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31. The mate bond
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-17 14:24:20
Bab terkait
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 32. My wolf
AdrianSeeing Chloe in the gardens had calmed me down more than anything else had since I'd stopped her from tumbling over the edge. The sunlight had danced off her auburn hair, setting it on fire. It'd been bewitching, and I’d taken a moment just to observe her before I approached."Don't kill your brother," Father sighed, rubbing a hand over his face."I'll try my best, but I make no promises. He royally fucked up, and you know it. He could have killed her!" I hissed, my white-hot anger making my words sharp."That he did." Father shook his head. "I have no idea why he'd thought this would be okay."“He’s an idiot, that’s why,” I hissed. I wasn’t inclined to forgive my brother; I’d only just managed to pull Chloe back before she’d tumbled over to her death. If I’d been even one second later… the thought sickened me.“I’ll admit I’ve always been a bit lax with Knox,” Father sighed. “He’s the youngest, and I know that doesn’t excuse my behavior, but he’s always been the youngest. The
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 33. The capital
CadenI was pretty sure I was going insane. That was the only explanation.“Earth to Caden,” Leah said.I turned to her in surprise. I’d been so deep in my own thoughts that I was surprised to find her in the car next to me. We’d left the hunting trip with the rest of the group, but we’d all taken separate cars back to the capital. “What?”She rolled her eyes. “I was saying, do you think Princess Harper was seriously injured? I mean, Prince Adrian had to carry her back to the starting point.”“She was fine. Mostly,” I insisted. “There was no reason for Prince Adrian to pull that, but I’m sure he had his own reasons.” I could hear the bitterness in my voice, and I knew Leah could, too.“Do you not like Prince Adrian?”I turned to Leah, unsure if she was genuinely curious or if she was fishing for information she could use against me. With her, it was hard to tell. “Prince Adrian is destined to be a great ruler.” I conveniently left out that I’d seen the way he’d looked at Princess Harp
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 34. Disaster zone
LeahCaden wasn’t playing by the rules, and I was getting increasingly irritated. Once Chloe was out of the picture, he was supposed to choose me. Why wasn’t he choosing me? I was pretty. I was smart. What the hell was his problem?My phone rang, and I picked it up on the third ring.“I’m sending a car to come pick you up,” my mate informed me from the other end of the line.“Have them pick me up out back,” I instructed. Caden had left to formally put his name in to date the princess, but he could be back at any time. I didn’t want him to see me leaving in a strange car.We hung up, and I grabbed a light jacket before heading downstairs. The alley behind the hotel was rather dirty, but I ignored the mess. I was used to it at this point.I’d found my mate at 18, by complete chance.“Dad, I’m going to go out for a run,” I called out just a few days after I turned 18 and shifted for the first time.“Are you going to stretch your legs?” he asked with a smile. Dad was always smiling for on
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 35. Rogue
LeahWe drove for thirty minutes before we pulled up in front of perhaps the seediest hotel I’d ever laid eyes on. I was pretty sure I’d seen a rat running down the hall as Peter parked.“This place is terrible,” I muttered.“Not all of us can live in fancy mansions, Leah,” Peter hissed.I was about to point out that I wasn’t a rogue, but that wasn’t exactly true anymore. My mate was a rogue, so what did that make me? Rogue adjacent?I followed Peter to the second floor, and he gestured toward room 213. I bit back a sigh and knocked once. Lorenzo didn’t like it when I knocked too much – he said it felt like I was trying to break down the door.After an unbearably long time out in the chill night air, the door finally swung open, and a shirtless Lorenzo gave me a possessive once over. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do the same. No matter how Lorenzo hurt me, I was compelled to be with him. It was a sick and twisted relationship, and I hated the Moon Goddess for doing this to me.“You’
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 36.Luna
LeahI left the motel early the next morning. I tried not to be disappointed, but Caden hadn’t even texted me to see where I was. I guessed after our argument he assumed I didn’t want to be bothered or that I would be back after he’d already gone to be. At least, I hoped he’d considered me in some capacity.When I got to the room, I realized I didn’t have my room key. “Fuck,” I hissed, searching my bag. It was gone. Where had I left it? Had I even grabbed it when I’d left yesterday? I’d been so upset; it was possible I’d just left it sitting on my nightstand.I knocked, praying that Caden was still in the room. He had a habit of sleeping in, so there was a chance he hadn’t gone downstairs to breakfast yet.The door swung open after a few seconds. “What the fuck happened to your face?” Caden asked when his eyes landed on me.I shrugged. “I fell.”“You fell?” Caden echoed, disbelief coloring his words.“Yep. I fell. Happens to the best of us.” I tried to push past Caden into our rooms,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 37.Royal coordinator
LeahCaden surprised me with take out later that evening.“I thought you said not to expect you for dinner,” I said, taking the sandwich he offered me. Turkey on wheat; exactly what I liked.He shrugged and sat down at the small table in our room. “I felt bad. You were left alone all day, and you were injured, and I just… felt bad.”“I’m fine, Caden, really,” I sighed. “It’s just a little bruise. It’s going to be fine in a couple of days.”I could tell he didn’t believe me, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't force the information out of me, and I sure as hell wasn't going to volunteer it."Did you put your name in to court, Princess Harper?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as level as possible for my plan to work. I needed Caden to keep me in the loop. My_ plan wouldn't work if I couldn't tell Lorenzo exactly where the Princess would be."I did," Caden admitted, his voice guarded, probably waiting for me to blow up at him again.Instead, I forced a smile onto my
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 38. Rogue pack
ChloeI woke up with a pounding headache. What the hell had happened to me?I opened my eyes and was instantly blinded by flickering fluorescent lights that hurt my head. After a moment of regrouping, I opened my eyes again, waiting for my vision to clear. It took me several seconds after I opened my eyes to process what I was seeing, and I blamed my head for that. I felt like there was cotton stuffed into my head where my brain should be.To my utter confusion, I was tied to a chair in a dirty bathroom. In fact, it looked like a seedy bathroom where someone did drugs. Why the hell was I here? How did I get here?I remembered going into the alley with Leah, but I wasn’t sure what had happened after that. I glanced around, looking for my stepsister. Had she been captured, too? Or had she gotten away? Was she, even now, sounding the alarm that I had been kidnapped?I was tempted to call out, but I wasn't sure that was the best idea. I probably didn't want to draw any extra attention my
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 39. Angry wolf
Chloe“You’ve ruined my life, Chloe. You are the bane of my existence, and even when I thought I was free of you, I wasn’t. How dare you steal everything from me.”I leaned back, pretending my heart wasn’t racing with fear. An angry wolf was a dangerous wolf. I wanted to make it out of this whole situation alive, and egging Leah on wasn’t going to help.“What about Lorenzo?” I asked, trying to distract her from her hatred of me. “How did you get involved with him?”“Mind your own business, bitch,” Leah growled. Her eyes flashed gold, her wolf trying to make an appearance. Being ripped apart didn’t seem too far away right now.Before I could think of anything else to say that might diffuse the situation, the door to the room opened, and someone entered.“Babe?” Lorenzo called out.Leah turned towards the sound, stepping out of the bathroom to see him. “Yea?”“I got you a burger.”It was interesting watching Leah. She was still bristling with anger, but Lorenzo’s offer seemed to have di
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17
Bab terbaru
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 73. Pregnancy test
CadenI had been giving Chloe space, wanting her to settle back into her old home comfortably. It had been over a week since I last saw her, and our communication was limited to the occasional text message to check in on her.I decided to stop by her house with some takeout on the following Friday, thinking it would be a nice surprise.As I approached her door, I hesitated, briefly wondering if I should have called first. But then I reminded myself that a friendly visit was a good idea. When Chloe answered the door, I was relieved to find she looked surprised but happy to see me.We chatted casually as I followed her inside, catching up on the past week. As we walked into the kitchen, I noticed something on the kitchen counter: a positive pregnancy test. My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I stood there, frozen.Chloe, noticing my gaze, immediately turned pale. She bit her lip, looking at me with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.I d
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 72. The reality
Chloe The car ride was excruciating in its silence. I wasn't sure if Caden knew my heart was shattering into a million tiny pieces, but I appreciated that he didn’t pry. We were almost back to the Blackstone pack territory before I spoke. "What are we going to tell everyone?" The question had been rattling around the entire ride, but I’d been unable to ask before this. Caden shrugged, his eyes never leaving the road. "Don't worry; I've got it handled. No one will say anything to you."I blinked, surprised. "You've already planned out what you're going to say?"He finally glanced in my direction before quickly returning his gaze to the road. "Chloe, I've already had the discussion with the pack. There's nothing left to discuss.Everything is settled. No one is going to bother you."My mouth fell ope
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 71. City borders
AdrianI knew Chloe was gone the moment she stepped outside of the city borders. Because we hadn’t broken the mate bond, I was still connected to her, although the clarity with which I felt her presence weakened the farther she traveled. I felt like I was losing a piece of myself, and I wondered for the first time if I should break the mate bond. We didn’t have to be together for one of us to do it.My father visited after dinner. I’d refused to go down, instead staying in my rooms. After my conversation with my brothers earlier, I was confused.“You didn’t come to eat,” Father said, joining me on the window seat I’d been sitting in for the last hour.“I know.”“Why?”“I wasn’t hungry,” I said, keeping my eyes fixed out the window at the gardens down belo
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 70. Queen Luna
AdrianI was a block away from the hotel when my anger finally faded enough for me to realize something wasn't adding up. I stopped walking in the middle of the sidewalk, nearly getting run over in the process by other pedestrians.Something wasn't right with Chloe's story, and I hadn't realized it initially because I'd been too shocked by Chloe admitting to having an affair with Caden. Or rekindling their relationship - whatever you wanted to call it. It felt like an affair to me, but I wasn’t about to argue the semantics.I turned on my heel and stormed back to the hotel, breezing past the front desk and back up to Caden's room. I banged on the door repeatedly, and after several moments, Chloe opened the door with a frown, still wearing Caden’s shirt. The sight made my stomach roll in disgust."Adrian?" Her voice was soft, and I could still see the fresh tear tracks stai
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 69. Ceremony
ChloeCaden and I spent the few hours between me barging in and Adrian’s arrival to plan out what we were going to do. I hated the idea of deceiving my mate, but I couldn’t think of any other way to make him leave me. He was far too forgiving where I was concerned, and I knew he’d look for any excuse not to leave me and break the bond.Unfortunately, since we’d done the marking ceremony, the only way to break our mate bond was to have one of us desire to break it with all our heart. It didn’t seem like a trick, except for the fact that the very last thing I wanted was to break the mate bond. I loved Adrian and always would. The only way to break the bond was to make him hate me enough to want to. The thought sickened me.Adrian arrived right at three. I didn’t know what his father had told him to get him here, but I had a sinking feeling from the angry banging on the do
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 68. Your mother
ChloeI spent all night tossing and turning, unable to sleep. What I could do, though, was cry, and I cried until I had no tears left, and my pillow was soaked.I knew, deep in my heart, that Adrian deserved someone better than me to be his Queen Luna. I loved him so deeply that I’d ignored the glaringly obvious: we were from two different worlds.The closest I came to being royalty was having a dead stepfather who was a Beta in my old pack. He’d been a kind man, but he’d been unpolished, too. I came from a different life, and I’d be a fool to stick around and destroy everything by being a terrible Queen Luna.Not to mention, if we stayed together Adrian would have to constantly be explaining our relationship to everyone. He was expected to marry a polished woman who knew how to play the game, not a nobody like me.When the dawn broke, I kn
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 67. Queen
Chloe“You’ll be upstairs today, Chloe,” the head maid said, scanning her list. “The yellow and blue sitting rooms are yours.”I blinked at her in surprise. Since I’d been demoted to maid, I’d stayed out of the more public spaces in case someone recognized me. The yellow and blue sitting rooms were fairly busy spaces. “Alone?” I squeaked.She looked up and gave me a sharp look. “No. Since it’s your first day cleaning these two rooms, Hannah will be with you.”I nearly sighed in relief. Hannah was nice, even if I did think she chattered too much. I got it, though. If I was a talkative person, it’d be so hard to spend the workday alone.Once the head maid had given everyone their assignments, Hannah flounced over to me, a wide smile on her face. “Are you ready?”
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 66. Crazy old men
ChloeEven though I’d been given a room downstairs with the other maids, I spent every night wrapped in Adrian’s arms in his rooms. He’d gallantly offered to stay a night in my room, but I only had a twin bed, and while I enjoyed cuddling with him, it was a bit too close in my new bed. Luckily, it hadn’t been too hard to convince him that his king-sized bed was superior.I knew Adrian had had some sort of fight with his father because he’d found me afterward. While he’d only muttered about crazy old men, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to put together that he was speaking about the King. I had a feeling the conversation was about me, and I wasn’t looking to find out the details. The King’s rejection still stung, even if I understood it.“How do you feel about completing the marking ceremony?” Adrian asked as casually as one would ask abou
Rejected, Princess Mate Selection Game 65. Worst moments
AdrianI wasn't expecting a summons from my Father, and receiving one immediately put me on edge. A summons meant business, and more often than not, it was unpleasant. I couldn't ignore a summons, and he knew that.I entered his office without knocking. He was seated at his desk; however, his chair was turned to the window. I didn't think he was actually looking at anything out there."Sit," Father sighed, turning to me."No, thank you."He raised an eyebrow at this. I ignored him."I had a meeting this morning," Father said.I blinked in surprise. I was usually included in his meetings, especially now that my assentation to the throne was so near."And why wasn't I invited?""Well," Father paused. “I didn't know what he wanted to say, and I feared you might end the discussio
