Page 46 of My Fated Mate

Everyone files out, but Rylan stays.

"What's going on, Thorne?" he asks. "You went out to find the fated mate, but you came back with an unconscious she-wolf, one you’ve already rejected. What’s going on, Alpha?"

Shame burns hot, and I can't hold his gaze. "Sheisthe fated mate."

The words hang heavy in the air. Rylan frowns. "But… the mark? She didn’t have the mark you were looking for. She just had the mark of a rejected mate.”

I clench my fists, the moonlight glinting off my claws that retract with a snick. "There are two marks." The truth erupts from me. "I… I rejected her. I thought she wasn't the one. The moment I did…" I’m unable to finish the sentence. The memory is too raw.

Rylan's jaw drops, and then a low whistle escapes him. He glances over to where Elowen rests, then back at me. Understanding dawns in his eyes, laced with disbelief. "The bond… it forced itself on her when you rejected her?"

I nod, the weight of my actions pressing down on me. "The second the words left my mouth, the male mark burned onto her skin, claiming her as mine." A self-deprecating laugh escapes my throat, devoid of humor. "Talk about a terrible ass mistake.”

Rylan stares at me for a long beat, and then a slow grin spreads across his face. He’s not mocking me. His camaraderie warms atiny corner of my frozen heart. "Well, brother," he claps me on the shoulder, "looks like you have a hell of a mess to clean up."

Well, fuck.

Chapter 14

ELOWEN

Pain explodes through my body and jolts me awake.

Groaning, I try to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washes over me, forcing me back down onto the soft surface beneath me.

My vision swims, blurry images flickering before my eyes.

Then, memories come crashing down in a relentless torrent: the rejection, the desperate flight through the forest, the terrifying encounter with the lion, the… wolf?

A sliver of hope flickers amidst the despair. The wolf, its icy blue eyes and fierce defense—had it saved me?

The thought brings little comfort. Even if it had, I was hopelessly lost, injured, and utterly alone.

Blinking away the haze of pain and confusion, I take stock of my surroundings. I'm in a room unlike any I've ever seen. The walls are crafted from dark, polished wood adorned with intricate carvings depicting wolves in various poses.

A large woven rug covers the floor, and soft furs are piled high in the corner. The scent of woodsmoke and something herbal lingers in the air.

I gasp as the door creaks open, revealing a woman clad in a simple brown robe. Her eyes widen in surprise.

"You're awake!" she exclaims, rushing towards me. Her voice is warm and gentle, starkly contrasting to the harsh tones that have echoed in my mind for the past few hours.

"Where am I?" I croak, my throat dry and scratchy. The woman, her face kind and lined with age, smiles at me reassuringly.

"You're safe now, child," she says, placing a cool hand on my forehead. "You're in the Silver Crescent Pack, and I'm Elara, the pack healer."

The name "Silver Crescent Pack" strikes a faint chord of memory. Wasn't that where Thorne's… where his pack was located? Disbelief washes over me.

"Thorne?" I rasp out, the name a betrayal on my lips. "Did… did he bring me here?"

A flicker of surprise crosses Elara's face, but she recovers quickly. "Yes, child," she says gently. "He found you in the forest, injured and unconscious. He brought you back here to his pack."

My mind reels.

Thorne, the man who rejected me, the man who played with my emotions, brought me here?

Fury flares up within me. Did he think I was a toy to cast aside and then play with when he felt like it?

"Why?" I manage to whisper. Elara hesitates, her gaze flickering away from mine.

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