Page 72 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate

It made her want to believe.

But belief was dangerous.

Because love wasn’t just about staying in the moment, it was about staying, period.

And he hadn’t.

Not then.

It didn’t mean he would, now.

Her hand curled slightly against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat, steady and calm. He had been so good with Riley recently, too. Helping. Protecting. Like he wanted to be something for them.

But that didn’t mean he loved her.

It didn’t mean he wouldn’t leave again.

When he finally stirred and pressed a kiss into her hair, she stayed quiet. Let him think she was already asleep. It was easier than asking questions she didn’t want to know the answers to. Because she had been here before—six years ago. Wrapped in his arms, breathless and full of hope.

And she remembered how that story ended.

So she lay there, pretending.

But her heart still ached against her chest.

***

They began their journey at dawn.

Kieran had somehow managed to secure a van—finally.

Riley sat in the backseat, reading a book. Marcus had kept him busy with a story.

She sat beside him, watching the horizon blur as trees gave way to winding roads.

Marcus drove.

He didn’t say much, but his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror often. Once, their gazes met. Her stomach did that stupid flutter thing. She looked away first.

Kieran sat in the front seat, thumbing through a thick file and muttering under his breath. He always looked like he was plotting something, ten steps ahead.

The sun was beginning to dip when they finally reached the outer ridge of the valley. Riley had fallen asleep against her.

A shimmering spell barrier wavered over the slope like heat haze. It was barely noticeable to an untrained eye. Marcus slowed the van to a stop. Kieran stepped out, pulled a flat stone from his pocket, and whispered something under his breath. The stone glowed against the barrier, and the shimmer peeled back like a curtain.

Kieran climbed back in, and Marcus drove through.

What lay beyond stole Athena’s breath.

Tents and cabins dotted the valley, nestled between trees in near-perfect harmony. Lanterns floated through the air like fireflies as they drove deeper into the ground.

They circled a tall building on the eastern edge and parked behind it. Kieran was the first to step out, then Marcus. Athena readied herself and carried a sleeping Riley in her arms.

Marcus crossed the van and offered his hand to help. She hesitated as her eyes flickered toward Kieran. But he didn’t seem to care.

So she took it.

Inside, the building was busier than she expected. They passed by people who simply gave them courtly nods, as if not paying them much attention. Only she and Marcus walked in now; she wasn’t sure where Kieran had vanished to.