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CHAPTER NINETY

Author: Bella Lore
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56
I see the arrow flying towards me and without thinking, I grab it just an inch from my chest.

It was aimed at my heart.

The woman hisses and I see her lodge another arrow just as I hear Balin call my name in sharp alarm. He is by my side in a heartbeat, and I stare at him, both shocked and bewildered.

“Arista!” He shouts, his voice furious.

The woman looks panicked and ready to run when I call out, “He’s already seen you. Might as well come out!”

A look of distaste crosses her face and then she lowers her bow and walks into the clearing.

Arista is a gorgeous female.

She is taller than me with bright red hair and those same pale blue eyes that all elves seem to possess. Her features are elven in their beauty and her stride is firm and graceful. Her voice is also just as melodious as that of the other elves.

“It was a mistake. I was practicing my aim.”

She smirks at me as she says that, adding, “I’m sure the wolf doesn’t mind.”

“Arista,” This time there is a warning edge to B
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  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER NINETY ONE

    I can’t reconcile the voice I heard with Damion.How is that possible?I swing my legs over the side of the bed and take a few deep breaths.It was a dream. Just a dream.And dreams don’t mean anything.Except for the fact that I’ve been dreaming consistently of my James for the past few weeks, and it doesn’t seem like a dream then.I get to my feet and go wash my face. Looking into the mirror, I let out a shaking breath, “It couldn’t be Damion. That’s not possible. It’s just my head creating strange narratives.”But even I can’t keep ignoring my dreams. There are times when they seem so real and I believe the conversations I am having in them and then there are times when I wonder if I desperately need therapy, assuming I can find a therapist in this secluded area.I half snort at my own joke.I walk over to the window and look out at the other cottage, “Maybe I just really need to unwind. Too much in my head.”I’m distracted from my thoughts when I see Balin outside.H

  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER NINETY TWO

    I don’t know what I expected after my confirmation as the Righ, but this definitely wasn’t it.I stare at the proceedings, not knowing what to make of any of it.Balin has been glued to my side ever since we found out.“A feast?” I echo, feeling a little unnerved by the gorgeous garlands being prepared. Balin clasps my hand, “Don’t worry about it yet. Come with me. I want to take you somewhere.”I reluctantly look over my shoulder at the preparations underway before allowing him to lead me farther into the forest. We are moving away from the elves village into a deeper part of the Forest of Shadows. “Where are we going?”“A secret spot,” Balin’s lips curve and for a moment, I see something wild in his eyes.He’s been like this ever since we discovered that I am the Righ. After that horrifying experience, aside from having that screaming voice now stuck in my head, I don’t feel any different. But Balin does.He’s more possessive, refusing to leave my side.At first, I thou

  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER NINETY THREE

    Azhar gives me a strange look, “You will be mated to Balin.”My breathing is getting shallow, “You can’t just – Was somebody planning to ask me?!”His brows furrow together, “It has been decided since old times. The Righ always mates with one of our kind since we are the strongest of all the Others. You cannot stand alone.”“I just lost my mate!” I hiss at him. “I’m not ready to tie myself to someone yet!”“Ah yes,” Azhar gives me an indifferent look. “The wolf. It doesn’t matter. This mating will be stronger, and it will happen. Once you’re mated to Balin, you’ll get over your resistance.”His words are so callous that they make me sick.I stumble back, “You can’t make me. I won’t go through with it.”This time Azhar smiles, “Yes, you will. Your permission is not required. Once Balin gives you his mark, you will belong to him.”Then he walks away from me.I feel horror course through my blood, feeling violated. Was this why Balin was acting like this towards me because he tho

  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER NINETY FOUR

    “W-What?” I feel so confused.He walks inside and then reaches for something and suddenly the whole room floods with light. It’s a lantern, similar to the ones in the other cottage.“You wanted me to break in here?” I give him a wary look.He just studies me, his expression weary, “I thought it would help you remember. Easier than telling you the truth, Isabel.”“The truth?”Something feels wrong.There is a churning in my gut, this uneasy feeling, I can’t shake.Balin walks over to me, his hand caressing the furniture, “Does this room look familiar to you?”“Familiar to me?” I ask, slowly, my eyes on him. When he doesn’t answer, I ask, cautiously, “Why would it look familiar to me?”He is getting closer to me, and I have nowhere to move. I don’t know what it is happening right now.“Something that I never mentioned to you before was that the Righ ultimately begins to regain memories of her past lives,” Balin stops in his tracks, not approaching me. He’s standing a few

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    A few days have passed since that night when Balin told me the truth.It’s a difficult thing to digest and I am struggling wholeheartedly with it. Balin seems to have relaxed now that I know the truth and he’s back to living in the cottage and acting as if everything is normal. But it’s not.Fated mates? Past lovers? Invasions?These are all difficult things to wrap my head around. It seems like I’ve walked into some movie but ever since my conversation with Balin, my dreams have become more vivid. They’re still blurry but I can sense what’s going on and they’re beginning to feel like memories. The strange thing is that while I’m dreaming, I can see things clearly except for faces. I’ve dreamt of the children in the picture. I’ve dreamt of looking at my face in the mirror and Balin, but the faces are always blurred, even mine.That troubles me for some reason.I’m sitting in bed as I ponder over these things, not knowing how to process all this. A mating? Balin swore that afte

  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER NINETY SIX

    The mating ceremony is drawing closer. The flower that I hid away is still with me and after one whole night of deliberation and my own confusion with Balin’s strange behavior, I decided to risk it.The petals have a strange taste, almost like honeydew. I eat one and then I wait but when there are no side effects, I eat the rest.The only reaction I have is late in the evening the next day when Balin hands me the drink he makes me since the day I arrived here. I’m in my room when I sip it, only to be overcome by nausea. One trip to the bathroom is enough for me to toss away the drink.I consider telling Balin what happened, but I decide not to. There’s already too much on his plate.Two days before the mating ceremony, I am confined to the cottage.Balin is nowhere in sight that day, so I am startled when in the afternoon the door opens.I look up, “Ba- What are you doing here?”I despise Arista and I watch her close the door.“Enjoy your mating while you still can,” She le

  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER NINETY SEVEN

    Despite telling Balin that I trust him, there is now a fear within me.I know Arista wasn’t lying since Balin had not refuted her words. Will we be able to run away safely? Will the elves let me go once I have reinforced this barrier? There is this sick fear within me that I can’t shake off.However, I have bigger concerns at the moment.“I need to hunt, Balin,” I say, insistently. “I’m growing weaker by the day!”Balin frowns, “I’m sorry, Isabel, but eating meat in the village is frowned upon. Once you become my mate, you will have to give it up.”“Give it up?” I gape at him. “This is not a personal preference, Balin. I won’t survive without it. I am a wolf shifter at the end of the day. If my wolf dies, so will I!”“You’re not going to die from a lack of meat,” Balin tells me sternly. “As long as your body has fuel, you will survive.”“Only barely!” I want to scream at him. How is he minimizing my needs right now?!Balin sighs, a sound of pure exasperation, “But you will li

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    My heart climbs into my throat, “Those are-”Balin has a sword in his hand, his bow tucked in his back, “I’ll keep you safe.” And then he roars, “Protect the Righ!”There is a large outcry and I see more elves pour out from amongst the trees, rushing to face the demons head on, their faces fierce and brave, swords and bows in their hands.“Let me help,” I say but Balin stops me. “No! You’re no match against a demon. Not yet. Stay behind me.”I can shift and fight and I want to but I’ve become accustomed to obeying Balin’s commands and so I stay back, watching the rest of them take on the demons. The elves are seasoned fighters, but the demons are vicious creatures, their movements rough and uncoordinated. But while the elves are quick on their feet and some of them have magic, the demons have raw strength on their sides. I watch in growing horror as one of them pummels an elf to the ground, nearly crushing his face. But before he can do that, a female elf jumps in the air, he

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  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT

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  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN

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  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX

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  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE

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  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR

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  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE

    The witch studies me, “There have been numerous prophecies recorded about the Righs over time but there was one that was recorded by a Righ who was born to a Seer and a witch. You can call it a curse or a prophecy.”I instantly remember what I saw. The memory of the battlefield. The woman who was held down, screaming.My blood turns to ice as I recall that memory. It still gives me nightmares. “The downfall of the elves. From the hands of the weakest of the Righs. And right now,” the witch looks at me, “no offence, but you are the weakest Righ there is.”I’m being hit by so many curveballs that getting my feelings hurt is at the bottom of the list right now.“It’s funny that you think I’m going to bring about the downfall of the elves when I can’t even protect myself or use my abilities.”My voice is tight with barely restrained anger.“The stars have aligned and the stars have never lied before,” the witch says, easily. “The time is drawing nearer for the final battle.”I don

  • Rejected by the Beta   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO

    I feel my knees turn weak, “What?”“But you created the seal!” Damien snaps. “You should be able to break it!”“Logically, yes,” the witch says, calmly. “But this seal is special. It draws its power through sacrifice of fate. Those spells are impossible to break.”A shutter falls over Damien’s face, “What have you done?”I look between the two feeling like I’m in the dark, “What does she mean? What do you mean by a sacrifice of fate?”The witch studies me and for the first time, I see a glimmer of sympathy in her eyes for me, “I don’t think you want to know the answer to that.”I push past Damien, “I do. What do you mean a sacrifice of fate?! Whose fate?!”She looks at Damien before meeting my gaze, “The Righ is a powerful entity. You think it was easy for even somebody like me to be able to contain your powers? No. If I had used a normal spell, as strong as I might have tried to make it, it would have broken against your powers. I needed something stronger. Something that woul

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