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012 | Seeing Things
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 013 | Too Many Maybes
Aurora’s POV“Maybe,” Zoe said, looking at me with so much worry in her familiar eyes that I couldn’t believe she’d ever deceive me, “you’re exhausted, worried, and seeing things that aren’t really there. You’re terrified of bumping into Selene. That fear, combined with your late night, travelling here, seeing Ethan…” She trailed off, but she didn’t need to keep listing my worries. “I get it. You think I’m hallucinating.”“Not exactly. I think you did probably see a blonde woman, maybe even one with green eyes, but not Selene. I mean, she’s not in Midnight City.” She shrugged, and then she looked at me, really looked at me, and her arms went limp at her sides. “Are you okay, Rory?” she whispered.My skin prickled. I wanted to just come out and ask her for the truth. It felt wrong, keeping secrets from her – even if I was sure she was keeping more than a vague, creeping suspicion from me.She took a half-step towards me, the movement more timid than any I’d ever seen from her before,
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 014 | Eavesdropping Never Ends Well
Aurora’s POVEthan raised an eyebrow at me. I swallowed noisily, terrified to hold his gaze, terrified to break it.But he wasn’t shouting, or calling guards over, or outing me publicly. He almost looked amused by my snooping. I pulled myself up to my full height, steeling myself for whatever he was about to say or do next. So far, his behaviour had been the opposite of everything I’d expected.He leant in close, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. I shivered. “Should I ask what you’re up to, Doctor?”What did he mean, saying my title like that? Was my true identity some in-joke to him? Was he here to tease me? To push me and push me until I caved? Until I flew off the handle and outed myself?Well, screw that.I pasted on a look of confusion – which wasn’t hard, given the situation – and said, “I got lost. Then I found signs to Zoe’s office,” I nodded to the stairwell, “and thought I’d see if she could take me back to the guest quarters.”‘You’re getting better at lying,’ Violet s
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 015 | A Game With No Rules
Aurora’s POVInwardly, I berated myself for my stupidity while, outwardly, I stammered out an explanation.“It was years ago,” I babbled, “but I’ve never been able to drink anything I didn’t make since. It was cyanide,” I wanted to wince at my idiocy but didn’t dare, “but, luckily for me, I was at work, and I had an antidote nearby…”“Oh my god,” he breathed, his hands hovering near me, like he wanted to help but couldn’t for the life of him figure out how. “That’s awful, Aria. I’m so sorry. If I’d known…”“You weren’t to know. How could you?” Before he could answer that, I added, “Anyway, it was nothing to do with you. I didn’t want you to see.”“Of course.” He nodded, but there was something in his eyes that looked hesitant, like he didn’t quite trust me. I’d not exactly given him a lot of reasons to, but I couldn’t stand being around him any longer than I absolutely had to be. “Did they catch the bastard that did it?”“Yes. He’s serving a life sentence.” Wait, no, what if Ethan loo
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 016 | Racing Hearts and Racing Minds
Aurora’s POVI frowned at him, concerned by his pallor, but I didn’t open the door wider or invite him in.“Doctor Aria?” he asked again, his knuckles turning white where he gripped the doorframe. “I’m ill. Please, I – I need you to take a look at me.”This had to be some sort of… something. I didn’t know what Ethan was up to, but it couldn’t be anything good.“Why come to me?” I pursed my lips and hoped he couldn’t hear the way my heart thundered at his nearness. “Is the pack doctor not good enough for you?”‘Too harsh,’ chided Violet. ‘It doesn’t seem like he knows who you really are – yet. Not unless he’s got better at acting since you last saw him. If you keep being this mean to him, he’ll figure it out. So: don’t. Don’t be mean, and don’t let him figure it out.’‘You’re right.’ My gut twisted at the admission – and what it meant for me. ‘I’ll try to be nicer.’‘If your racing heart is any indication, that shouldn’t be too difficult for you. Even if you don’t want to admit it, som
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 017 | History Repeating Itself
Ethan’s POVI headed out to the training grounds. I tried to ground myself, to focus on the slap of the ground beneath my soles, and blood buzzing in my ears, but all I could hear was her.Aria’s voice echoed through my head. Each knock of her words against my skull hurt more than the last. “I think you’d better leave.” She’d sounded so cold, so firm. I wasn’t used to people talking to me like that.Nobody else dared to talk to Alpha Ethan Savage so bluntly. Even their disagreements were packaged in flowery nonsense to soften the sting of their disapproval. But Aria? She’d cut straight through the bullshit. She’d even glared at me until I’d left, tail between my legs. And what was that about? I was an Alpha. I didn’t feel ashamed. If it had been anyone else, I would’ve told her where to stick it.Why did Aria have such a hold over me?‘You like her,’ teased Sterling.I ignored him – pointedly – and rolled my shirt sleeves up. Eternal Bonds’ training grounds were, in my personal and v
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 018 | Zoe Talks
Aurora’s POVEven after scrubbing my skin raw in a boiling hot shower, I could still feel Ethan’s hands on me. Worst of all? I didn’t hate that feeling as much as I wanted to.I checked on Sammy – sound asleep, thank goodness – before texting Zoe.I need to talk to you.Come up to my office, she replied immediately. Another one came through straight after; Zoe texted the way she talked. Everything okay?I’ll explain in person, I sent back.Sure, babe. Just tell me one thing: is this a tea or wine level emergency?I bit my lip, then typed: Wine.Our friendship felt the way it always had. I realised I was smiling to myself, despite everything. ‘I hope you’re right,’ I muttered to Violet.‘I always am. What about in this instance, though?’I pulled a face at her, but my heart was too full after Zoe’s warm familiarity to really tease her. ‘That Zoe is still my friend.’My brain was in a daze as I crossed the grounds to the pack house. I realised how silly I’d been to sneak over before; n
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 019 | Liar, Liar
Zoe’s POVI didn’t know why I lied to Aurora. It just came out. She looked so crestfallen over my dallying with Ethan that I had to soothe the ache somehow.So maybe I did know why I lied. It didn’t make doing it any easier.But looking at her now, I knew I could never tell her the truth about us. The real truth.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Aurora’s POV“He what?” I gaped at her, sure I’d heard her wrong. Ethan had left me for Selene. Now he regretted that?Good. He deserved to hurt after everything he’d put me through. Grim satisfaction swept through me. “He loved Selene, before you. When you… left, and he married her, he realised she was nothing compared to you.” Zoe seemed to find her stride; now she’d opened up, it all seemed to spill out of her. “She wasn’t the woman he remembered her to be. You, though? You’d never tried to be anything you weren’t.”“So – what? He’s gone off her because she tries to b
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 20 | Ethan Knows
Aurora’s POV “Hello, Aria.” His smile was dazzling enough to set my heart pounding – but it didn’t, because I hated him. Before I could say a word, he added, “Have dinner with me?”He looked well today. Too well. Too well to have been as sick as he’d claimed the night before. Grinding my jaw, I ignored his offer and instead said, “You seem better.”“It was just a bout of man flu.”“Oh. Right.”“Now – about that dinner?”I looked everywhere but at him. I looked at the trees swaying softly and the dim light coming from his guest room and the wooden planks of the steps. I looked at the autumnal wreath and counted every maple leaf in it – only four, darn it – and then, finally, when he cleared his throat pointedly, I forced myself to meet his eyes.It was a knife to the gut. In the dark his eyes looked black and bottomless, like a clear lake under a coal sky. That was the kind of lake a girl like me could drown in. I had, before.I would keep my head above water this time, though. I refu
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The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 066 | Like Mother, Like Daughter
Aurora’s POVSeeing Serena up close was strange. I knew what she looked like, of course, but I’d never been face-to-face with her. She was the perfect mix of Ethan and Selene – but she also looked an awful lot like Sammy.She shared his dark curls and rosy cheeks, his bright eyes and curious expression. She had Ethan’s strong jaw, too, paired with Selene’s softer features, like her small, straight, freckled nose.It struck me as odd for a second that she and Sammy looked so alike, like they could be twins, almost, but of course it made sense. They shared a father, and genetically, back before I’d drastically changed my own appearance, Selene and I had been identical. That wasn’t just Selene’s nose I was seeing in Serena’s face; it was mine, too.“What are you doing out here?” I asked softly, crouching down to be at her eye level. “Waiting for Mummy and Daddy. They told me to stay out here.” She rocked back on her heels. She was wearing a woolly dress with patterned tights, and my hea
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 065 | Damage Control
Aurora’s POVI would, at some point, be able to deal with the sudden tilting of my world upon its axis. That was the logical conclusion to draw – but it hadn’t happened yet.Selene knew I was Aurora Everheart. This was not me guessing, not me jumping to conclusions. There was no allusion in her statement.Selene knew. ‘Uh, oh,’ Violet whispered.I gulped. ‘You said it.’I scrambled desperately to think of something to say to make this go away. I had to act casual, to act like Selene was crazy, to laugh if I had to – but what if none of those things worked? I spent so long second guessing myself that my expression got caught between laughter and fear, and I said nothing.Selene just smirked at me, the cat with the cream as her cold green eyes assessed me with a victor’s glint. I had to say something, do something – but what?I opened my mouth, determined to at least try to defend myself, but before I could Selene spoke.“Ethan! She’s in here,” she called out, twisting at the waist to
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 064 | I Know Who You Are
Aurora’s POVThings didn’t go back to normal for me as quickly as I’d hoped. Standing at the window in my guest room, I sipped slowly at the potion that kept my wolf’s identity masked, knowing I was lucky that Ethan hadn’t sniffed Violet out while I’d been in the hospital again. Apparently he’d sat by my bedside night and day, according to Medic Leyla, who’d told me this with stars in her eyes and her fingers toying constantly with her ringlets. To her, it was a good thing. To me…Ethan. I shuddered at the memory of his rough hands on me. I hadn’t been able to look at him the same since I’d woken up here, back in reality. I still didn’t fully understand what had happened to me.Leyla had given me her hypothesis, which made sense, but everything that had gone on in my so-called dream state felt so real. According to her, I’d collapsed outside my room while talking to Selene. Selene had rushed me to the hospital, where I’d entered a comatose-like state and been unconscious for three day
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 063 | Evil Poison Do Not Touch
Ethan’s POVMy eyes zeroed in on each shelf, narrowing as I searched every bottle, jar, and plastic container for anything out of the ordinary.Sterling huffed at me. ‘Do you even know what you’re looking for?’‘Not really. Just anything that seems out of place. Shout if you see a vial that’s labelled Evil Poison Do Not Touch or something, yeah?’This time, his huff was more of a wry laugh. ‘Sure.’It wasn’t only Selene who had no business being in this cupboard – it was me, too. The longer I looked the more I despaired. Everything had a name about four syllables too long for me to understand any of them. The words blurred together, becoming an illegible streak of meaninglessness. ‘What about that one?’ Sterling said.‘Which one?’‘Up, left – no, down a bit. Yeah. That one.’My fingers closed around the bottle. It was small, about two-thirds of the length of my thumb, and contained an unnaturally blue liquid. ‘It’s not labelled.’‘Exactly.’I held it up to the light. It sparkled, gli
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 062 | Up To No Good
Ethan’s POVHer brow furrowed as her gaze snagged on my limp hands. I suddenly didn’t know what to do with them. The cold touch of the metal doorknob was branded on my palm.“Everything all right?” she asked, her tone cautious.Selene hovered halfway between Aria’s bed and where I was guiltily stood. Was that fear I detected in her pretty green eyes – or was she just looking at me like I was the one up to no good?“Fine.” My brain scrambled to come up with a halfway sensible reason for my being over here.Sterling hissed, ‘Tell her you’ve got a headache and you’re looking for pills.’‘Thank you.’ I could’ve kissed him. Instead, I crossed the room in four quick strides and took Selene’s hands in mine. Aloud, I said, “Everything’s fine. I’ve just got a headache.” I nodded back towards the cabinet, forcing a wince as I did. “I just wanted to grab some ibuprofen.” She tittered. “Darling, it’s no wonder you’ve got a headache. You’ve been holed up in this hospital for days.” Her throat bob
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 061 | Selene Being Suspicious
Ethan’s POVThat single, elongated tone was all I could hear. It ran and ran, forging onwards, carving a path of heartache through my chest. It was all I was truly aware of as I lunged over to Aria’s bed, reaching for her like a drowning man stretching his arms towards the water’s surface. Desperate. Terrified. Alone.Only I wasn’t alone. Selene’s familiar, long-fingered hand wrapped firmly around my bicep. It was both comfort and warning in equal parts. I sucked in a sharp breath. She couldn’t see how I really felt about Aria. I couldn’t let her know that. I had to keep myself in check, even though I was falling, falling, falling–The beep shuddered. It went silent.I realised we weren’t alone in the room as a doctor pushed me aside. “Sorry, Alpha,” she said, or maybe it was a he, as they elbowed me out of their way. Nothing mattered but her. Seeing her like this, again… I had to do better. I had to be better, for her.I stumbled aside in a daze, finally opening my eyes wide enough
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 060 | Falling Star
Aurora's POVMy soul exploded as Ethan’s lips met mine. Soft but firm, they held me locked in place; his hands snared my waist, my knees went weak, and I was stuck. I felt like a comet soaring through the stars, a trail of light glittering in the dark behind me – and then, suddenly, I was falling.It was worse than death. It hurt more. The pain in my chest eclipsed the pounding joy of my heart. Our mate bond lay in tatters, a drooping sail left lonely on a boat pillaged by pirates; it was so at odds with the heated press of Ethan’s lips to mine, so at odds with the sinful slip of his tongue, so at odds with the gentle caress of his fingers at the edge of my shirt.His hands clenched into fists. He ripped my shirt from my back. It splintered down the middle. Just like my heart.“You want to be my mate, little Omega?” he purred. Goosebumps rose down my arms, flaring like the shrill warning of an alarm. My pride stung, but I had to give in to him. Even with my soul yearning for his, w
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 059 | Easily Forgotten
Aurora’s POV“You don’t know who I am?” I looked into his dark eyes, trying to find the man I knew somewhere in them.They weren’t warm with affection. Staring into his eyes was like staring into the black of a cave, unsure what was lurking in the icy darkness.He looked just the same in every other regard. He was tall and dark and handsome, his jaw strong, his hair tousled, his shoulders broad. Even so - even though I recognised the tie he was wearing, thin and navy - this wasn’t the Ethan I knew.“Of course I do,” he scoffed, shaking his head at me. “I just said. Now put some respect in your tone, Omega, and greet me as I should be greeted.”“But you… can’t you feel it?” I pressed my palm flat to his chest. “We’re mates, Ethan.”He grabbed me by the throat and shoved me back against the wall. I cried out.“You think you’re my mate?” He laughed cruelly. “That’s so stupid I’m not even angry that some Omega,” he snarled the title, “would dare insinuate that I’m her mate.”He looked me
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 058 | Stuck
Aurora’s POVAfter a check-up, I was sent to have a scan in a gleaming, state-of-the-art suite. The Medic couldn’t find a thing wrong with head, not even the brain injuries I’d been told explicitly I had in my last visit to the hospital, but I didn’t try to argue with him. There wasn’t any point.Finding nothing wrong other than the fact I didn’t know anyone or my place in this strange world, I’d been sent home and told to rest before my shift in the morning. Selene had promised with owlish earnestness that she’d try to get me off kitchen cleaning duty, but the little smirk she’d worn all the while told me otherwise. I swore she knew something the others didn’t. Or was I really just going mad?I walked back up to my room slowly, dragging my feet. They suddenly felt too heavy for my legs to lift. I took the stairs, wandering past the lifts without a thought. The walk to the tenth floor was a long one, but it felt like it was over in a matter of seconds.I felt around in my pocket for
