The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 119

Night had fallen over Crescent Moon territory, thick and quiet, as though the entire pack were holding its breath. Moonlight spilled across the balcony of the alpha chambers, silvering the stone floor and catching on the curtains that swayed softly with the breeze.

Inside, a small thump sounded—then another.

Nathan was on the rug, surrounded by wooden wolf figurines, moving them in an oddly intense battle formation only toddlers understood. His dark hair bounced every time he bobbed his little head, making soft growling noises as he pushed two wolves closer together.

Elaine watched him from the sofa, her heart twisting so hard she had to exhale slowly to keep from breaking. Darius leaned against the wall, arms crossed tightly over his chest, his brow furrowed in concentration, as if he could bend the world to his will with sheer determination.

For what felt like an eternity, they remained silent, observing Nathan’s innocent play. The cheerful clatter of toys seemed to mock the brewing storm that awaited them at the council meeting the following day.

Finally, Elaine reached out, her voice soft and inviting. “Nathan,” she called gently, “come here, baby.”

His bright golden-brown eyes—so reminiscent of Darius—sparkled in the warm lamplight as he looked up.

“Mommy!” he exclaimed, scrambling over with the uncoordinated enthusiasm only a three-year-old could muster, climbing onto her lap with a joyful giggle. But as he settled in, he glanced around her, his innocent gaze catching the tension that hung in the air like a heavy mist. “Why is Daddy standing like that?”

Darius straightened, clearing his throat as he attempted to mask the weight of his thoughts. “Just thinking, little wolf.”

“You thinking loud,” Nathan declared, mimicking Elaine’s tone so perfectly that it almost caused her to laugh, a brief flicker of light in the darkening room.

Darius let out a huff, his lips twitching in a half-smile. “That obvious?”

Nathan nodded with the seriousness only a child could possess. “Uh-huh.”

The lighthearted moment helped alleviate the tightness in Elaine’s chest, but only for a fleeting moment.

She glanced at Darius, who had tensed again, his jaw tightening as he gave her a slight nod.

It was time to share the news.

Elaine pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Nathan’s head, holding him a little closer. “Sweetheart… tomorrow, Mommy, Daddy, and you have to go to a meeting with the council.”

Nathan blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Is that like a big talk?”

“Yes,” she affirmed softly. “A very big talk.”

“With alphas?” Nathan asked, his eyes widening with a mixture of excitement and curiosity.

“With one particular alpha,” Darius confirmed, approaching slowly and kneeling in front of his son, his expression serious yet gentle.

Nathan clapped his hands together, his face lighting up. “Like a story! Like the big wolf kings!” He paused, his brow furrowing once more. “Do I come too?”

Elaine exchanged a quick, meaningful glance with Darius—this was the moment they had anticipated.

“Yes, baby,” she said, her voice steadying. “Tomorrow, at the council, you will hear some not-so-nice things. Not all of it you will understand, and that’s okay. Some of it might hurt you—not physically, but it will hurt your heart. Just like it will hurt me.”

Instantly, Nathan’s face fell, his small eyebrows knitting together in a way that mirrored Darius so perfectly it sent a pang through Darius’s heart.

“But whyyyyy?” he whined, his voice trembling with concern. “I don’t want you to get hurt, Mommy.”

Darius exhaled deeply, a long, heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world. He reached up, cupping Nathan’s tiny cheek in his massive palm, his touch tender and reassuring.

“Because,” he said carefully, choosing his words with caution, “tomorrow’s meeting is complicated. And Mommy and Daddy have to talk to someone… someone from the past. And sometimes, what happened in the past is painful.”

Nathan tilted his head, pondering the information with the innocent curiosity of youth. “Past like before I was born?”

Elaine brushed a few curls away from his forehead. “Yes, exactly.”

He stared between them, his small face a canvas of confusion and concern, sensing emotions that were far beyond his understanding. “Are you sad?”

Elaine swallowed hard, her throat tight. “A little.”

“And Daddy?”

Darius hesitated, the weight of his own emotions pressing down on him. He nodded once, his voice low and steady. “A little.”

In a moment of surprising seriousness, Nathan placed both of his tiny hands on Darius’s cheeks, holding his father’s gaze with an earnestness that belied his age. “It’s okay, Daddy. I can kiss your sad away. Want kiss?”

Darius’s throat tightened at the innocent offer. The mighty Alpha of Crescent Moon—a feared warrior throughout the territories—looked as if he might shatter from the sheer tenderness of his son’s gesture.

“Always,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Elaine stroked his cheek gently, her heart aching. “And we have to talk about those choices so that everything can be safe for you, for us, and for our pack.”

Nathan looked up at both of them, studying their faces with surprising understanding for someone so young.

“I be brave?” he whispered, his voice filled with determination.

At that moment, Elaine’s resolve crumbled.

A tear slid down her cheek before she could stop it, and she kissed his forehead, her voice trembling as she spoke. “You are already brave, my heart.”

Nathan wrapped his small arms around her neck tightly, his embrace fierce despite his size. Then he shifted and hugged Darius too, clutching his shirt with his tiny fist as if trying to anchor them all together.

Darius pulled him close, pressing his forehead against Nathan’s, determination radiating from him. “Nothing will happen to you. I swear it on my life.”

Nathan nodded into his father’s chest, his trust unwavering.

“I know, Daddy.”

After they tucked Nathan into bed, after the last lullaby had been gently hummed and the soft glow of the nightlight illuminated the room, Elaine lingered by the doorway, watching her son breathe peacefully.

Darius stood behind her, his hand sliding into hers, providing a steadying warmth.

“He will not understand,” Elaine whispered, her voice barely audible.

“No,” Darius admitted, his tone heavy with truth. “Not everything. But that is not on us, Elaine. That is on Michael, who is forcing his way into our lives. It does not matter if his wolf is in control of him right now. He is still letting his wolf take charge. He is not thinking straight.”

Elaine leaned into him, allowing his strength to steady her.

Tomorrow, they would confront Michael. His wolf. The council. Judgment. Old wounds would be ripped open, and claims and threats would surface—truths that no child should ever have to bear.

But tonight… Nathan was safe. Loved. Protected.

Tomorrow, the storm would come.

Tonight, they held their son between them and gathered the strength for the war they could no longer avoid.