Page 34 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

As she works, she glances at me again, her brow furrowing slightly. “You seem…troubled, Hazel.”

I laugh bitterly, the sound harsh in the otherwise quiet room. “Troubled doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

She pauses, her hands smoothing the folds of a blanket. “If I may speak freely?”

I wave a hand dismissively. “By all means.” Whatever she has to say will fly out the other ear anyway.

Sylvia straightens. “I know Alpha Kieran can seem…harsh. But he’s not without reason.”

I scoff, the sound sharp. “Reason? You dare to call Kieran dragging me here and treating me like a rag doll reasonable?”

“He’s doing what he believes is best for the pack,” Sylvia replies, her tone calm but firm. Of course he is. What else is his job as the Alpha?

“That’s what everyone keeps saying,” I snap. “But what about what’s best for me?”

Sylvia hesitates, her hands stilling. “I don’t claim to understand all his decisions, but I do know this: he carries the weight of the pack on his shoulders. It’s not an easy burden.”

I roll my eyes. “Spare me the lecture on how hard his life is for an Alpha who has all the power he could possibly need. He doesn’t get to use his responsibilities as an excuse to treat people like this.”

Sylvia exhales softly, her gaze turning thoughtful. “Do you know why he’s like this?”

“Does it matter?”

“It might,” she says simply.

I stay silent, my jaw tightening.

Sylvia steps closer, her voice quieter now. “Alpha Kieran didn’t step into this role easily. His father was a cruel man, and as a child, he couldn’t protect his mother or his siblings from that cruelty. He’s carried that guilt with him ever since.”

“When he became Alpha,” Sylvia continues, “he swore he would never fail anyone again. That no one under his care would suffer the way his family did. It’s why he’s so…unyielding. He sees compromise as weakness, and weakness as a failure to protect. You see, his father took all of his frustration out on everyone, including the Luna and Kieran’s siblings. He watched his siblings go down, one by one.”

I stare at her, the anger in my chest twisting into something more complicated. Pity, maybe.

Sylvia doesn’t press further. She finishes her work quickly, leaving the room as quietly as she entered.

Once she’s gone, the silence feels louder than before.

I sink onto the edge of the bed, my thoughts churning. Sylvia’s words replay in my mind, clashing with my own memories of Kieran—the cold, calculating Alpha who’s done nothing but humiliate and control me.

How do I reconcile the man she described with the one I’ve come to hate?

I shake my head, forcing the thoughts away. It doesn’t matter. Kieran’s past doesn’t excuse his actions now.

I pull the stolen phone from its hiding place beneath the mattress, its smooth surface cool against my palm. My fingers move quickly, dialing Ayana’s number.

It rings twice before she answers, her voice rushed and breathless. “Hazel?”

“It’s me,” I say, my voice low.

“Thank the gods,” she says, relief evident in her tone. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I’m fine,” I lie, glancing at the locked door. “But we have a problem. I'm here apparently because Mr. Control freak Alpha Kieran has somehow got it in his head that I'm Eldon's Mate.”

Ayana curses softly. “I figured as much. We need to get you out of there.”

I hesitate, Sylvia’s words lingering in my mind. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

“What?” Ayana asks, her voice sharp. “Hazel, you can’t stay there. Kieran will use you until you’re no longer useful. You know that.”