Page 97 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

She tenses.

I inhale deeply. “I need to say this.”

She shakes her head, lifting a hand. “Kieran—”

“No.” I lean forward, my voice firm but quiet. “Please. Let me.”

She hesitates, her jaw tightening, but she nods.

I hold her gaze. “I was a fool…”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” she says with amusement sparkling in her eyes as she sips from her glass of wine. I chuckle before I continue. “When I rejected you, I thought I was protecting my pack. But I was wrong.” My voice lowers, rough. “The truth is…I was protecting myself. From you. From how much I wanted you. From how much I needed you.”

Her breath hitches.

I reach across the table for her hand, slowly, cautiously. She doesn’t pull away.

“I am not a perfect Alpha. I will make mistakes. But I will never make the mistake of letting you go again.” My words are a vow. “If you’ll let me, Hazel…I want to spend the rest of my life making this right.”

Silence.

A long, aching silence.

And then—

She exhales sharply, stands up, and rounds the table.

I follow her movements with my eyes, my pulse pounding, unsure what she will do next. She could fight me, scream at me, reject me so that we are even. As horrible as it all sounds, I am prepared for it all. I deserve whatever she gives me.

She stops right in front of me.

Then she lifts a hand and presses a single finger against my lips.

“Shut up,” she murmurs.

Before I can process what’s happening, she grabs my collar and pulls me in.

And then, she kisses me.

It’s not gentle. It’s not hesitant.

It’s hungry. Desperate. Fierce.

I groan into her mouth, my hands gripping her waist, pulling heragainst me. Her body molds against mine, her heat intoxicating. My wolf roars, demanding I take, I claim.

But I fight it.

Because this moment is hers.

I let her take control, let her set the pace.

She nips my bottom lip, her fingers tangling in my hair, and I nearly lose it.

I pull her flush against me, lifting her slightly so she’s forced to wrap her legs around my waist.

She gasps against my mouth, but she doesn’t stop me.

“Don’t stop,” she moans.