Chapter 26
Elara
“What did you just say!!” I scream, my voice trembling with disbelief as Martha’s words sink in.
She hesitates her gaze darting nervously. “I’m sorry, Ehra, but you can’t reject Damien. And he can’t reject you either, or else…” Her voice trails off, unable to finish, leaving the words hanging ominously in the air
“Or else I would die.” The realization escapes my lips in a whisper, my voice barely audible as my eyes widen in shock. I can feel my heart pounding, the weight of her revelation crushing me
Holy shit. I’ll die if I reject Damien. That’s what my wolf incant when she tries to warn me
“B–but why!” My voice cracks as I fight to make sense of this. “Lucian rejected me, and I’m perfectly fine. Other mates reject each other all the time. and nothing like this happens So why is mine different?”
Martha sighs deeply, her gaze softening with pity. “Because you’ve already been rejected once–and not just by anyone, but by an Alpha. That rejection alone weakened your bond to the Moon Goddess. If you face rejection a second time by another Alpha… the repercussions would be dare,” she says, her voice faltering as if saying the words aloud will make them more real
1 blink, stunned as she continues. “That’s probably why Damien’s refused to reject you
My eyes darken at the mention of his name, and I fight the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes.
After my wolf, Alya–the name I had given her since she stubbornly refused to tell me her real one–had warned me that I would die if I rejected Damien, I stood frozen in shock like the fool I was I stared blankly as him, my mouth hanging opm as though words might magically tumble out. Spoiler: they didn’t.
I had no idea what to say. Both of them–Damien and labella–stared at me with intense, focused expressions, as if waiting for something dramatic to happen. But, of course, nothing did.
The words “I reject you, Alpha Damien were right there, lodged in my throat, screaming to be let out. But the sheer, paralyzing fear of death had kept them locked tight. After what felt like hours–though it was probably only a few agonizing minutes–I decided I had had enough.
I gave up and muttered a panicked, “Fuck it spinning around and bolting. Honestly, running like a scared rabbit had seemed like the most logical
choice at the time.
I don’t regret it. I don’t
I repeat the words in my mind, but my face is on fire. If embarrassment could kill, I’d already be six feet under,
Okay, fine. I regret it.
“Elara, are you okay? Your face is red. Do you feel sick?” Martha asks, her hand on my forehead. I quickly nod, clearing my throat.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I reply, leaning back. She nods but besitates before speaking again.
1
see you’ve
e met habella, Damien’s fiancée Martha says carefully, her eyes studying me. I sigh and nod
“That’s why I want to reject the Alpha. It wouldn’t be fair to his fiancée. I can’t be his mate while there’s another woman in his life.”
Martha shakes her head gently, taking my hands in hers. “You don’t understand. It’s an arranged engagement between them.”
I raise an eyebrow, skeptical. “Arranged engagement?”
“Yes,” she continues, her voice soft. “Damien was practically forced–well, not forced, but pressured by the elders of the pack. He was waiting for his mate–you–but it was taking too long. So, they told him to get engaged to the head eller’s daughter, habella. The arrangement was temporary. If be finds his mate within a year, he can break the engagement. But if not, he’ll have to marry her.”
Martha’s hands tighten around mine as she speaks, a sense of excitement in her voice. But instead of joy, my mind races, trying to process everything
“A year isn’t complete, so that means you both can-
I pull my hands away from hers before she can continue, the weight of her words sinking deep into my chest. No. I can’t let this happen, not again. I won’t find myself caught in another messy love triangle. The last time, I married Lucian in place of my sister, fully aware of where his heart truly lay. I won’t make that same mistake again, especially not with Damien
1/2
Ad–free kending
12:53 PM & d
Chapter 26
“I’m sorry, Martha, but I can’t. I.. I can’t open my heart again just to have it broken. Damien already has a fiancée, so I think it’s best they stay Together I can’t reject him, but I also can’t be with him.
The silence stretches between us, thick and uncomfortable. For a moment, I wonder if I’ve said the wrong thing, if I’ve disappointed her. But then she speaks again, her voice softer.
“But do you see the way he looks at you?” she asks, her tone gentle but filled with quict conviction. “He truly… cares. Damien is my younger brother, and he might wear a certain mask, but inside, he’s hiding demons. Demons he doesn’t let anyone see. Her voice dips into a sad smile, the same one I saw on Damien earlier.
I’m about to ask her what she means, but she shifts her expression, breaking the heavy mood with a bright, knowing smile. “I understand where you’re coming from, Elara. Hut I advise you to give him a chance.”
I open my mouth to disagree, but instead, I find myself nodding. Her hopeful smile is hard to resist.
“I will try my best.” I reply, offering a tentative smile in return. Her face lights up instantly, and she nods approvingly, as if my decision was exactly what she hoped for.
“Hm… Can I at least change rooms! I don’t think it’s appropriate to stay in the Alpha’s room,” I add quickly, my eyes nervously scanning the sp
space. She agrees after a moment, though something tells me she could’ve arranged it earlier if she wanted to. But I don’t press the issue.
“I’ll tell the maids to arrange a room for you. Stay here for now,” she says, pausing by the door and turning back to face me. I bow slightly in gratitude.
Before she can leave, she stops again, as if an afterthought strikes her. “You know, if you get bored here, I was thinking… how about you work at the hospital?”
My heart pounds in my chest at the suggestion, and my eyes widen in excitement.
Me? Start working at the hospital again? The idea stirs something inside me–a possibility I hadn’t considered.
