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22.The Hunt
최신 업데이트:
2025-02-17 14:18:31
관련 챕터
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 23. Rockcellar Pack
Chloe“Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered to myself, desperately clinging on to the back of my horse. I’d taken lessons over the last few days, but I still wasn’t confident in my abilities.“Princess Harper!” Caden called behind me.“Double shit!” I turned my horse to the right and dug my heels into its side, urging the horse away. It took every bit of my newfound skill not to fall off. I’d fallen off several times over the last couple of days.“Don’t pull back so hard on the reigns!” Alexander called out on my first day of lessons.Of course, I pulled back harder on instinct and Jolie, my horse, reared up on her hind legs. I screamed and slid right off her back and onto my ass. Jolie righted herself and turned to me with a horsy frown. She snorted at me in indignation.“You’re doomed,” Knox howled with laughter from the other side of the arena.I stood carefully, making sure nothing was broken. I brushed off my ass and turned to my brothers, both of whom were still giggling.“I could have
최신 업데이트 : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 24. Kill her
KnoxChloe's look of surprise confused me. It took me a moment to realize I'd lifted my gun and was pointing it in her general direction. I had no memory of doing so, but my rifle was definitely pointed at her chest now.I knew that I never had any plans to actually shoot her, though. She annoyed me, but not enough to commit murder. Since her arrival in the palace, I’d tolerated her presence for my family’s sake, but I’d never gone out of my way to get to know her. I simply didn’t care. She was an interloper, an intruder who had infiltrated my family.My mind flashed back to the day Father told us about Chloe."Sons," Father said, clearing his throat at breakfast.He set down his fork, and I followed suit, turning to face the King. He looked nervous, which made me nervous. I couldn’t remember the last time something had unsettled Father and seeing him being so openly vulnerable concerned me. We weren’t a particularly touchy-feely family and kept our emotions in check.I glanced at my
최신 업데이트 : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 25. Disappointment
AdrianIf I didn't know better, I'd say Chloe was avoiding me. Besides our brief exchange this morning before we mounted our horses, it seemed like she’d gone out of her way to be as far away from me as possible. Actually, she might have just been trying to stay as far away from Elizabeth as possible. I didn’t blame her; the woman was insufferable."And then I just about died from laughter!" Elizabeth tittered next to me. I had absolutely no idea what she’d been yapping about. I was ready to go deaf if it meant I didn't have to listen to another word Elizabeth said. Unfortunately, she had an endless stream of words she was spouting, barely breathing as she spoke. I’d assumed over the years that, at some point, she would realize I never listened to her, but she hadn’t happened as of today. I wasn’t sure what more I could do to show her my disinterest. I was pretty sure Alexander had a betting pool for that very event.I shared a glance with Alexander over the top of Elizabeth’s head. I
최신 업데이트 : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 26. Mom
ChloeI held onto Jolie's saddle horn with a death grip, desperate not to fall off. It was one thing to fall off when we weren't moving, but it was an entirely different thing to fall off when she was sprinting and holding nothing back.I was still shocked that Knox had shot at me. On some level, I recognized that if he'd wanted to injure - or, god forbid, kill me - he could have. No, he'd shot wide, missing me by a huge margin. It didn't make me forgive him, but it was nice to know he didn't want me dead.I screamed and ducked as we entered the tree line, a low-hanging branch nearly knocking me off. I only barely managed to stay on my horse.Jolie wove in and out of the ever-denser trees, not slowing at all. I knew it was only a matter of time before I was knocked off. I wasn't a skilled enough rider to stay on.Just as I’d predicted, a large branch nailed me in the chest. I flew backward, landing on my head, the world instantly going black.It was a warm summer day, and the soft bre
최신 업데이트 : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 27. My wolf was back
ChloeWith my heightened senses on loan from my wolf, I was able to run through the forest much more nimbly than I could have on my own. Despite the absolute terror I felt ripping through my body, I also felt exhilarated. My wolf was back – well, kind of. It’d been so long since I felt any bit of her that this connection was almost too much for me to handle.I jumped over a root that was sticking up in the path gracefully as if I had done it every day.I reached my senses out, trying to pick up on any sound behind me from other feet. I couldn’t tell between my deep breathing and the sound of my heartbeat in my ears, but I was pretty sure I was still being followed. I pushed myself to go faster, hoping that if I couldn’t outpace the animal, I could at least outrun it. I’d been a long-distance runner in school; I could make it a great distance before I needed to take a break.Mate, my wolf hissed inside my head. I was so surprised that I tripped over my own feet, falling forward onto th
최신 업데이트 : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 28.Blood
Adrian“Adrian!” I heard Alexander call after me as I rode away. I ignored my brother. Nothing was going to stop me from finding my mate. She might not know that I was her mate, but I’d felt the way her heart had picked up when we touched. I’d be damned if I let anything happen to her before we could figure out our happiness.I didn’t know how, but I just knew something terrible was about to befall Chloe. I had to get to her as quickly as possible. Call it a sixth sense or simple intuition, but I knew something was about to happen to my mate. I wondered if a one-sided bond like ours could still convey information to me. I wished, for the millionth time, that we had acknowledged the mate bond already. If we had, I could have pulled on it and followed it to wherever Chloe was. Since we hadn’t, I was stuck simply tracking her scent like an animal.My heart ached in my chest, the same as if I had a physical wound. A mate bond was dual-sided – it could be the most amazing thing in the worl
최신 업데이트 : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 29.Princess Harper
ChloeIt took my brain several seconds to process what had just happened. I had been hurtling full force towards the edge of the cliff, unable to stop even though I knew I was about to tip over the edge and then... then someone had grabbed the back of my arm and yanked me around. The giant brown wolf that had saved my life had landed on top of me, knocking the air out of my lungs.By the time I'd regained my bearings, the wolf had transformed back into Adrian. His arms were still wrapped around me, holding me tightly as if he was scared I'd disappear if he let go.His scent wafted over me, and I shuddered. He smelled amazing.Incorrectly assuming my shudder was from pain, Adrian asked, concern lacing his voice, "Are you alright?""Yes." I wanted to say more, but I didn't know how."Thank god," Adrain groaned, dropping his head into the crook of my neck. It was a far more intimate feeling than I expected with his heavy breathing against the sensitive skin. Each breath felt like a gentl
최신 업데이트 : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 30. King Charles’ plan
ChloeBy the time we returned to the starting point, a crowd of people had formed and were waiting for us.“Oh no,” I muttered, straightening my spine so I wasn’t lounging against Adrian anymore. My head spun slightly, and I swayed.“Be careful,” Adrian directed. “You have a head wound.”“Harper!” King Charles said, rushing over to us before I could answer. “Are you okay?”“She needs to go to the Healer,” Adrian said. “Father, help her down. I don’t want her to fall off. My horse is much taller than hers.”With both of their assistance, I slid from the back of the horse with much more grace than I would have been able to exhibit on my own.“You’re bleeding,” King Charles said, his eyes crinkling in worry. He reached out to touch my head but pulled back before he actually made contact. I appreciated the restraint.“I hit my head when I fell from my horse,” I admitted. Speaking of my horse, I glanced around and found Caden coming out of the trees with Jolie in tow. “Someone should proba
최신 업데이트 : 2025-02-17
최신 챕터
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 105. The Gray Pack
Caden“You really need to get over her,” my Beta, Jared, said, sitting down next to me. “It’s been years, Caden.”I ignored him and downed the rest of my beer. When I was done, I finally spoke. “I fucked up the best part of my life, Jared, allow me to mourn it as I see fit.”“I’m not arguing with you on that point,” Jared said, signaling for a beer from the bartender. “I’m just saying that you have to accept at some point that you were the one who broke the mate bond with Chloe, which means that you are responsible for no longer being with her. I get it; it sucks. But she’s married and has a couple kids. She’s never coming back.”I stared morosely into my empty mug. “I’m scared that I’m never going to find my second chance mate. I want my Luna, Jared.”
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 104. Biological father
Adrian“You know I don’t remember being Crown Prince as this exhausting,” I sighed, tearing off my tie.Chloe lounged in bed already, half asleep. She’d been in meetings all day and I knew she was exhausted. “I think being Crown Prince and being King Alpha are two different things, Adrian.”“Well, I’m tired.”Chloe shot me a sleepy smile. “Me too. Are you ready to come to bed yet, oh great one?”I chuckled. She’d started calling me that after I’d been crowned and while I normally would have balked at someone calling me that, with Chloe it was different. I knew she meant it only with love, not mocking at all. “I am ready.”I crawled into bed and collected Chloe in my arms. She felt so right pressed against me. If I wasn’t so tired I’d be all ov
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 103. Adventure
KnoxI came home from my travels just long enough to watch Chloe and Adrian be crowned King and Queen. Over the last couple of years, I’d traveled to 43 countries and met more shifters than I’d ever imagined. Some were werewolves like me, but I also met leopard shifters and dragon shifters, entire cultures with their own legacies and rules. It was incredible, and I felt like I’d grown so much as a person since I’d left.“I guess I have to call you Your Highness now,” I laughed, patting Adrian on the back.He shot me a bright smile. He looks happier than he has in years. Alexander and I made the right choice; Adrian should have always been on the throne. It was never our place. “You can just call me Adrian.”“Not brother?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.He rolled his eyes. “That works too, I suppose.&r
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 102. The new Queen
Chloe"You don't usually ask to see me without the kids," I teased Alexander as I sat down next to him on the bench. We'd agreed to meet at our favorite spot in the gardens, one we’d frequented often in the years since Adrian, and I moved our family back here at Father’s request. He hadn’t really needed to convince us; we loved the idea of our children being raised with their grandfather and uncles."There's something I need to speak to you about," Alexander sighed, unusually serious. He seemed more and more serious as of recently and I worried about him. He seemed to be wearing thin."Is everything alright? Did Father's cancer return?" I knew he'd just had some routine scans done and no one had mentioned the outcome. Maybe they’d been keeping them from us on purpose?"No, nothing like that. No, it's something completely different." He closed his eyes for a moment as if he was gathering himself."I'm all ears," I said, leaning back. I was nervous about what he wanted to speak about.A
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 101. Charlie’s pregnancy
ChloeI debated for hours on whether or not I wanted to take the pregnancy test on my own or tell Adrian what I suspected. I’d been alone the first time with Charlie, and I’d been terrified, but things were different this time. I was married to my mate, and we lived in the Capital City near my father who doted on his grandson. In fact, both Alexander and Knox took their roles as uncles very seriously. I had a whole support system this time instead of just Caden.I almost told him I was going to take it but before I did I called Caden. He’d been around the first pregnancy, and I knew he’d give me good advice.“What’s up, Chloe?” Caden said when he answered the phone.“I think I might be pregnant,” I said in a rush.Caden was silent for several heartbeats. “Am I supposed to be happy or… supportive?”“Happy,” I laughed. “I’m happy about the idea. But I don’t know whether I want to take the test with or without Adrian.”“Oh,” Caden said, understanding. “I see. Well, there isn’t one right a
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 100. Beautiful sight
AdrianI had never been as nervous as I was standing at the altar waiting for Chloe to walk down the aisle.Alexander leaned over. I had chosen him as my best man, although I had been close between him and Knox. “You look like you're about to puke,” Alexander said.“Gee, thanks,” I said. In reality, I thought I was about to pass out.“Nerves?” Caden asked from beside Alexander. I had chosen him as one of my groomsmen as well. To my surprise, we actually got along really well, and I considered him a close friend now, not to mention an uncle to Charlie. He loved my son, and I couldn't stay mad at anyone who loved my son.“Don't worry if you pass out, I'll pour some water on you,” Knox offered.I ignored them and focused on trying to calm my breathing.The music for the bride started and we all turned towards the giant double doors, glancing over our 500 closest friends and family members that had been invited. The door swung open, and Father stepped out with Chloe on his arm. She was abs
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 99. Wedding dresses
ChloeI stared at the dress in the mirror, feeling absolutely helpless. “How many wedding dresses do I really have to try on?” I asked aloud.“Until you feel like a Princess,” the seamstress said. “Really, I don't remember any client being this difficult before.”“I'm sorry,” I sighed. “It's nothing with your design, though. It's absolutely beautiful. But ever since I gave birth to Charlie, I just don't feel comfortable in my skin anymore.”The seamstress gave me a sympathetic smile. “I understand,” she said. “I felt that way after the birth of all of my children. Don't get me wrong, I love them all very much, and I would do it 1000 times over if it meant I got to keep them. But it's hard adjusting to the new body you have as a mother.”“I just want my body to go back to the way it was before I gave birth,” I admitted. In fact, I hadn't admitted this to anyone, and it was a relief to get it off my chest.The seamstress tutted. “The sooner you get rid of that notion, the happier you'll
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 98. Married
AdrianI really really didn't want to go see Elizabeth she had haunted my doorstep for years and the thought that I was about to enter her house was too much for me to bear.Unfortunately my wife had other ideas, and I couldn't tell her no.I didn't bother sending Elizabeth any warning that I was on my way. I didn't want her to get anything ready for me. With her, who knew what she would come up with.I knocked on her front door and when the Butler opened it his eyes widened in shock. “Prince Adrian. It's been a while.”“So it has. Is Elizabeth home?” I askedHe nodded slowly. “Are you sure you would like to see her?”“I would,” I confirmed.He led me into the drawing room and motioned towards the couch to sit down. “I'll go grab the lady.”The couches were made for style more than comfort and I was still shifting around trying to get comfortable when Elizabeth rushed into the room. It was clear that she had sprinted from whatever other part of the house she'd been in in order to get t
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 97. Prominent family
AdrianAs I watched Chloe prance down the hallway of the palace, I realized there were few things in this life that I loved more than her. In fact, I couldn't think of any besides Charlie, who I loved just as much as his mother. I couldn't believe my life had gotten so bright. I never would have been this happy as Crown Prince and I knew that although Chloe feels somewhat responsible for me stepping down, it was one of the best decisions of my life.“Chloe,” I called after her when she was halfway down the hall.She paused and glanced back at me. “What?” she asked.“You're going the wrong way,” I pointed out.Chloe frowned at me. “What do you mean? The practice area is out back behind the gardens.”“It is,” I said. “But the gardens are this way,” I said, pointing the opposite direction of where she was headed.Chloe looked at me, embarrassed. “Sorry, I only had just gotten the hang of the palace when I was here the first time, and I've been gone for so long, and with pregnancy brain I
