Page 30 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
The realization slapped him in the face. He’d been so focused on the hunt, on doing his duty, he’d never questioned what came after.
His wolf surged forward in his consciousness with a growl of agreement.
“What’s happening to me?” he whispered.
Luna’s expression softened slightly. “Your wolf is fighting back against the influence they’ve had over you. The ritual we just completed—it wasn’t what they intended. Our mate bond channeled my magic through both of us, clearing away some of the darkness they’ve been feeding you.”
“Mate bond?” The words felt foreign on his tongue. “That’s impossible. I rejected you.”
“You did. But our fate doesn’t care about your rejection. We’re still connected, whether you want it or not.”
Dominic’s head pounded as conflicting realities battled within him.
For years, he’d served with loyalty, believing he was protecting humanity from supernatural threats. The thought that he might have been working for the very evil he’d sworn to destroy would be hard to return from.
What have I done?
“I need proof,” he said finally. “Not just what I saw in a moment of…whatever that was.”
“Magic,” Luna supplied. “What you saw was the truth, revealed by magic.”
“If what you’re saying is true, we’re in danger here. They’ll expect us to be…” he trailed off, unable to complete the thought.
“Consummating our union?” Luna finished for him, a slight flush rising to her cheeks. “Yes, I imagine they will.”
An awkward silence fell between them.
“We need to convince them nothing is wrong,” he said after a while. “While I figure out the truth.”
Luna crossed her arms. “And how do you propose to do that? Xavier will be expecting results. He’ll want to see my magic bound—or rather, he’ll want to harvest it through you.”
“I don’t know yet.” His frustration boiled over and he slammed his fist against the wall. “Damn it, Luna! Do you understand what you’re asking me to believe? That everything I’ve dedicated my life to for the past six years has been a lie?”
“Yes,” she said simply. “That’s exactly what I’m asking you to believe, because it’s the truth.”
Could she not take a hint?
A knock at the door interrupted them. Dominic tensed, signaling for Luna to be quiet as he moved silently to answer it. Adrian stood on the other side, his ice-blue eyes scanning Dominic’s face with an unreadable expression.
“Xavier wants a report,” he said without preamble. “He’s asking how the witch is adjusting to her new…circumstances.”
Dominic forced a smirk onto his face. “Tell him she’s adjusting just fine. Quite spirited, actually.”
Adrian’s gaze flicked past him to where Luna stood. Something flickered in his eyes—concern? Suspicion? Dominic couldn’t tell.
“He’s requested your presence at a debrief tomorrow morning. Zero eight hundred.”
“I’ll be there.”
Adrian hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Congratulations on your marriage, Commander.”
The words were formal, but something in Adrian’s tone made Dominic wonder if his fellow alpha suspected something wasn’t right. Before he could analyze it further, Adrian nodded once and departed.
Dominic closed the door and turned back to Luna. “We have until morning to figure this out.”
“And what exactly are we figuring out?” she challenged. “Whether you’ve been hunting innocent women for years to feed some demonic ritual?”
Her words stung, provoking a surge of anger that felt like fire in his veins. “Watch your tongue, witch,” he snarled.
