Page 100 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate
Her eyes were a strange, striking shade of violet, cool and unreadable.
“Hi.”
Her voice was gentle and warm, yet it made Athena’s skin crawl.
Aubrey tilted her head, giving Athena a short smile.
“Don’t bother much. You have nothing to fear from me. I wouldn’t say a thing.”
The words were meant to soothe her.
But Athena’s instincts screamed otherwise.
This woman wasn’t calm.
Athena smiled politely.
Athena straightened slowly. “You’re…?”
“Aubrey,” she said with a faint smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
Athena’s lips parted slightly. “I’m Athena. You seem… well-adjusted.”
For someone who’s just been hunted. She left out.
Aubrey’s smile widened. “I learn fast.”
Too fast.
Athena stood frozen for a short moment.
There was something off about Aubrey Athena that I couldn’t exactly pinpoint. The way she moved. The easy way she smiled. The feel of her energy.
She wanted to believe it was just her own defensiveness.
But the pit in her stomach told her otherwise.
Athena’s heart pounded, though she couldn’t explain why.
There was nothing exactly wrong about the woman who stood in front of her. She looked… normal, and her aura appeared subtle and contained.
But that was what bothered her.
Contained.
Most witches, even the strongest ones, didn’t hide the hum of their power so easily. It leaked, sometimes in sparks or shimmers. Aubrey felt like an ocean that had gone utterly still. Controlled—or suppressed.
“Are you okay?” Aubrey asked pleasantly.
Athena forced a smile. “You startled me, that’s all. I didn’t realize anyone else was out here.”
Aubrey tilted her head. “You looked very wary of me. Expected.”
Athena said nothing. Her gaze drifted to the doorway again. They were gone now, or had moved.
Aubrey followed her look, then turned back to her.
“I promise I’m not a danger, Athena. I know it’s hard to trust someone new. But you can trust me, I assure you.”
