Page 20 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate

“We’ve been tracking magical signatures around this town for a month now, after receiving reports of demonic possession. As of a week ago, two hunters had gone missing in the same town you resided in. Our team had traced the magical terrains, and it led us straight to you. We know you are connected to it. You have enough power to trigger sensors miles away. Did you think no one would notice?”

But she hadn’t used her magic in a while. Then it dawned on her. The Glamour. Was that it? Had that given off her location? But she had been using it for years to shield herself from the witch hunt. Why had it only triggered sensors now?

“You must be mistaken. Really,” she said, breathing through her teeth. “I haven’t hurt anyone.”

“Maybe you haven’t, but what about the demons you are working with?” he shot back.

“And how would you explain the magical signals? You don’t cast that kind of magic unless you’ve got something to hide,” he retorted.

He wasn’t listening to her. “Why won’t you believe me? Whatever you’re here for—”

“A mission,” Marcus cut in coldly.

“Listen. I understand you are trying to do your job. But I swear, I’m not a dark witch. You really have the wrong witchhere.” “Think about it, if I really teamed up with demons, don’t you think they would have stormed this place to rescue their accomplice?”

“No. They wouldn’t. If they cared about their lives.”

He was stubborn.

“I’ve laid low,” she continued, regardless. “Very low. If I truly wanted to send off signals that I was a witch, yesterday, when I almost got hit by a car, I would have used magic to—” She stopped mid-sentence as she realized something.

She almost got hit by a car, and Marcus Vale, of all people, had rescued her. That wasn’t a coincidence, was it?

She looked up at him again, and he looked down at her dismissively, confirming her assumptions without speaking a word.

She had been played. It was staged. Everything.

Her breath hung in her throat.

She was a fool.

“Where is my son. Take me to him,” she demanded. Her voice vibrating against her own skin.

“Don’t worry, he won’t wake up anytime soon,” Marcus replied. “Dream powder.”

She stared at him, stunned.

“You drugged a child!” she screamed.

“Would you rather I chained him to a chair like this?” he countered.

“You bastard, He’s 5!”

“You’re welcome,” he retorted, shooting her a pointed look.

Athena shook her head slowly, and tears burned behind her eyes. He was still the same, she thought. No. He was worse now. Her visions were right. Her son would suffer if he were anywhere around him.

She was stupid. So stupid to think he had changed. How could she let her guard down?.

She had fallen for his charms again. Now she had put her son’s life at stake. Right now, it felt like someone had found all of her old wounds and peeled them off one after the other. It stung.

She stared deep into his amber eyes, searching for something—anything she could reach him with. But she found nothing. The Marcus she thought she knew was gone. Marcus was ice-cold and ruthless. This was who he truly was. And she had tried to ignore it.

Twice.

Why?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly. “Why can’t you just let me go? I’m really not what you think I am. I have a son to take care of. You know him.” She dropped her voice a few octaves lower, hoping to reach anywhere inside of him.

“You saw him,” she added.