has lived under the constant threat of losing control of Moonville. And on top of that…” He hesitated. “I’ve been losing my strength more and more with each passing day”

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5:13 pm P MM.

Chapter 33

My stomach tightened.

allad vowed

“Because of the curse.” he finished. “The only way to regain my strength… is by scaling a bond with you. The Melrose firstborn.”

1 felt my shoulders sag before I could stop them.

“So.” I murmured. “she was only happy because of who my parents are?”

He turned to me immediately.

“No,” he said firmly. “She was happy because it’s you.”

I lifted my gaze to his, but something inside me had already begun to pull back.

I couldn’t stop the cruel thought from forming: what if I was just useful?

Useful to restore his power.

Useful to keep Moonville standing.

Useful to fulfill a prophecy.

Maybe that was why he’d helped me so much from the very beginning.

Before he could sense any of what was spiraling through my mind, I spoke quickly.

Then…. tell me more about this curse.”

I narrowed my eyes, studying him. He looked away again, as if the story still carried a bitter taste.

One of my ancestors made a pact with the Moon Goddess,” he explained. “He wanted absolute power to protect the pack. In exchange, he promised to honor his fated mate. But once he gained that power… he rejected her. Out of ambition.”

My chest tightened.

The Goddess decreed that every Alpha of his bloodline would only retain their strength if they recognized and marked their true mate,” he went on. “Since then, all my ancestors found their partners without difficulty, I just…” A faint smile curved his lips. “I just took a little longer to find you.”

I stayed silent for a few seconds, absorbing everything.

“So… your mother was your father’s fated mate?”

“Yes. They were fated,” he answered easily. “Just like you are to me. And I am to you.”

“That’s insane,” I murmured.

He shrugged.

“Call it whatever you want. I find it fascinating.”

I thought for a moment longer before asking the question that had been haunting me since the night before.

“Alpha Atila… do you think what we have…. do you think this is love?”

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6:14 pm P INMM.

Chapter 33

He frowned slightly, thoughtful.

56 voriched

“Love? Honestly? I don’t know,” he said. “The kind of love humans talk about is different. They have free will-they get to choose. What exists between us is… closer to a necessity, Maya.”

I swallowed hard.

“I see.” I whispered.

“But regardless,” he added, “this is who we are.”

“Yeah.” I agreed, pretending it didn’t bother me.

But it did.

If he had no choice but to want me, how could I ever know if what we shared last night had been real?

Maybe I’d lived too long among humans. Read too many novels. Built too many expectations about love

Because in that moment, all I could see was this: I was necessary to him. Not loved.

And yet… my feelings for him were real. Genuine. Terrifyingly deep for someone I’d known for such a short time.

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