Rejected By My Mate,Claimed by his uncle

Chapter 4

Lillian’s POV.

Something hit me, dragging me out of sleep. I blinked, groaning as I pushed myself up, only to find an envelope lying on the bed.

My mate stood across the room, already dressed, his hands buried in his pockets. His face was impossible to read. Morning light spilled through the curtains.

“That’s for you,” he said, his deep voice distant, almost cold.

My brows furrowed as I tore the envelope open. My stomach dropped when I saw the cash inside. I looked up at him, my throat tightening.

“W…what is this? What’s happening?”

His jaw flexed.

For the briefest moment, regret flickered across his face before disappearing behind cold indifference.

"Take the money," he said. "Forget last night.”

I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I stumbled to my feet, clutching the blanket around me.

“You’re paying me off? Am I just… some kind of one-night stand to you?” My voice broke, trembling with disbelief.

He hissed, his expression hard.

“Stop making a scene. There’s no way you thought I’d ever mate you.”

The air left my lungs in a rush.

His eyes lingered on the mark on my neck, and his expression turned cold.

"That mark says you've already been claimed," he said. "I won't take another man's leftovers as my mate."

I gasped, his words hitting me like a knife.

“Leftover? When you were f*****g me so hard, did you forget I was a leftover? When you moaned my name, when you touched me like you couldn’t get enough, did you forget then? And now suddenly I’m just a leftover to you?”

He smirked, unbothered. “Don’t put it that way.”

I let out a bitter laugh.

“Oh, I shouldn’t say it that way? Then tell me, what’s the best way to say it?” My voice cracked as I blinked back the tears threatening to spill. Inside, I was breaking apart.

“You think I don't feel it?” he asked bitterly. “You think I haven't spent the entire morning fighting the urge to come back to you?”

My breath caught as he dragged a hand over his face, frustration tightening his features.

“My wolf has been tearing me apart since the moment I saw you. Every instinct in me is telling me to claim you, protect you, and keep you close, but I can't.”

A hollow laugh tore from my throat.

“You’re exaggerating,” he said flatly. “At least be happy I paid you off for the good s*x. That way, neither of us loses.”

I stared at him in disbelief, my chest burning. My hands shook as I grabbed the bundle of cash from the bed and hurled it at him.

“Bastard! To hell with you and your money!”

The cash scattered across the floor, but he didn’t flinch. He didn’t say a word. He just turned and walked away, leaving me standing there shattered.

The moment the door shut, my strength gave out.

I sat there for a long time, staring at the scattered money. I couldn't even bring myself to cry anymore. It felt as though the tears had abandoned me, leaving behind nothing but an empty ache that hollowed out my chest.

My fated mate, the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for me, had rejected me, treating me like nothing more than a cheap thrill.

Sergio had been my mate only through our marriage bond. Sebastian was different. He was my true fated mate, the man the Moon Goddess had destined for me. And even he had rejected me.

"What's the point?" I whispered into the suffocating silence, my gaze fixed on the floor. "Moon Goddess... haven't you humiliated me enough?"

I curled into myself, the weight of rejection crushing me. In that moment, death felt kinder than the curse of being chosen, only to be destroyed, by the one meant for me.

My phone buzzed, dragging me out of my thoughts. It was a message from Serigo, cursing me for not answering his calls.

I groaned, shutting my eyes. Because of that bastard, I hadn’t run when I had the chance. And now… there was no escape.

The tears came again, slipping down my cheeks. The phone buzzed again, but I didn’t bother looking.

There was no point in running. By now, Sergio's men had already surrounded the borders, and there was nowhere I could escape without being found.

Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet and walked to the bathroom. Every step hurt, the bruises from last night reminding me of everything I wanted to forget. I hissed under my breath, forcing myself through the pain.

I got dressed without caring how I looked, grabbed my things, and walked out.

The moment I opened the door, my chest tightened. My sister was on my husband’s lap. He jerked upright the instant he saw me.

“Where have you been?” he barked.

I didn’t answer.

He sneered. “If I didn’t need you to cook, do you think I’d even notice your absence? The least you could do is be useful. Aren’t you tired of being so useless?”

Still, I said nothing. His words cut deep, but I couldn’t let him see me break. All I could think was, if my mate hadn’t rejected me, if he hadn’t shattered me, I wouldn’t be standing here, listening to this man’s bullshit.

That was when I finally found my voice. “For what?” I asked quietly.

“If only you bothered to check your messages,” he snapped. “Now go.”

I nodded without another word and turned away.

Maria's eyes widened the moment she saw me, but she didn't dare ask any questions. With Sergio standing only a few steps away, she quietly lowered her head and continued cleaning as though nothing had happened.

When I reached my room, I didn’t even glance at my phone. I couldn’t bring myself to care. Instead, I went straight to the bathroom.

By the time I made it downstairs, the doorbell rang. I pulled the door open, only for my eyes to widen in shock.

It was him. My mate.

Before I could speak, Serigo’s voice echoed from behind me.

“Welcome home, Uncle.”