Page 50 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate

Chapter 10 - Athena

The journey had felt endless, like a nightmare Athena couldn’t wake from. Her glamor had slipped, leaving her bare and exposed. Her limbs were sore from exhaustion, but it was the ache in her chest that made each breath harder to take.

She had dreaded this moment ever since Marcus had shoved her onto that sidewalk in Ellensburg, afraid that he would one day find out about Riley.

No, she had dreaded this day for six years, ever since he turned his back on her.

She shut her eyes.

Six years.

Six fucking years since he had pushed her a

way and broke her.

And she was never going to let herself forget it.

The image of him, then and now, kept colliding in her mind. She just watched him fight for her. Watched two demons nearly overpower him while he still tried to get to Riley for her. And for a moment, she had frozen—not because she was afraid, but because the past had come crashing into the present with the force of a tidal wave.

But now, neither of them had spoken.

Not a word passed between them since the clearing. The memory of the way he had looked at her with his eyes wide, as if he had seen a ghost, replayed in her head for the hundredth time. Her emotions burned behind her eyelids. That whisper had torn through her. It had felt like a cruel torment.

Athena looked up. A building loomed ahead, weathered by time but still formidable. It was A church, swallowed by wild ivy plants and crowned by a crooked steeple. The stained glass had faded, the stone foundation cracked in places, but it radiated power.

Kieran’s horse came to a halt, and Marcus followed suit behind them. They were finally safe—at least, for now.

“We’re here,” Kieran announced finally.

Athena looked up and saw a building looming ahead. It looked weathered by time but still formidable.

They rode nearer to it, slower this time as they entered its perimeters. An old church, swallowed by wild ivy plants and crowned by a crooked steeple, came into view. The stained glass had faded, the stone foundation cracked in places, but it still radiated power. She felt it.

Kieran’s horse came to a halt, and Marcus followed suit behind them. The torturous journey finally came to an end.

Athena didn’t waste a second. She slid off the horse with speed and efficiency and stormed toward Kieran’s horse just as the latter dismounted his horse and strode toward the church doors.

Her legs wobbled slightly as she adjusted Riley’s weight in her arms. He slept soundly, curled into her like a second heartbeat. His soft breath was the only thing anchoring her in this moment of fury.

Marcus dismounted the horse and retrieved the bag he had strapped to his saddle. His dagger hung low on his hip as he strode toward Kieran, gently running a hand through his auburn hair just the exact time he sucked his lips into his mouth and set them free in a slow breath.

Athena closed her eyes to violently push away the sinful thought that came to her mind at his movements.

Kieran approached the heavy oak doors, his fingers brushing over the runes carved on the lock.

He had not bothered himself with her physical change since the clearing. The man looked like someone who rarely associated with others and would only show up if it was a matter of life or death. He also had a unique, rugged build that validated her guess that he was an outdoor person who probably enjoyed

“Our best shot was a church guarded by magic, an earlier generation of witches built this sanctuary—their white magic is still strong. We are as safe as we’ll get here.” Kieran explained to the group.

Athena leaned against an angelic statue, trying to hide the way her breath came faster. The magic drain from earlier battles and keeping her glamor intact was catching up with her. She was losing energy fast.

The heavy door finally creaked open, and they stepped into the quiet sanctuary. The air inside was cool and heavy with the scent of dust, aged wood, and a faint scent of magic that whiffed Athena’s nose.

The church was dimly lit by shafts of light that filtered through the fractured stained glass. Pillars lined the interior, and there were benches on either side of the room. The church’s interior was still intact.

Kieran gestured toward the back. “The living quarters are upstairs. You can lay the kid down in one of the rooms. Marcus and I will keep watch.”

Athena nodded, cradling her son close as she climbed the staircase. She struggled with each step she took as she felt theweight against her limbs. Her boots echoed softly on the stone floor, but Riley didn’t stir.