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Home / Werewolf / Rejected by My Mate, Claimed by the Brooding Alpha CEO / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Rejected by My Mate, Claimed by the Brooding Alpha CEO: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

34 Chapters

1

*Sage’s POV*The champagne glass in my hand was empty, which was a problem because I needed something to throw at my boyfriend’s face.Ex-boyfriend, I corrected mentally. As of approximately thirty seconds ago.“You’re like white rice, Sage.” Nash’s voice carried across the Lavender Gardens where half the Crescent Moon pack had gathered for what was supposed to be our engagement announcement. “Bland. Basic. Nobody’s first choice.”The laughter that rippled through the crowd felt like glass shards embedding themselves in my skin. I stood there in the stupid pink dress I’d bought specifically for this moment—the moment I thought my boyfriend of three years was going to propose—and tried to remember how to breathe.“Nash, maybe we should talk about this in private,” I managed, my voice somehow steady despite the humiliation burning through my veins.“Why?” Mara’s voice cut through the awkward silence. My best friend since high school stepped forward, her hand sliding possessively into N

2

Sage’s POVSunlight stabbed through my eyelids like tiny daggers of regret.I groaned and tried to roll over, only to realizetwo things simultaneously: one, I was naked, and two, these sheets had a thread count higher than my credit score.My eyes snapped open.Floor-to-ceiling windows. City view that belonged on a postcard. Bedroom furniture that probably cost more than my car. And a chandelier hanging over the bed because apparently rich people needed fancy lighting even when they were unconscious.“Oh god,” I whispered to the empty room. “What did I do?”Memories from last night came flooding back in vivid, mortifying detail. The bar. The tequila. The insanely hot stranger who’d listened to me complain about being compared to breakfast food. And then… oh god, and then.My face burned hot enough to fry an egg.I sat up, clutching the silk sheets to my chest, and looked around for my clothes. My pink dress was draped over a chair that probably belonged in a museum. My shoes were

3

Sage’s POVI stood outside Thorne Tower at exactly 7:45 AM on Monday morning, wearing my only professional outfit and trying to convince myself I wasn’t about to make a huge mistake.The building looked even more intimidating in daylight. Sixty floors of black glass and steel piercing the sky, making everything around it look small and insignificant. Which, I supposed, was exactly the point.My hand instinctively went to my stomach. Still flat, but I knew what was growing inside. A tiny person who was half me and half the terrifying billionaire CEO whose office was somewhere high above my head.“You can do this,” I muttered to myself. “It’s just a job. A really well-paying job with your one- night stand who doesn’t know you’re pregnant with his baby. Totally normal Monday.”A woman in an expensive suit gave me a strange look as she passed. Right. Stop talking to yourself, Sage.I took a deep breath and walked through the revolving doors.The lobby was exactly as intimidating as I r

4

Sage’s POVBy the end of my first week at Thorne Enterprises, I’d learned three important things:One: Kael Thorne was a perfectionist who expected everyone around him to be psychic.Two: I was apparently very good at pretending I wasn’t three months pregnant and terrified.Three: My morning sickness had terrible timing. Friday morning, I was in the middle of formatting the Sterling Enterprises report when the nausea hit like a freight train. I’d been doing so well all week, carefully avoiding the break room when someone microwaved fish, keeping crackers in my desk drawer, drinking ginger tea instead of coffee.But apparently, my body had decided that 9:47 AM on Friday was the perfect time to rebel.I stood up so fast my chair rolled backward and hit the wall. The sudden movement made everything worse. My hand flew to my mouth.“Miss Draven?” Margaret looked up from her desk near the elevators. “Are you alright?”I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak, and ran for the bathro

5

Sage’s POV“Who’s this?” Jade Sterling asked, her ice-blue eyes sliding over me like I was a piece of furniture she was considering having removed.“My assistant, Miss Draven,” Kael said, his tone flat and professional. He gestured toward me without looking. “She’ll be taking notes.”“Another assistant.” Jade’s perfectly glossed lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “The last three didn’t last long, did they?”There was a story there, and from the way Marcus shifted uncomfortably, it wasn’t a good one.“Miss Draven is exceptional,” Kael said, still not looking at me. But I heard something in his voice a note of steel that hadn’t been there before.“She stays.”Jade’s expression flickered. Just for a second.Then that smooth, corporate mask slid back into place. “Of course. Shall we?”Everyone settled around the massive conference table. Kael at the head, Marcus on his right, David Chen next to him. Jade took the seat across from Kael, her two executives flanking h

6

Sage’s POVThe next morning, I arrived at the office to find a woman sitting at my desk.Not just any woman. A tall, leggy brunette in a designer suit that probably cost more than my monthly rent, casually flipping through the filesI’d left organized in my inbox.“Excuse me,” I said, my voice sharper than intended.“Can I help you?”She looked up, and her smile was all teeth. “You must be Sage. I’m Vanessa Blackwood. Kael’s-”She paused dramatically. “-friend.”The way she said “friend” made it clear she meant something else entirely.“Nice to meet you.” I set my bag down on the guest chair since she was occupying mine. “But that’s my desk, so if you could-”“Is it?” She glanced around like she was surprised to find herself there. “Sorry, I’m so used to just… making myself comfortable here. Old habits.”Before I could respond, Margaret emerged from the break room with her morning coffee. She stopped short when she saw Vanessa.“Miss Blackwood.” Margaret’s voice could have frozen lav

7

Sage’s POV“No. I was hoping to catch Kael before his day gets busy.” Jade moved closer, her heels clicking against the polished floor. “We had such a productive meeting Tuesday. I wanted to follow up on a few points.”“Mr. Thorne isn’t in yet. I can schedule an appointment“I’ll wait.” She perched on the edge of my desk like she owned it. “We can chat while I do. Girl talk.”Every instinct I had screamed danger.“I really should get back to work-”“This will only take a moment.” Jade leaned in,her voice dropping to something conspiratorial.“I wanted to warn you. About Kael.”“Warn me?”“He’s brilliant. Ruthless. Absolutely magnetic.”Her ice-blue eyes glittered. “But he’s also… how do I put this delicately? He discards people. Employees, business partners, girlfriends. When he’s finished with you, you’ll be gone without a second thought.” I kept my expression neutral.“Thank you for the concern.”“I’m trying to help you, Sage. Woman to woman.” She stood, smoothing her skirt in that

8

Sage’s POVI was going to throw up, and it had nothing to do with morning sickness.The midnight blue dress fit perfectly. The shoes made my legs look longer than they actually were. I’d even managed to do something with my hair that looked intentional instead of “I gave up halfway through.” But none of that mattered because in thirty minutes, Kael would be here to pick me up, and I still hadn’t figured out how to tell him I was pregnant.”Hey, before we go to your grandmother’s formal dinner, I should mention I’m carrying your baby.” No. Too casual.”There’s something we need to discuss about our one-night stand three months ago.”Too formal.”Surprise! You’re going to be a father!”Absolutely not.My phone buzzed. A text from Margaret: Breathe. You can do this.Another text, this one from Marcus: Just tell him straight. He respects directness. Also, I’m leaving town for the weekend just in case.Despite my nerves, I smiled. Then my phone buzzed again. Kael:Downstairs. No rush.I

9

Sage’s POVThe drawing room was exactly what I’d expected from a wealthy werewolf family-all antique furniture, oil paintings of stern-looking ancestors, and a fireplace large enough to roast an entire deer.Mrs. Thorne sat in a high-backed chair like it was a throne, wearing a sky blue dress that probably cost more than my car. Her silver hair was perfectly styled, her posture impeccable.She looked like royalty.And I looked like someone who’d raided a boutique and hoped for the best.“Grandmother.” Kael’s voice was neutral, professional. His hand was still at the small of my back. “Thank you for inviting us.”“Kael. Miss Draven.” Her sharp eyes moved from him to me, assessing. “You look lovely, dear. That dress suits you.”“Thank you, ma’am.”“Please, call me Eleanor.” She gestured to the sofa across from her. “Sit. Both of you. We have much to discuss before dinner.”That sounded ominous.We sat. Kael’s hand moved from my back to rest on the sofa between us-not touching me, but

10

Sage’s POVThe library was less intimidating than the dining room-which wasn’t saying much, considering it was still the size of my entire apartment. Floor- to-ceiling bookshelves lined three walls, filled with leather-bound volumes that looked older than me. A fireplace crackled softly in the corner, and two oversized leather chairs faced each other near the windows.Kael guided me to one of the chairs and took the other. For a moment, we just sat there in silence.“So,” I said finally. “Your grandmother wants us to fake-mate for the baby’s protection.”“She’s not wrong about the risks.”“But she’s asking us to lie. To everyone.”“It wouldn’t be a complete lie.” Kael leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “We would be legally bound. Living together. Raising a child together. The only thing we’d be faking is the emotional component.”“The love part.”“Yes.”I pulled my legs up under me, suddenly exhausted. “This is insane.”“Welcome to werewolf politics.” His lips quirked slightly.

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