Rejected By My Alpha Mate

Chapter 11

The Shadow Vale looms ahead, a jagged scar in the landscape. The trees are gnarled and twisted, their branches reaching like skeletal fingers toward the darkened sky. Mist coils around the ground, thick and unnatural, shifting as if it has a life of its own.

A deep unease settles over me, heavier than before. The encounter with the Shade left my skin tingling with residual energy, but it’s more than that. The closer we get, the more I feel... watched.

Selene stops abruptly. “We’re here.”

Damien exhales slowly. “Great. I was hoping for something more welcoming. Maybe a sign that says ‘Certain Death This Way’.”

I force a smirk, but my fingers tighten around the hilt of my blade. “We can still turn back, you know.”

Damien scoffs. “Oh, sure. And let Reven sink his claws deeper into your mind? No thanks. Besides, I’m not letting you walk into hell alone.”

Selene glances at me. “You should turn back, Damien.”

He stiffens. “What?”

“This place is woven with ancient magic,” she says carefully. “It only allows those bound to its curse. You may not be able to cross.”

Damien grits his teeth. “I’m not leaving her.”

Selene studies him for a long moment before nodding. “Then stay close. And if you feel anything trying to pull you in—run.”

Damien mutters something under his breath, but I don’t hear it. My focus is locked on the entrance to the Vale.

As I take a step forward, the mist shifts, parting like something unseen is granting permission. The moment I cross the threshold, a chill seeps into my bones.

Selene and Damien follow, and the forest behind us closes.

The path we came from vanishes, swallowed by darkness.

Damien curses. “Well. That’s not creepy at all.”

Selene exhales. “We move quickly. The longer we stay, the harder it will be to leave.”

I nod, forcing my feet forward. Every step feels heavier, like the air itself is pressing against me. The Vale is wrong. Hungry.

Then, something whispers.

Not aloud. Not from around me.

Inside me.

You are home, child.

I freeze. My breath catches in my throat.

“Ariana?” Damien’s voice is distant.

My pulse hammers. The voice isn’t Reven’s. It’s something else. Something older.

You were always meant to return.

I squeeze my eyes shut. No. Ignore it. Keep moving.

But then—

A figure appears in the mist ahead.

A woman.

She stands impossibly still, her body half-hidden by the fog. Her long, dark hair flows as if caught in a wind that doesn’t exist.

Selene’s breath hitches.

Damien draws his sword. “Who the hell—”

The woman tilts her head. And suddenly, I know who she is.

My heart stops.

“Mom?”

Damien sucks in a sharp breath. “Ariana... your mom’s dead.”

I barely hear him. My feet move on their own.

“Ariana, wait—” Selene’s voice is sharp, urgent.

I don’t listen.

I take a step closer—

And the woman smiles.

Not a mother’s smile. Not something warm or familiar.

It’s wrong.

Something shatters.

The illusion twists.

And suddenly, I see the truth.

Not my mother. Not even human.

The thing before me is faceless. Its skin shifts like liquid, its mouth stretching into a grin far too wide.

Not a ghost. Not a Shade.

Something worse.

The mist around it darkens, tendrils stretching toward me.

Selene yells something, but the creature moves faster—

It lunges.

I barely have time to react. A force slams into my chest, knocking me back.

The world blurs. My back hits the cold ground, breath ripping from my lungs.

Darkness claws at me. It’s inside my head, whispering, You cannot run from what you are.

Pain ignites in my skull. My vision dims.

Then—

A blast of golden light erupts through the mist.

Selene.

The creature screeches, the sound inhuman, shrill.

The pressure in my head vanishes. I gasp, dragging in air.

Damien yanks me to my feet. “Ariana! Are you okay?”

My heart is still racing. “W-what was that?”

Selene steps forward, her golden eyes burning. “A Lurker.”

Damien frowns. “Never heard of it.”

“You wouldn’t have.” Her voice is grim. “They exist only in cursed lands. They take the shape of what you desire most... to lure you in.”

A shudder rips through me. “It knew what I wanted to see.”

Selene grips my shoulder. “You cannot trust your eyes here. The Vale will use your memories against you.”

I nod, swallowing hard.

Damien exhales. “I really hate this place.”

Selene glances ahead, her expression unreadable. “Come on. We’re close.”

I force my feet forward, ignoring the way the shadows shift around us.

The Shadow Vale isn’t just cursed.

It’s alive.

And it wants me.