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031 | Sterling to the Rescue
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 032 | Gone Forever
Ethan’s POV“Aria,” I rasped. My voice broke. In an instant I was at her side, my hands on her face, on her shoulders, brushing dried blood off her exposed neck. She looked so small, so fragile, and I just wanted to hold her, to help her, to make it all better. To make all of this go away.But I couldn’t. There was nothing I could do.I couldn’t bring her back. Aria would never be okay again.I splintered. My soul shattered into a million tiny pieces. Wilting beside her on the stone slab, I cradled her too cold, too still body. It didn’t feel real. She couldn’t be dead, couldn’t be gone…She was, though. I inched back, crying silently, moving to untie her wrists and ankles. Her body was heavy, the heaviness of limp, unyielding muscles. The heaviness of death. I choked on my own tears, my vision too blurry for me to see properly as I lifted her up reverently, clutching her to my chest for a moment before I laid her carefully on the grass.The weight of what had happened started to se
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 033 | Wanted Dead or Alive
Aurora’s POVI was vaguely aware of being carried beneath a beautiful canopy of autumn trees. Through barely-open eyes I watched, mesmerised, as the blur of orange and red swept overhead. Thin cracks of wintry blue and brown branches criss-crossed the leaves. For a moment, I wondered if this was the afterlife. It seemed too striking to be earth. My heart was full, so full I feared it might burst, and the pain I’d felt had faded away, leaving behind a sense of weightlessness and buoyancy in its wake.There was a voice in this world, too, a constant, low murmur. I couldn’t quite make out the words, but the sound of his voice was a comfort to me. “You’re going to be okay, Aria, I promise. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. He’s dead. Dominic Butcher is dead. I couldn’t let him live, not after he hurt you. I will never let anyone hurt you again.”I snuggled in closer to his chest – then cried out, as moving tore at my wounds. The pain flared back to life, a burning crescendo o
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 034 | Second Chances
Aurora’s POVI stared at Ethan helplessly. He knew I was his mate. He knew I was his mate, which meant he had to know who I really was – and yet he’d spent all night searching for me in the woods, a fact that still made my heart squeeze like a fist. If he knew I was Aurora Everheart, not Aria Black, then surely he would’ve left me to die.It was what he’d done before, after all.A frown pinched his brow. Slowly, he lifted a palm to cradle my face. “You don’t think so?” he muttered, glancing away.“I…”“It’s fine.” He stood up abruptly, pulling away from me. Cold washed over me in his absence, a chill that settled deep in my bones. I shivered. “I wasn’t sure, I just thought…” he trailed off.I sat up straighter, winced, then said, “What did you think, Ethan?” as gently as I could.It didn’t seem like he knew the truth. If he thought we were mates somehow, I had to exploit that. It would make getting him to fall for me even easier. Even if knowing I was going to destroy him made guilt p
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 035 | In the Hospital
Ethan’s POV“Whatever scientific hoo-hah they were using to heal her so fast has worn off,” grunted the Medic, a muscular young woman with a stern jaw and an even sterner expression. She was no-nonsense, and she didn’t like to be left guessing.Aria’s condition had left her guessing.“That’s why she’s bleeding?” I asked, hating the tinge of desperation in my voice. What I really wanted to say was: It wasn’t me that hurt her?I hated that it was even a possibility. I’d been so overwhelmed by emotions back in her guest suite, warmed by her seeming acceptance of what I was convinced was our mate bond, that I hadn't been able to stop myself from clutching her tight. Too tight. With her wolf still suppressed, I couldn’t confirm my suspicions that we were mates – but the fact that Aria had felt it too was all the confirmation I really needed. It had hit me when I'd carried her home, the enormity of what I'd done, and somewhere between then and Aria waking up I'd decided it had to be the tr
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 036 | Return of the Wolf
“What, exactly, did you tell Ethan?”Zoe looked out of place in the pack hospital, too sharp and dark for the rumpled white bedding and soft cream walls. Even her back was held rigid as she surveyed me, her eyeliner creasing into folds as she narrowed her eyes at me.She’d been kinder than normal until now, although she wasn’t one to fuss, which I was darn glad of. Ethan had been acting like a mother hen since he’d discovered our mate bond. He’d barely let me out of his sight. It would’ve been sweet… if it had been real.I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. With everything that had happened with the Rogues, I’d let my other concerns slip. Even Ethan telling me he thought I had cheated on him, when he’d been the snake kissing Selene on that stage, had faded into dim unimportance.Dying – okay, sort of dying – had thrown everything into sharp relief. Sammy was all that mattered to me. I hadn’t given up on my revenge plans – far from it – but the reason behind it felt less like the
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 037 | Consequences
Aurora’s POVIt wasn’t awful because I didn’t want Violet back. In fact, it wasn’t awful at all to begin with.Sammy was asleep on my hospital bed. He’d spent the evening here with me, chattering away about the pack’s day care and the friends he was making. He’d told me about staying with Zoe and how much fun he was having with her, but how much he missed me. My heart had panged with every word.“–And Auntie Zoe gave me chocolate ice cream for breakfast!” He’d slapped a tiny hand over his mouth, his eyes going wide. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that,” he’d whispered, a blush crawling up his rounded cheeks.I wouldn’t normally let him have dessert for breakfast, but given the circumstances… “Don’t tell Auntie Zoe you told me.” I’d put a finger to my lips. “But if it’s okay with you, then it’s okay with me.”He’d grinned. “Really, Mum?”“Really.”“I’m going to have ice cream for breakfast every day!”I didn’t care if the sugar rush lasted forever, as long as he was coping with the tur
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 038 | Aria or Aurora?
Ethan’s POVAria’s eyes narrowed. Or were they Aurora’s eyes? “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied, so smoothly that I almost believed her.‘Mate!’ howled Sterling, over and over and over again. ‘Violet’s back, Violet’s back!’I crossed my arms tightly over my chest. “Sterling can smell Violet. I can feel the mate bond between us. There’s no point lying about it.”“I’m not lying,” she sniped. She didn’t seem scared or even worried; she just seemed annoyed. Annoyed at being caught out? Or was she annoyed at not being believed?I inhaled deeply. It had been six years since I’d been close enough to Aurora to smell her, but breathing her scent in took me straight back. It was as though we’d never left the past. That time suddenly ceased to exist. We were back together, spending lazy mornings under the covers, two steaming cups of coffee on the nightstand and a book face-down on Aurora’s lap. Her hair smelled of her favourite shampoo – one from the local salon that just smel
The Alpha's Rejected Mate is the True Heiress 039 | Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Aurora’s POVI had one last-ditch attempt at making a plan. In the ten seconds I had to come up with something genius, the best I could do was: plead innocence.‘You’re innocent until proven guilty,’ Violet agreed, though she didn’t sound convinced.I didn’t have a chance to think of anything better. Ready or not, it was game time. There were torturous moments where I believed it could never work. Ethan kept insisting that I was Aurora, his dark eyes so intense they scared me. Then he looked at Sammy, and my heart iced over. No. He could do what he wanted to me – but he wouldn’t lay a finger on Sammy. I would die protecting my son, and I would force my way out of my grave to keep on protecting him if I had to. I’d done it before. I’d find a way to damn well do it again.“Ethan, I don’t know what’s going on.” I pleaded with him, hating my simpering tone but sticking to it as I saw the first glimmer of confusion taking hold of him. “I’m not your dead wife. I’m me.”He looked so devast
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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
