Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Alpha King's One-Time Rejected Mate: Kabanata 191 - Kabanata 200

By the time they reached the pack grounds, dawn was less than an hour away.The woman allowed herself to be brought to the infirmary, where a healer tended to her shoulder wound with professional efficiency. She answered no questions, offered no information beyond what was necessary, and made it clear through her entire demeanor that she was enduring rather than accepting.Ash brought her food. She ate it.He brought her clean clothes. She changed into them.He brought her to a guest room. She sat on the bed and looked at him with her bright amber eyes and said, "What's your name? Your real name, not the pack stuff.""Ash," he said. "And Roman. Roman is my wolf."She nodded slowly."I'm Kira," she said finally. "And before you ask—no, I don't know what I am. Human mother, something else father. The human part won. I'm not interested in changing that.""Okay," Ash said simply."And I'm leaving at dawn. You can't stop me.""I know.""And if you try to track me or follow me or pull any p

She tore strips from her shirt without hesitation, pressing them to the wound. Ash hissed through his teeth as pressure sent fresh agony lancing through him."I know," she murmured, her voice softer now. "I know. Just breathe."He focused on her face instead of the pain. On the furrow between her brows, the grim set of her mouth, the way her hands moved with steady precision despite the blood coating them."You're good at this," he said, slightly delirious."I've had practice." Her eyes flicked to his, sharp and assessing. "You're going into shock. Stay with me.""Not going anywhere.""Good."She worked in silence for a moment, wrapping the makeshift bandages tight enough to make him grunt. When she was satisfied, she sat back on her heels, her hands still shaking slightly."That was coordinated," Ash said, forcing the words past the fog creeping in at the edges of his mind. "They were organized. Waiting.""I know.""That's not normal rogue behavior.""I know."He needed to report this

"Kira—""Shut up." She stepped in fully clothed, her hands immediately going to the worst of the wounds on his back. "Just... shut up and let me help you."Her touch was gentle despite her sharp words, as she carefully cleaned around the claw marks. He felt her through the bond—the fear she'd been holding back, the terror that had gripped her when she thought he was going to die."I'm sorry," he said quietly."For what? Being a self-sacrificing idiot?""For scaring you."Her hands stilled. For a long moment, the only sound was the water hitting the tile. Then she pressed her forehead against his back, right between his shoulder blades, and he felt her shudder."I thought I lost you," she whispered. "When they had you down, when that rogue had your throat, I thought—" Her voice broke. "I can't lose you, Ash. I can't."He turned, ignoring the protest from his healing wounds, and pulled her against his chest. She was soaked now, her clothes plastered to her skin, but she didn't seem to c

Aaron felt like the last man standing—and wasn't that ironic for a warrior who'd survived countless battles? He wasn't bitter about it. Not really. But he was acutely, almost painfully aware that he was the only one of his inner circle who remained unmated.Ash—his cousin, his brother in all but blood—had found his mate. Raven had claimed Aurelia, Aaron's baby sister, in a bond so fierce it still made the air crackle around them. Even the pack warriors who'd arrived as broken, damaged souls had somehow found their other halves here in the Shadow Claw territory.Everyone but him.Maybe soon, he told himself, though the words felt hollow.He'd elected to stay here rather than return to Obsidian Ridge to be with his dad. Instead, he was bound by a promise he'd made to his mother, Alina, and by something deeper he couldn't quite name. He'd sworn to his mom that he would always watch over Aurelia, protect his baby sister and her baby when it came. It was a vow he took seriously—the kind of

The body was barely recognizable—twisted, blackened, reduced to ash, shape, and memory. What remained was less a man than the outline of one: a father, a mate, someone who had loved these women enough to die trying to save them.Five words. Flat. Hollow. Delivered in a voice scraped clean of everything but grief.Aaron swallowed.“We’ll bury him,” he said quietly. “Properly.”Mystic’s head snapped up, luminous blue eyes wide. “We don’t have time. You said more could come—”“We’ll make time.” His voice was steady, unyielding. “Your father died protecting his family. That deserves honor.”Silence stretched between them.Then, barely above a whisper, “Thank you.” Then a proper introduction:“My name is Mystic. This is my mother, Helen.”Names. Trust.Aaron turned to Ash and Raven. “Secure the perimeter. I’ll find tools.”Raven vanished into the trees like a shadow. Ash returned moments later with two battered shovels and a worn blanket.“There’s a clearing fifty yards north,” Aaron said.