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018 | Zoe Talks
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
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
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 021 | Dinner Date
Aurora’s POVWhen I performed surgery, my hands never shook. I could keep my cool in even the most pressurised circumstances. I’d removed lungs and hearts and replaced them quickly enough to save lives rather than take them.But as I reached for the door handle, my hand shook. I opened the door slowly, giving myself a moment to breathe. This was like surgery, I reasoned. There were risks worth taking and multiple aspects to consider. My words were the slice of a scalpel, and my gestures were a needle and thread. I could do this.Ethan smiled crookedly at me. It wasn’t quite a smirk, but it was lopsided, cheeky. The earlier malice was gone, and my knees went weak at the sight of him here, for me, his dark eyes glinting with something secret, his suit perfectly pressed, and a bunch of sunflowers held out to me.“You seem like someone who’d like sunflowers,” he said.My throat bobbed. I didn’t have a favourite flower, but I’d always liked ones that fit the season we were in. Snowdrops
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 022 | Something's Not Right
Ethan’s POVI wished Aria had just agreed to have dinner with me. Forcing her into it with a vague threat had never been my intention, but here we were. Why she wouldn’t want a handsome, powerful Alpha to cook for her was a mystery – but that was her all over, wasn’t it? She was a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and damn, it was really working for me.My charms seemed lost on her, though. Whatever secret she was keeping had to be a pretty juicy one, because the second I’d wielded that tactic like the poisoned chalice it was, her sharp expression had crumbled.I had no idea what that secret was, of course. I just wanted her to have dinner with me.As I smoothed down my suit, running not at all sweaty palms over its sleek lapels, I recalled the way she’d barely managed to choke out a, “What?”She’d not given anything about it away, but she’d told me enough. There was something I could hold over her, blackmail her with, even, if I wanted to. Not that I did – yet. It was always wise to make
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 023 | Not You, Not Again
Aurora’s POVAfter our dinner, I made plans to see Ethan again. The thought of spending even more time with him made my skin crawl – but there was a tiny part of me that was excited at the prospect.I had loved him once, after all.There was an old familiarity to our conversations that night. I’d always thought I’d never need a man again, after what he did to me, but – though I despised myself for even thinking it – it had been nice to chat to him, to eat with him, to share smiles and feel the crackle of anticipation in the air between us.I had to bury that part of me deep if I wanted my plan to work. I couldn’t break Ethan’s heart if mine was in any way involved.I threw myself into work. There was something I was missing, and with Remington’s condition getting worse every day I saw him, I knew I had to find it – and fast.Somehow, I got the feeling that Ethan was the missing piece I needed. Whatever was going on at Silver Shade had something to do with whatever was going on with Re
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 024 | Trust Nobody
Aurora’s POVI wasn’t sure what reaction I’d expected from Ethan, if any, but it certainly wasn’t the hurt that lashed across his face. Like sudden, heavy rain, his expression darkened.“She did?” I nodded. Guilt ate me up inside, but I couldn’t let it show. I’d dug this hole for myself; it was my responsibility to deal with the consequences. With nothing else to go on, and nowhere to go but down, I picked up my shovel again and carried on digging.“She told me that… that your ex-wife died in mysterious circumstances.”His eyes narrowed. “She what?”I gulped. I’d have to make this up to Zoe somehow. “She just said that things ended badly between the two of you, and then, a few months later, she died. A lot of people think you killed her,” I blurted out, realising how stupid I was being only after it was too late.“A lot of people think I killed my ex-wife?” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “A lot of people? And Zoe told you this?”“Yes. You were right; we do know each other.” Better to ad
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 025 | Out of the Frying Pan...
Aurora’s POVI’d what?It was almost impossible to contain my fury. I’d never known what had happened to make Ethan turn on me, all those years ago – but to discover that he’d divorced me because of something that had never even happened? It was bone chilling. It was spine crawling. It was awful.If only he’d allowed me to talk to him…But he hadn’t, and here we were. As much as I wanted to dig deeper, to unearth where that belief had come from, it was just making me want to get revenge even more than I already did. Because if he’d just talked to me – if he’d just bloody asked – then we could’ve still been together. He would’ve learnt the truth. And I wouldn’t have had to fake my own death and bring up our son on my own. So it didn’t matter why he believed it, not to me. It just mattered that he did, and his misplaced belief had ruined everything we’d had.I was going to ruin him for this. Breaking his heart wasn’t enough; I was going to destroy Ethan Savage, body, mind, and soul.
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 026 | The Mate Bond Returns
Aurora’s POVEthan’s hands moved to cup my face, then traced the line of my jaw. I shivered into his touch. His mouth felt both familiar and new at once; he tasted of whiskey and ginger, the alcohol lingering on his lips and tongue.His body was warm against mine. I dug my nails into the hard muscles of his shoulders, moaning into his open mouth as he deepened the kiss. I wasn’t myself, not anymore: I was pulsing heat and bad decisions made manifest. I also didn’t care.I was falling into a dark and tumultuous unknown. The past was paved with horrors, and the future…If this was what hating Ethan felt like, it was worryingly close to how loving him had felt. The mate bond roared to life in my chest, revived by the way his fingers curled around the nape of my neck, pulling me closer. It had lain dormant for many years, broken after his rejection. Being around him had sparked it – but this was no spark. This was a burning flame, guiding me home.Terror sluiced through me, ice chilling m
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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
