Page 22 of The Alpha’s Forced Rejected Mate (Silverlight Valley Alphas #1)

Luna’s fingers traced patterns on the foggy glass as she watched the rain beat against the safe house windows.

Two days had passed since their escape, two days of constant training and barely any sleep. Her muscles ached, but it was better than dwelling on what had happened in the car.

No, don’t think about that now.

The sound of voices drew her attention from the window. Dominic stood in the doorway with Marcus and Roman, their hushed tones suggesting something important.

“We found it,” Marcus announced, his amber eyes bright with excitement, his auburn hair still damp from the rain. “The grimoire Xavier kept hidden from everyone.”

Luna pushed away from the window, her heart racing. “You went without me?” The accusation in her voice made all three men turn her way.

“It was mostly recon,” Dominic replied, eyes meeting hers briefly before he turned away. He was dressed in black from head to toe—cargo pants, fitted Henley and combat boots. “We needed to confirm its location before mounting a full operation.”

“Did the information help?” Luna crossed her arms over her chest.

“You have no idea, love,” Roman, the largest of the three replied.

Roman called her the endearment politely, but she liked the look of anger that darkened Dominic’s face when he heard it.

The big man pulled out a map and spread it on the table. “Now we go get it. Tonight.”

“All of us,” Dominic added, surprising her. “Your magic will be useful getting past the wards.”

Luna narrowed her eyes. “So I’m useful now?”

Everyone kept quiet then, their bubbly mood dying down. Marcus cleared his throat and muttered something about checking equipment before slipping out. Roman didn’t bother with an excuse, and without a word left Luna alone with Dominic.

“I have never said you aren’t useful,” Dominic said once they were alone. He ran a hand through his black hair, frustration evident in his posture. “But you needed time to train.”

“And you think I’m ready now?” Luna challenged.

“I think we’re out of time.”

Their eyes locked, and for a brief moment, Luna’s mind went where it shouldn’t, remembering his touch in the car, the heat of his mouth, the way his hands had—

Stop it.

“Fine,” she said, ending the stalemate. “When do we leave?”

***

The abandoned warehouse loomed before them in the night sky. Luna shivered, sensing the dark magic that pulsed within those concrete walls.

“You feel it too,” Kieran commented beside her. His unusual green eyes scanned the perimeter with practiced ease. The tracker had joined them an hour before departure, bringing with him an arsenal of specialized weapons.

Luna only nodded.

Dominic approached, his movements silent despite his size. “We go in through the east entrance. Adrian has disabled the alarms. We have fifteen minutes before the backup system kicks in.”

Luna studied the four men surrounding her. Dominic, their commander, stood tall and imposing. Marcus, with his charming smile that never quite reached his eyes. Roman, with his massive frame, and Kieran, the tracker, seeming to blend with the shadows themselves.

These were alphas—leaders, predators, the most dangerous wolves of their kind.

“Stay close to me,” Dominic said, his voice low as he addressed Luna. “If anything happens—”

“Lord Commander, I can handle myself,” she interrupted. “I’ve been training, remember?”

Was that a smile she saw?

“Just don’t do anything reckless.” He ignored her taunt.

They moved as toward the building and Luna followed Dominic through the east entrance. The smell of dust and mildew filled her nostrils as they navigated through narrow hallways.

“Here,” Dominic whispered, stopping at a heavy metal door. Ancient runes were carved into its surface, glowing faintly in the darkness.

Luna placed her palm against the door, feeling the buzz of magic beneath her fingertips. She closed her eyes and focused, drawing on the power that had awakened within her. The runes flared bright blue before fading entirely.

“It’s open,” she whispered.

The door swung silently inward as Dominic pushed it. There was only a pedestal in the middle of the tiny room beyond. It held a big, leather-bound book with symbols on the cover Luna had never seen before.

“Is that it?” she asked.

“Yes,” Dominic moved forward cautiously. “The grimoire of the ancients. It contains knowledge about all supernatural beings—including how to control them.”

Luna followed him to the pedestal. “No wonder Xavier kept it hidden.”

As Dominic reached for the book, Luna’s instincts screamed a warning. She grabbed his wrist. “Wait! It’s protected.”

Wasn’t this why they brought her?

She focused, searching for the magical trap. It took several moments, but finally, she found it—threads of dark energy woven around the grimoire like a spider’s web.

“It would have set off an alarm if you had touched it,” she clarified.

In the dim light, Dominic’s eyes met hers. “Nice catch.”

Luna took her time, breaking the spell one thread at a time. The effort caused her forehead to bead with sweat, but the gloomy energy eventually faded.

“Now,” she said, taking a step back.

After removing the grimoire from its pedestal, Dominic placed it inside his backpack. “We are leaving now.”

Suddenly, an explosion shook the building, just as they were about to reach the door. The walls trembled around them, and dust rained down from the ceiling.

Dominic snarled and grabbed Luna’s arm, saying, “It’s a trap. We must leave now!”

Gunfire reverberated from somewhere in the warehouse as they sped through the hallways. With ruthless pace, Dominic drew Luna along with him, his hand never leaving her arm.

“What about the others?” Luna gasped.

“They can handle themselves,” Dominic replied, his voice hard with certainty. “Our priority is securing the grimoire.”

They burst through a side door into the cold night, only to find themselves surrounded.

“Dominic Blackwood,” one of them called out. “By order of Commander Xavier Storm, you are to surrender immediately.”

With his body contorted and poised to attack, Dominic shoved Luna behind him. He whispered, “Run when I tell you. Go directly to the trees.”

Dominic charged before Luna could object. He killed two hunters before they could react because of his unnatural speed. The others started shooting, but Dominic was already there, taking them down.

Luna didn’t run. Instead, she raised her hands and focused on the nearest hunter. Energy surged through her veins as she sent him flying backward into a concrete wall.

“I told you to run!” Dominic shouted, ducking under a knife swing before breaking the hunter’s arm.

“I won’t abandon you!” In response, Luna unleashed another magical blast that knocked two more hunters to the ground. Dominic was shot in the shoulder by the final hunter. He stumbled, but instead of falling, he sprang forward and crushed the hunter’s bones as he hit the ground.

Their labored breathing was the only sound to break the silence. Dominic’s face was tight with pain as he put a hand to his bleeding shoulder. Luna hurried to his side and said, “You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing,” he snarled. “We must relocate.”

However, more hunters came out of the warehouse as they began to head for the trees.

Luna took hold of Dominic’s good arm and dragged him in the direction of a drainage ditch that she had previously noticed.

As bullets splintered the ground where they had been standing, they slid down the muddy hole.

They had to crouch as they moved through the small, dark concrete tunnel. The water sloshed around their ankles, cold and foul. Luna took the lead, keeping Dominic close, with one hand on the slimy wall for guidance and the other gripping his wrist.

“You’re bleeding too much,” she said when they’d put some distance between themselves and their pursuers.

Dominic urged, “Keep moving,” but his tone had weakened.

Luna stopped and turned to face him. In the dim light filtering through a grate above, she could see the bullet had done more damage than he admitted.

“Sit,” she ordered. “Now.”

To her surprise, he complied, sliding down the curved wall to sit in the shallow water. Luna knelt beside him, wincing at the cold seeping through her leggings.

“Let me see,” she tugged at his jacket.

Dominic hissed as she helped him remove it. The bullet had struck him high in the shoulder, dangerously close to his neck.

“It’s silver,” he groaned. “That’s why it’s not healing.”

Luna’s heart raced. Silver bullets were designed specifically to kill shifters. If she didn’t get it out soon…

“I need to remove it,” she said, keeping her voice steady despite her fear. “It’s going to hurt.”

Dominic’s steel-gray eyes locked with hers. “Do it.”

Luna tore a strip from the bottom of her sweater and wadded it up. “Bite down on this.”

Once the fabric was between his teeth, Luna placed both hands over the wound.

She reached deep and closed her eyes. In the dark, magic glowed softly blue as it poured from her fingertips. She sensed the poisonous presence of the bullet in Dominic’s body. She drew it out slowly and carefully with her magic.

Dominic’s jaw clenched tightly around the fabric as his body went rigid.

He struggled against the pain, sweat trickling down his face.

Luna pulled the silver bullet slowly until it came out with a sickening pop, working as fast as she dared.

She threw it into the dark and instantly put her hands back on the wound, directing healing energy into his injured tissue.

“That’s…new,” Dominic mumbled, spitting out the fabric.

“I’ve been practicing,” Luna replied, not taking her eyes from her work. “Hold still.”

Under her touch, his flesh began to knit back together. The bleeding slowed, then stopped. Color returned to his face as his supernatural healing abilities kicked in.

Luna sat back on her heels, suddenly exhausted.

That was a lot.