Page 91 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate

Time seemed to slow around them.

It felt like the world was suspended between candlelight and starlight.

Maybe it was too soon for declarations.

Maybe it was too late for some apologies.

But right now, in this flickering candlelight, they were something.

And both of them felt it. He was sure.

He blinked away first.

“Please,” he said gently, motioning to the table, “eat. Before the food gets cold.”

She nodded, and they both turned to their plates.

Silence filled the space, but it was no longer heavy. Once in a while, she murmured about the taste, and he gave a quiet “thanks,” like a boy trying not to let his excitement show.

And as they ate, he sneaked peeks at her face as if he were relearning her features and committing them to his memory. Every grin. Each crease in her forehead. Each gentle hum of approval when something tasted good.

“Slowly,” he murmured to himself, watching her when she wasn’t looking. “One date at a time.”

He would try to win her back.

No matter how long it took.

He would begin here, with lit candles and memories rekindled, even if his wolf howled impatiently for more of her. She was worth the wait.

***

After dinner, Marcus and Athena were walking back slowly, side by side, her hand still loosely wrapped in his. They rounded the edge of the living grounds, and Athena smiled at the soft chorus of voices drifting from the center of camp.

The night had come alive.

A small gathering of witches, hunters, and children had spilled into the common fire space. A few benches had been pulled into a loose square, and someone had lit little hanging lanterns that swung gently between the trees like fire spirits.

Laughter sparkled in the air. Plates of food were being passed around. Someone was playing a flute; the notes rose like smoke, blasting through the air.

Riley spotted them first, his little face lighting up as he darted through the grass.

“Mama! Uncle Marcus!”

Athena’s hand slipped from his as she bent to scoop Riley into her arms, and Marcus stood there, watching the joy ripple across her face like sunlight on water. His chest clenched.

“Athena! Come join us!” a tall woman with vine tattoos on her arms called out. She scooted aside on the bench and patted the empty space.

Athena looked back at Marcus questioningly.

He nodded in approval. “Yeah. We could sit for a while.”

And just like that, they were absorbed into the circle. Marcus lowered himself beside Athena, and Riley ran off with some other kids.

***

Marcus found himself chuckling softly as a red-haired witch across the fire mimicked the dramatic retelling of a tracking mission gone wrong, with impressions. He couldn’t believe he was immersed in the narration. But she was good.

“So then—get this—he was furious the first time I broke out of the magic dampeners,” she said between the laughter that sprawled around them like a tune.