Page 35 of Rejected Alpha Mate

I nod, and Delilah steps aside, revealing Nicholas again. I meet his eyes, and for the first time tonight, my heart feels squeezed inside my chest, both longing and guilt curled inside.

I thought I was doing this for the others, doing this for my brother, saving their friend from the dark magic gnawing on his insides.

But if I’m being honest with myself, I’m doing it for him.

Because I care about him more than I’m willing to let on, every memory from last summer to the kiss last night burned in my brain. How am I supposed to forget what he makes me feel? How am I supposed to forget the scent of him?

I can’t.

But my anger and resentment for the way he rejected me are supposed to keep my heart safe, and I’d like to keep it that way.

“You can begin reciting the incantation,” Delilah encourages me, and I begin reciting the words on the page—a Latin phrase that’s repeated.

The words leave my lips, soft at first, almost hesitant, as the foreign syllables roll off my tongue. While the moon hovers high above us, silver and unyielding, my heart begins a slow trot of uncertainty.

The vial’s contents burn down my throat, leaving a faint metallic taste that coats my tongue, the taste remaining in my mouth. A tremor ripples through my hands, and I look down to see the grass beneath my feet shivering as if the earth itself is holding its breath.

Across from me, Nicholas stands motionless, eyes tracking every movement I make—green flecked with shadow, hollow with exhaustion. The ropes around his wrists are more for reassurance than restraint. No one here truly believes they could hold an alpha if he turned and the dark magic took over.

Delilah’s voice floats behind me, calm but tight. “Focus on your bond. Reach for his wolf. Call to it.”

I inhale deeply and lift my palms, holding them out toward him. The air between us thrums, thick and heavy, like the heavy calm before the storm. For a moment, I feel something alive, pulsing between us, the same force that once tied our souls together.

The mate bond, in the palm of my hands. My gasp is met with Nicholas flinching, his shoulders tensing as a low growl vibrates through his chest. Our eyes collide, and it’s like a punch to my chest.

Then everything fractures.

The ground quakes under my feet as Nicholas jerks violently, a snarl ripping from his throat. The ropes snap as if made of paper, his head jerking back, eyes turning fully black. The air distorts around him, a cold wind bursting outward, sending dust and pine needles swirling through the yard.

“Nick!” Dominic shouts, stepping forward, but Nicholas lashes out with a roar, the sound sharp enough to rattle my bones.

“Stay back!” I cry, but it’s too late. Hunter lunges first, trying to pin Nicholas’s arms. Tyler and Sean follow, circling fast. Claws flash, growls collide as Nicholas bursts into wolf form.

He throws them off one by one like they weigh nothing, quicker than they can shift into their wolves, his strength unnatural, his body jerking as the darkness writhes under his skin.

“Stop!” I scream, but my voice drowns under the chaos.

For a heartbeat, everything slows. I see Nicholas’s wolf face contort with pain, his jaw clenching, his chest heaving. His eyes flicker—green for a second, then black again. There’s something human left in there, trapped behind the curse.

He’s losing the battle he’s fighting internally.

And I can’t just stand here and watch.

My wolf stirs, restless and furious when my Instincts take over. I drop to my knees, pressing my palms to the ground as my vision sharpens, senses heightening. Power hums through me as my wolf emerges through the use of my newly-found powers.

Powers I can hardly control. Maybe my mind isn’t as clear as it should be. This is my failure.

That’s why when Delilah shouts something from behind, her words fade into the background as my bones begin to shift. My spine arches, my body contorting until the wolf breaks free, fur brushing the night air. The transformation burns, but it’s nothing compared to the fire in my chest.

When I lift my head, Nicholas is on all fours, fangs bared, eyes full of darkness.

I move as fast as I can, and we collide in a blur of fur and fury, his snarl meeting mine as our bodies crash against the ground. His claws rake across my shoulder, but I barely feel it. My magic floods through my veins, white hot and searing, coiling around my limbs. The energy burns outward, pouring into the bond that ties us.

His wolf howls, writhing beneath me as I pin him down with both my wolf and magic.

I don’t know what words I speak mentally—or if I speak at all, because it could just be thoughts—but light bursts from my chest, crawling down my legs, bleeding into his skin where our bodies meet. He thrashes, roaring, the darkness spilling from his mouth like smoke and seeping into the ground.

“Donna!” someone calls distantly.