Rejected By The Alpha, Claimed By The Enemy

Chapter 8: Bleeding for Me

I didn’t stay in the safe room.

I grabbed a knife and ran.

The courtyard was hell. Fire. Wolves fighting. Bodies.

And in the middle of it all... Dante.

He was surrounded. Bleeding from 3 different wounds. But still standing.

Still killing anyone who came close.

"Kieran sent them," Rafe yelled, fighting beside him. "He wants her!"

Dante looked up and saw me.

His eyes went wide. "Get back inside!"

Too late.

A rogue broke through and grabbed me from behind. Knife to my throat.

"Let her go!" Dante roared.

The rogue laughed. "Make me, Alpha."

Time stopped.

Dante didn’t think. He didn’t hesitate.

He threw himself at us.

The rogue’s knife sliced.

Not my throat.

Dante’s side.

He took the hit for me.

He went down. Hard.

"DANTE!" I screamed.

Everything went red.

I don’t remember what happened next.

I remember fighting. Screaming. Blood on my hands.

I remember Rafe pulling me off a body.

I remember cradling Dante’s head in my lap while healers ran to us.

"Don’t you dare," I whispered, tears falling on his face. "Don’t you dare die for me."

His eyes opened. Golden. Faded.

"Little wolf," he breathed. "You’re okay."

"Shut up. Save your strength."

He smiled. Blood on his teeth. "Told you... I protect... what’s mine."

Then his eyes closed.

---

3 days.

3 days he didn’t wake up.

I didn’t leave his bedside.

I washed him. I talked to him. I begged.

"Please. I just chose you. You can’t leave me now."

On the 4th morning, his hand moved.

It found mine.

"Elara," his voice was rough. "You’re crying."

I broke. Sobbing into his chest.

"You stupid i***t. You could have died."

"But I didn’t," he said weakly. "Because you were there."

He pulled me down until our foreheads touched.

"You came for me. Why?"

"Because," I whispered. "Because I’m yours too."

The room was silent.

Then he kissed me.

Slow. Weak. But real.

Like a promise.

When we pulled apart, Rafe was at the door. Grinning like an i***t.

"About time," he said. "Now can we tell the pack their Alpha isn’t dead?"

Dante didn’t look away from me.

"Later."

His hand came up to my face.

"First, I need to tell her something."

My heart pounded.

"I’m not letting you go," he said. "Not to Kieran. Not to anyone.

Not even to yourself."

He paused. "Be mine. For real this time. Not because I asked. Because you want to."

Tears fell again. But different ones.

"Yes," I said. "I want to."

He closed his eyes like those 2 words healed him more than any medicine.

---

That night, the pack held a celebration.

Not for the win.

For me.

Dante stood in front of everyone. Still bandaged. Still weak.

But his voice was strong.

"This is Elara," he said. "She is under my protection. My care. My..."

He looked at me. "My mate."

The pack howled.

And for the first time since Kieran rejected me,

I felt wanted.

I felt home.

End of Chapter 8