Page 13 of Rejected Alpha Mate

I give chase, my paws pounding against the ground, the metallic tang of my blood mixing with the scent of rot and corruption that trails behind him. He’s bleeding too, but it doesn’t slow him down. The forest blurs past as I tear into a clearing, hot on his tail.

But then, he’s gone. Just gone. His scent stops dead, cut clean, like it’s been erased from the air itself. I skid to a halt, raising my head and letting out an anguished howl.

What the hell was that?

The wind shifts, carrying another scent that makes my heart lurch.

Lavender and something sweeter.

Donna.

My wolf quiets instantly, instinct shifting from the hunt to protection. I spin on my hind legs, then pivot and sprint back toward the resort, weaving through the trees until the edge of the woods breaks open into the forest ingress shrouded in moonlight.

And there she is, standing at the edge of the woods in her robe, hair tumbling loose around her shoulders, eyes wide with worry. She looks like a dream with tousled hair and wide, worried eyes, skin as smooth and creamy as the finest ivory.

I slow down my steps, shifting back into human form as I step into the clearing, my chest heaving, my shoulder slick with blood.

“Donna.” Her name leaves my lips with relief. But there's an alarming amount of dread in between, churning my insides, a dangerous mix. She’s unharmed. But Tobias—

Her eyes narrow. “Where’s Toby?”

The question cuts like a blade, sharper than Tobias's teeth.

For a moment, all I can do is stare at her, gauging the wild panic in her eyes, the way her chest heaves as she takes a step closer, her robe clutched tightly around her trembling form. She’s shaking, but it isn’t fear of what’s out there that has her trembling; it’s fear for him.

For Tobias.

That’s why it’s his name, she uttered.

The name alone burns through my throat like acid, building like bile.

“Where’s Toby?” she demands again, her voice rising desperately. Her eyes flicker to my shoulder, where I’m covered in blood, and she gasps. “Nicholas…what did you do to him?” Her tone turns accusatory, and I let out a bitter laugh, the kind that sounds more like a growl.

“What did I do?” I scoff, taking a step forward and baring my teeth. I can’t believe this. “You’ve got it all wrong, sweetheart. You should be asking what he did.”

Donna flinches, but doesn’t back away, tilting her chin defiantly. “Don’t. Call. Me. That,” she warns, her eyes darkening with fury. “Just tell me where he is!”

My wolf snarls in my mind, my skin crawling with irritation as my control begins to slip like water through my fingers. She’s standing here, defending the bastard who just bit me, the fucker who was out there conspiring with something that doesn’t even belong to this world. Conspiring to taint her. The scent of decay and darkness still clings to me, and she’s worried about him?

“You really care that much about him, huh?” I mutter, my tone low and dangerous. “You barely even know who he is.”

“I know enough!” she fires back, her voice cracking. “H-he’s my friend! He’s been there for me when no one else was!”

The words sting more than they should.

When no one else was.

I grit my teeth and look away with a tormented gulp, my hands trembling at my sides. The wound on my shoulder throbs, sending warm blood trickling down my arm, but I keep it hidden from Donna by turning to the side, keeping myself together by sheer will alone.

“Your friend,” I bite out, turning my glare on her, “isn’t who you think he is.”

She frowns, confusion flashing through her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Come with me.” My tone leaves no room for argument. “You want answers? Fine. You’ll get them.”

I shoulder past her, ignoring the fresh ripple of pain shooting down my arm. Her sweet scent follows me, but doesn’t wrap me in the warmth I would have craved if the circumstances were different. Instead, there’s cold lavender crawling through my airways and under my skin, taunting me, mocking me.

I hear her quick footsteps behind me as she marches along, soft but determined against the gravel path, and the faintest hitch in her breath when she realizes I’m leading her toward Dominic’s tent.