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Chapter 32
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REJECTED MATE Chapter 33
Maya woke up with a start—and the sense that she was no longer alone. Her body braced automatically, used to attacks in her old home, but those were the times when she had the equipment to defend herself. This time, she made use of a stick she had sharpened for days, tucked it in her pocket, and waited for the leaves at the entrance of her spot to be rustled. When the sense passed, she inched her way out of her spot just in time to glimpse something leaving the forest she was in.The man was her first assumption. She followed to the edge and watched as grass moved in a line, indicating where the figure was heading. Stillness came when the figure crossed to the bigger forest patch, deeming her space safe enough. But a nagging started in her head and wound its way to her belly until dread sat heavy, the warning bright: that those women were in terrible danger.Create some noise. Distract. Don’t let them die.Blood and screams stabbed in her mind until her feet were flying towards the fi
REJECTED MATE Chapter 34
“Ugh. Not another animal, please. The last wolf attack closed this area down, and I had to work at the wharf for a week. Let me tell you, not the best thing to smell every morning.”“You are an idiot. A job is a job. Anyway, I don’t see anything, and I’m about to get off my shift. You can sleep in the shed if you like. It’s the safest place against animal attacks.”“And risk vandalism from those rowdy bunch of teenagers? No, thanks. I will stay outside. Go home.”“You really should manage your hours better, man…”Shed. Shed.It became a mantra in her head as she inched out of the bench and hid behind tree trunks until her focus zoned in on a boxed area of metal and wood. It felt like water after long years of thirst. She found the window with the easiest lock, picked it, and leaped in, gaze adjusting to the darkness until she glimpsed everything inside: the cleaning supplies, the skates and coats for rent, and more boxes stacked in a corner. Maya squeezed herself behind the boxes, arra
REJECTED MATE Chapter 35
“I’m going to move on and forget about Eric. I’m going to date someone new and…oh, you mean the crystals.” She giggled. “I will get a friend to make it into a bracelet for me.”“Cool.”She eventually got bored and bid him farewell while he stubbornly insisted on walking her to the streets. On his way back, he used another path and slowed down when the silence became deafening. It didn’t take long for him to find two squirrels mauled to death, the blood stains drying on the ground and eyes bulging out of their sockets. Humans? Instinct dictated otherwise, but the organs were still intact, puzzling him.He circled whatever area he could within and outside their territory but found no other dead animals or presence. He returned to the forest area sweaty and irritated, so Luke decided to wander off to the nearest river. He found a pond in less than an hour, assessed the place once more, and was already discarding his clothes when he stepped in the water. The trees shaded it from the sun,
REJECTED MATE Chapter 36
Nothing’s going on. Just a bunch of campers with tents, sitting around a campfire. Some are asleep already.His fingers flew.Can you stay the night?Sure. You owe me a full meal.Cheeseburger, fries, milkshake. Tickets to a basketball game.Awesome. For that, I will stay two nights. Plenty of chicks to flirt with here.He rolled his eyes before they landed on the following message.Luke, we need to talk. Why are you sending Oscar out on errands? Are you in trouble?“It’s none of your business, Eric.”But he replied, not about to send his brother running here.I’m fine. Everything’s fine.That’s good.Tina was here.Eric didn’t reply and left him scowling. He set aside his phone and watched the moonlight from his tree perch, enjoying the peaceful night until the first stir in the grass came. Luke stretched his body and flattened against his branch, ready for it. It trailed from the forest camp path to the one she often frequented, where her shadow stopped below him. He could jump her n
REJECTED MATE Chapter 37
She wanted to scream. Instead, she exhaled the panic away and kept her ears open, hoping she could at least evade whatever sinister form was coming for her. The forest was decidedly quiet, the shout already cut off and the man not making any sound. It caressed at her nerves until she was trembling, and Maya had to curl herself to ease it off.The minutes went on and her mind became a separate form of trap. She broke free from it when a figure emerged from the trees, panting hard and bloody. But he had no wounds on him, and the blood wasn’t his. A brilliant, resolute gaze pinned her with a force that held her breath.“It wasn’t you.”She released it in stunned silence. Bafflement rose before understanding gave way and had her clutching the net. She shook it, willing him to let her go. Hope blossomed when he cut off the triangular ties, but that died when he dragged her bundled, still-covered form deeper into his territory.“There was a dead deer. Torn apart and eaten alive. Fresh, mayb
REJECTED MATE Chapter 38
“Here. To keep you warm.”She eyed the bowl distrustfully, but the smell…it was calling to her. So was the tall glass of water beside it. But Maya kept an eye on him, not touching anything until he lay down on the other side of the cottage and turned his back to her.“Goodnight. Try to sleep, too. We will figure things out tomorrow.”When he stopped talking and moving, she devoured everything in sight.***He slept like a baby and she was sure she would have gotten far if she had something to pick the lock. He was too big for his cot, the creaking noises alerting her to every move he made until awareness was burning brightly in her system. She supposed she should be insulted that he wasn’t even the least bit troubled about her escaping. But then again, maybe he didn’t care, the offer to protect her was an offhand gesture that wouldn’t extend to searching for her if she did run away.Bargain.The idea appealed and had her getting comfortable on the futon, but she couldn’t sleep. With n
REJECTED MATE Chapter 39
Stupefaction had him frozen. But it didn’t last long. To her dismay, his other hand covered hers, a fleeting warmth before he steadfastly pushed her fingers away and disentangled from the grip.“I will be back.”Then he was gone and Mayawas all alone again.***The coast was clear by the time Lukegot out of the cottage, but he would never forget the sensations that had wracked his body when the energy had pulsed so hard as if trying to penetrate his skin. More so, there was no forgetting the way she looked: terrified, the kind that indicated she had been in this scenario before, and it was something she never wanted to experience again. Then there was her voice, croaked out and small, as if she hadn’t used it in a long time. Maybe she hadn’t.He tried to set everything aside. His beast made its way out, more than ready to take on the challenge as it burst into a run and followed the trail he knew by heart. Leaving the cottage area was difficult, but the knowledge that the magic would
REJECTED MATE Chapter 40
“My clan leader is mated with a vampire from a powerful vampire clan,” Luke explained. “None of that matters because he looks at the heart, not what kind of creature one is.”She didn’t trust that, but she didn’t contradict it. He rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward.“So, Maya…it’s your choice. Do you want to be free or do you want to come with me? If you go, you have to leave completely and find a new spot—somewhere far away from all the trouble happening here. There aren’t many of them around with all the clans flourishing, and they are all wary of lone creatures like you. The second option is that you can come with me. My clan’s main territory.” He paused, letting all of that sink in. Then he went for the kill. “We have shelter and protection. We have food. You will never have to go hungry again, and you won’t have to steal.”Her cheeks went violently red at the latter, unable to deny it. He glimpsed her internal battle happening under a relatively calm façade, and ther
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