Claimed After Rejection

Found Me

Seraphina’s p.o.v.

Four months later, I thought I had buried that night, shoved it into some dark place beneath my ribs, behind all the pain and humiliation, where it couldn’t haunt me and couldn’t touch the girl I was trying to become.

Standing in the half-lit alley behind a crumbling inn, face-to-face with the one man whom I had given my chastity, I was stunned and hadn’t expected to see him this soon, not after hiding carefully thinking that I’d stay away from everything, but apparently it seems like the goddess has some other plan for me.

His voice cut through the fog like a blade. “You’re pregnant.” I froze.

At the same time, the moon hung high overhead, casting silver across the filth while fear clung to my skin. I could barely breathe, my jacket was slipping, and my hood was blown back.

His eyes, those dark, storm-scarred eyes were locked on my stomach, on the curve I’d tried to hide.

The secret I’d sworn I’d die to protect.

“No, I…” My mouth opened but nothing came out as my pulse pounded so loud I thought the walls might shake.

He stepped forward like a storm brewing to destroy and at the same time, I took a step back, my instinct kicking in with fear, and in a flash, the memory I’m trying to forget came flooding in as I remembered the way his hands had felt that night.

The weight of his body and the way he’d made me come undone with just a look, a growl, and a whispered mine.

But this wasn’t that night and it wasn’t safe either, it was reality watching the stranger I’d run from standing just some meters away from me.

His voice dropped. “How long?”

“Leave me alone.” I swallowed, my eyes darting toward the alley exit. “Please, just….”

“How. Long.”

My throat tightened. “Four months.”

His jaw clenched, and at the same time, his nostrils flared as I watched the war behind his eyes as he did the math, remembering that night.

“This pup is mine.” He affirmed suddenly.

“No,” I whispered, but my body betrayed me as my fingers wrapped protectively over my belly, his eyes followed suit.

A low snarl vibrated from his chest, it wasn’t with rage but it was laced with something wild and territorial.

“You ran from me,” he growled. “After sharing the same bed and bond, you ran.”

“I had to and I don’t belong to anyone.” I snapped, voice breaking. “You don’t get to show up now and…”

“You’re carrying my heir, I can smell my seed growing inside you.” I stiffened, unable to form a word for a moment.

“And what? That gives you the right to drag me back as you owned me? I’m not yours. That night meant nothing, I was broken, and you were a mistake. And it was consensual, no one took advantage of the other.’

He stilled, upon hearing that, and in a flash he smiled a cold and feral smile that meant I’d just lied to a predator.

“You can lie to yourself,” he said softly. “But your body remembers and your wolf remembers.” He stepped forward again, closing the gap. “And now, I’ll make sure you never run again.”

Our eyes locked for the longest of time with neither of us saying a word, just the sound of our breathing and our chests rising and falling.

Same night, but moments later…

I should’ve screamed, shifted, and run into the trees as I did before, but something had cracked inside me the moment he said the words: “You’re carrying my heir.”

Not just a pup, a baby, but his heir. Who the heck is he by the way? Does it matter if I’m carrying his heir? I wondered furrowing my brows.

He looked at me like I was a stolen relic, sacred and awaiting to be claimed.

“I’m not going with you,” I said, clinging to the lie with shaking hands.

He took another step, and my back hit the alley wall. He didn’t touch me, but the heat of his presence scraped over my skin like fire.

At this point, I felt cornered and stupidly safe all at once. ‘Goddess, what was wrong with me?’ I asked internally and was conflicted with myself.

“You don’t have a choice,” he said calmly. “Your scent’s out there now, you think you can keep a Reaver pup hidden forever? You think Lucian won’t sniff you out?”

‘A Reaver? Does it mean that he’s the Alpha Supreme of the Midnight Reaver?’ I queried inwardly, yet I was skeptical about his identity.

However, it didn’t linger long as the mention of that name changed everything.

My stomach clenched as the pup kicked, like it could sense the danger.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered, pressing both palms to my belly. “I didn’t want you, him, or any of this.” My voice cracked. “I just wanted to be free.”

His expression didn’t shift, but something dark flickered in his eyes, it was possessive and icy cold.

“You are not free,” he said, voice like a thunderstorm. “You’re mine.” He affirmed possessively.

Meanwhile, he didn’t drag me or even touch me, but when he turned his back and said, “Come,” I followed without putting up a fight, it wasn’t because I trusted him but because if I stayed, Lucian would find me and if Lucian found me, my pup would never be safe.

On the contrary, I was still trembling when I stepped into his shadow. I hated that broken and yearning part of me that breathed easier once I did.

Later that night, I followed him with a word for the next hour, even as we were alone at the back of the car our body was slightly touching against each other, and he also didn’t utter a word, just a stern look that was focused on the road.

‘I wonder what’s my fate from now henceforth.’ I sighed, relaxed my head at the headboard of the backseat and closed my eyes as none of this made sense.