All Chapters of The Rejected Mate's Curse : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The sun had barely risen, its faint light filtering through the trees as I stood alongside Ryker in the early morning quiet. The crisp, cool air nipped at my skin, and the damp earth beneath our feet seemed to hum with the weight of untold stories. Our training was the same as yesterday—focused and relentless. But today, there was a sense of urgency, a tension I could feel in every movement Ryker made. Though he tried to hide it, I could see it in the way his jaw clenched, the way his eyes darted to the horizon as though expecting trouble. He was still worried about the rogue, I knew that much. But despite everything, he chose to be with me rather than delegate my training to someone else. I appreciated that, more than he probably realized.As the morning wore on, the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional bird call were the only sounds that accompanied us. My body ached from the exertion, but I kept pushing, determined to keep up. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her—Laur

A shadow passed over his features, and in that brief flicker, I saw something that made my stomach tighten. It was an emotion so raw, so stark, it threatened to unravel the calm facade he’d so carefully maintained. The deep, hidden sadness behind his eyes was palpable, as though it had been festering for far too long. I almost felt a pang of guilt for bringing it up, but the weight of the conversation demanded it. I needed to know, and he needed to confront it.“What do you know about it?” he asked at last, his voice barely above a whisper, but sharp enough to cut through the tension.“I know that you and Lauren were having a child,” I said, careful with each word. My mind raced to find the best way to explain without dragging Eve into it. “I know it was a recent loss because of how Lauren reacted to it.”The words hung heavy in the air. The silence that followed was suffocating, pressing down on me as if the very walls of the room could collapse under the weight of our unspoken truth

Ryker’s presence was like a lingering shadow, one I couldn’t seem to escape, no matter how much I tried. For the entire day, I kept to my room, a self-imposed exile meant to avoid him at all costs. My sanctuary became a quiet haven, though the walls seemed to grow closer with every passing hour. I knew he was just down the hall, likely resting in his room, but I couldn’t bring myself to risk running into him. Not yet.Eve, ever the observant one, clearly noticed something was wrong. Her curious glances spoke volumes, but she didn’t push me for an explanation. When I informed her, with a hint of finality, that I’d be taking all my meals in my room, she simply nodded and left without protest. Her silence was comforting in its way. She understood my need for space, even if she didn’t understand why.By morning, my strategy unraveled. After a restless night, I rose early, seeking solace in the steady routine of bathing and dressing. Steam from the hot water clung to the bathroom mirror, a

I was so stunned by the announcement that it felt like the ground had been pulled from under me. All I could do was gape at the guard, my mind struggling to process what he had just said. The urgency in his tone echoed in my ears like the tolling of a warning bell. But while I was frozen in place, Ryker wasted no time. With a sharp intake of breath, he pushed to his feet, his movements steady and deliberate despite the heaviness in the air.He assured the guard that he would join them shortly before making his way toward me. He lowered himself into a crouch, sitting on his haunches until our eyes were level. The dim lighting cast soft shadows across his face, making the sharp lines of his jaw even more pronounced. His presence was both grounding and unsettling—a calm in the storm that made me realize just how much I was worrying.“You’re hurt,” I managed to say, my voice trembling as I broke the heavy silence. “You were in pain just moments ago. Should you really be out fighting rogue

I tried not to dwell on his words, my heart pounding as I dashed through the dense forest. Each step was a desperate plea to outrun the inevitable, the undergrowth crunching beneath my boots. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, mingling with the metallic tang of fear that clung to me. Behind me, heavy footsteps thudded against the ground, relentless and unforgiving. I pushed forward, weaving between towering trees that loomed like silent sentinels, the moonlight casting ghostly patterns across the forest floor.I burst into a clearing, my chest heaving as I gulped in the air. The open space offered no solace—only an unbroken expanse of trees stretching endlessly on every side. My pulse thundered in my ears, drowning out the faint rustle of leaves until a sharp crack snapped me back to reality.A twig.I spun around, dread coiling in my stomach. From the shadows, three figures emerged, their movements predatory and deliberate. The man in the middle, the one I’d see