The Alpha’s Rejected Mate

17

ELEANOR

The farther we walked, the more I became aware of how quiet the estate had grown. There were still guards stationed along the corridors, but nobody seemed interested in talking. I stayed close to Ethan.

When we reached the courtyard, my steps slowed.

The large double doors stood at the far end, surrounded by guards. I had thought it was frightening before. Now, knowing what was happening on the other side of those doors, I was almost too afraid to move.

A loud crash suddenly erupted from inside and I stopped so abruptly that Ethan had to turn toward me.

My heart began pounding as another crash followed, accompanied by a deep, furious growl that seemed to vibrate through the doors. I stared at the entrance. That sound hadn't come from a man simply losing his temper. It had sounded like an animal. A very large, very angry animal.

My hands began to tremble.

"Ethan," I whispered.

He looked at me.

"Are you sure I need to do this?"

He seemed to consider the question.

"No," he answered honestly. "I'm not sure of anything anymore."

He glanced toward the doors, then back at me.

"But when you were near him earlier, he was calmer. I think that's our best chance.”

Another growl came from inside, louder than the last one. My breath caught. I wanted to go home, but Ethan was waiting, and I knew he would go inside whether I followed him or not, so I forced my feet to move.

Each step toward the doors felt heavier than the last. By the time we reached them, my palms were damp, and I could feel sweat gathering beneath my clothes despite the cool air.

Ethan exchanged a brief look with the guards amd one of them opened the doors.

The first thing I noticed were the furniture scattered across the floor, some pieces broken beyond recognition. One side of the room was badly damaged, and I could see cracks running through the wall.

I didn't see Caspian at first, then something moved near the other end of the room. He was standing beside the damaged wall, his back partially turned toward us.

My breath caught in my throat.

His shirt was torn in several places, and it clung to his body, soaked with sweat. His hair was damp and disheveled, falling over his forehead. There was blood on his hands and streaks of it along his arms, and even from where I stood, I could see several cuts across his skin, but it was his feet that made my stomach twist.

He was barefoot, standing among the broken pieces scattered across the floor. Blood had gathered around the cuts on his soles, leaving dark marks beneath him, but he barely appeared to notice the injuries.

"Caspian?" Ethan called cautiously.

Caspian's head snapped toward us. His eyes found Ethan first, and his expression immediately twisted with anger. Then he saw me.

He stared at me for a few terrible seconds. I had never seen his eyes look like that before. They were wild and frightening, and there was something in them that made me feel like I had wandered into the path of a predator.

Then he lunged.

A scream tore out of my throat and I stumbled backward, throwing my arms over my face. My entire body shook, and I couldn't stop the frightened sound that escaped me when I realized he was coming straight toward me.

I was going to get hurt. The thought filled my mind so completely that I couldn't think of anything else. I had known this was a risk, but knowing something and seeing it happen were two very different things.

I couldn't bring myself to look at him. Then I heard a sharp, guttural sound.

I lowered my arms just enough to see Caspian stagger. He had stopped only a few feet away from me, one hand pressed against his head. His face contorted with pain as he staggered sideways, crashing into a small table. The table overturned beneath his weight, sending it skidding across the floor.

He let out another furious growl and grabbed his head with both hands.

I backed away until my shoulders struck the doorway.

My breathing came in short, uneven bursts and Caspian was still looking in my direction. He took a step toward me, then abruptly turned away, his body twisting with another wave of pain.

He struck the wall with his fist and I flinched as I tried to control my breathing.

His breathing was harsh, and his hands kept moving toward his head. It was terrifying to watch.

He wanted to come closer. I could see it in the way his eyes kept returning to me, in the way his body seemed to draw toward me even when he fought against it. But he didn't want to come closer, either.

Whenever he moved in my direction, he would suddenly recoil, clutching his head and staggering away like the very thought of being near me caused him pain.

I stood frozen, unable to understand what I was witnessing, and lost for words.

Caspian leaned against the wall, his shoulders heaving, then dragged himself away from it with an angry sound. He was destroying the room around him.

My eyes burned as I watched him struggle. I felt pathetic. I was standing several feet away from him, shaking so badly that I could barely remain upright, unable to do anything except watch. I couldn't protect myself, much less help someone as powerful as Caspian Blackwood.

No wonder he didn't want me.

I had spent so much time wondering why Caspian rejected me, why he treated me like my presence was an inconvenience when I was his fated mate. Standing there, watching him fight his own body while I trembled in fear, I was beginning to understand just how powerless I really was. And whatever connection existed between us, it certainly hadn't given me the strength to face him without being afraid.

"Eleanor."

Ethan's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him, startled by the sound of my name.

He had moved farther into the room, but he remained at a careful distance from Caspian. His face was pale, and he still held one arm close to his body.

"Come a little closer," he said.

My eyes widened. "What?"

"Just a little. Don't rush him."

I looked at Caspian, who was now bent forward with one hand pressed against the wall. His entire body trembled, and his breathing sounded painful.

"I can't," I whispered, shaking my head.

"Eleanor, please."

I looked back at Caspian.

"I don't think I'm helping.” I whispered.

Ethan followed my gaze.

"He's calmed significantly since you arrived."

I stared at him.

"That's what you call calm?” I asked pointing at Alaric. “That is not calm at all.”

Ethan looked around the destroyed room before turning his attention back to Caspian.

"You should have seen him before you came then.” He whispered.

A chill passed through me as I looked at the broken furniture and he damaged walls. I looked at the cuts on Caspian's hands and arms, at his bloodied feet, and at the way he struggled to remain standing, and I realized that everything I was seeing might be an improvement. I couldn't imagine what he had looked like two hours earlier.

My stomach twisted.

Caspian suddenly straightened and turned toward us.

"Get out."

His voice was rough and unsteady, but the command was firm.

He was standing in a corner now, one shoulder pressed against the wall like it was the only thing keeping him upright. His entire body was soaked in sweat, and his chest rose and fell with each labored breath. Blood ran down the side of one foot and gathered beneath his toes. His hands were clenched, and he kept his head slightly lowered, as if even looking at us required more strength than he could spare.

There was no cold authority in his expression now. No effortless confidence. He looked helpless and scary at the same time, and despite everything he had done to me, I felt sorry for him.

"Caspian," Ethan said carefully.

"Get out!" Caspian shouted.

The sound echoed through the room and I stumbled another step backward, pressing my hand against my mouth to stop myself from crying.

He was frightening enough when he was simply angry. Seeing him like this, knowing that he could no longer control himself, was something I wasn't prepared for.

I wanted to turn around and run until I couldn't hear his growls anymore, but I couldn't make myself move.

Caspian lifted his head and looked directly at me and his expression changed. His jaw tightened, and something flickered in his eyes, but whatever he wanted to say never came.

He swallowed hard, his throat working as he fought to catch his breath.

"Leave," he repeated, his voice shaking.

I pressed my lips together. "I can't."