Rejected By My Alpha Mate

Chapter 10

The fire crackles, casting flickering shadows across the ruins. The night is eerily quiet now, the distant howls of the rogues having faded into the darkness. But I know better than to think we’re safe. Not yet.

Selene tends to Damien’s wounds, her golden glow dim as exhaustion weighs on her. I sit across from them, sharpening my blade, though my hands still tremble from what happened. From him.

Reven’s voice lingers in my mind, a dark whisper at the edge of my thoughts. You already know the truth...

I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing the memory away.

"Rest," Selene says, breaking the silence. "You’ll need your strength for the journey ahead."

Damien grunts as she presses a healing salve against his side. "Not like I’ll be getting much sleep anyway. Not after what just happened."

He looks at me then, his expression unreadable. But I can see it—the worry buried beneath the frustration.

I meet his gaze and force a small smirk. "You’re just mad I almost set the ruins on fire."

He huffs a laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah, well... next time, try not to explode when you pass out."

I glance at the scorched stone beneath me, the marks still faintly pulsing with leftover energy. I have no idea how I did that. No idea how to control it.

And that scares me more than anything.

Selene finishes tending to Damien’s wound and turns to me. "You should rest too."

I shake my head. "I can’t."

"You’re still weak from the connection," she warns. "Reven’s hold on you isn’t broken yet. He could try again."

I swallow hard, gripping my blade tighter. "Then I really can’t sleep."

Selene studies me for a moment before sighing. "Fine. But at least meditate. If you want to control what’s inside you, you need to understand it first."

I nod reluctantly.

Damien shifts beside me. "So... about the Shadow Vale."

I tense.

Selene’s expression darkens. "It won’t be an easy journey. The Vale is cursed, its magic twisted long ago. Most who enter don’t return."

Damien crosses his arms. "Oh, good. A literal death trap. Just what we needed."

I take a deep breath. "It’s the only way. If the Alpha’s Sigil can sever Reven’s hold on me, then we have to go."

Selene nods. "At dawn, we move."

Damien groans. "I’m starting to think I should’ve just let the rogues kill me."

I nudge him playfully. "Too late for that."

He smirks, but the worry never leaves his eyes.

Dawn breaks over the forest, painting the ruins in shades of gold and crimson.

We set off as soon as the sun rises, following an overgrown path that leads deeper into the woods. The air is thick with mist, the trees towering overhead like silent sentinels.

Selene leads the way, her steps sure and steady. Damien stays close beside me, his hand resting near the hilt of his sword.

The closer we get to the Vale, the heavier the air feels, charged with an energy that makes my skin prickle.

Hours pass in tense silence. Then—

A branch snaps in the distance.

I freeze, my pulse spiking.

Selene’s eyes narrow. "We’re being followed."

Damien curses under his breath. "Rogues?"

I listen carefully, heart pounding. Then, just beyond the trees, a shadow moves.

Not a rogue.

Something worse.

The figure steps into view, cloaked in tattered robes, its face hidden beneath a dark hood. But the energy radiating from it is unmistakable.

Magic. Twisted. Wrong.

Selene’s breath catches. "A Shade."

My blood runs cold.

Shades are revenants, spirits corrupted by dark magic. They are neither living nor dead, bound by ancient curses to hunt and destroy.

The Shade tilts its head, its hollow voice slithering through the air. "The cursed child walks the path of fate."

A chill races down my spine.

Damien draws his sword. "Yeah? Well, fate can screw off."

The Shade raises a skeletal hand, dark energy crackling between its fingers.

Selene moves first. She thrusts her palm forward, golden light flashing outward in a shield just as the Shade strikes.

The impact sends shockwaves through the trees.

I react instinctively, my own power surging forward. A fiery pulse erupts from my core, colliding with the Shade’s darkness.

It screeches, retreating slightly.

Selene grips my wrist. "Focus! Don’t let it take hold of you!"

I clench my fists, forcing the fire to bend to my will. The energy inside me burns brighter, pushing the darkness back.

The Shade hisses, flickering like smoke. "You are bound to him. You cannot escape what you are."

My chest tightens. The memory of Reven’s voice taunts me.

I snarl. "Watch me."

With a final burst of energy, I lash out—

And the Shade vanishes in a swirl of black mist.

Silence falls.

Damien exhales shakily. "Well. That wasn’t terrifying at all."

Selene lowers her hands, her glow flickering. "He sent it to test you."

I swallow. "And?"

She looks at me, her golden eyes troubled. "You’re stronger than I thought."

Damien frowns. "That’s a good thing, right?"

Selene hesitates. "I don’t know yet."

The unease in her voice sends another wave of fear through me.

I glance toward the dark path ahead, where the Shadow Vale waits.

This was just the beginning.

And something tells me the worst is yet to come.