The Alpha’s Rejected Mate

13

CASPIAN

I waited until the heavy doors closed behind us before allowing myself to breathe.

The room was exactly what I had ordered it to be. Isolated from the main estate, with thick walls, reinforced doors, and enough space to contain my wolf if he decided to make things difficult. The windows had been secured, and the furniture had been reduced to a few heavy pieces that would not be easily broken.

I had made sure everything was ready before coming here. There was no reason for this to go wrong.

I could survive every episode without Eleanor Vale. I had endured the pain, the anger, and the moment when my wolf fought so violently against me that I could barely recognize my own thoughts. It hadn't been pleasant, but I had regained control. This time would be no different.

I was the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. My wolf answered to me, and I would not allow an unfortunate condition to turn me into a man who depended on a powerless woman just to remain standing.

Eleanor had helped me once, but that did not mean I needed her.

I rolled my shoulders, then walked toward the center of the room. Ethan remained several feet behind me, silent and unusually tense. I noticed it, of course. I noticed everything.

My Beta had been watching me with the same guarded expression since we arrived, like he expected me to collapse at any moment. It was irritating.

"Stop looking at me like that," I said.

Ethan straightened slightly. "Like what, Caspian?"

"Like you're waiting for something to happen."

"I'm only making sure everything is in order."

"Everything is in order." I turned to face him. "The guards know what to do, the room is secured, and no one will come in. You can stop worrying."

The tension did not leave his face. I looked away before the irritation growing inside me found somewhere else to settle.

It came a few minutes later. A faint tightness beneath my ribs, so slight that I almost dismissed it. I stood still, concentrating on keeping my breathing even, when something shifted deep inside me. The familiar presence of my wolf stirred, pressing against the boundaries I had spent years teaching him to respect. I drew in a slow breath.

My wolf had always listened to me, so why wouldn’t he do it now because of some woman.

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I was in control.

The tightness eased slightly, and I opened my eyes with a small, satisfied breath. It wasn't particularly difficult. I had expected worse, considering what had happened earlier that afternoon. Eleanor's face flashed through my mind before I could stop it, and I quickly pushed it aside.

Whatever she believed existed between us, it did not change the facts. I didn't need her.

I repeated the words silently as I straightened my back.

A low growl sounded from somewhere deep in my chest and I froze.

Ethan took an involuntary step forward. "Caspian?"

"I'm fine."

The answer came too quickly, but I wasn't about to encourage his concern.

I pressed my palm against the center of my chest, waiting for the strange vibration to disappear

Another growl rose in my throat, but this time, it was deeper.

Ethan's expression changed.

"How long has it been like this?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?"

He glanced at my hand, still pressed against my chest, before meeting my eyes. "The episodes. Have they been getting worse?"

I lowered my hand.

"That isn't your concern."

"I'm your Beta. Your condition is my concern."

"I have no condition, Ethan!” I snapped.

His silence irritated me more than an argument would have. I could feel my wolf shifting restlessly beneath my skin, but I refused to give the sensation more attention than it deserved. I had spent years fighting my own battles without needing someone to hold my hand, and I wasn't about to start now.

Especially not because of that woman.

I walked toward the far wall and placed both hands against it, stretching my fingers before curling them into fists. The movement helped ease some of the tension building in my arms. Then the pain struck.

It began in my lower back and shot upward through my spine, sharp enough to steal my breath. My fingers dug into the wall as I bent my head, forcing myself not to make a sound. I couldn't move as I tried to breathe. It felt like something inside my body was trying to tear it's way out. My muscles tightened, my heartbeat quickened, and heat spread beneath my skin until I was certain I could feel every drop of blood moving through my veins.

I clenched my jaw. I wouldn't allow this.

I had experienced pain before. I knew what it meant to endure it, and I knew better than to let a moment of weakness dictate what I did next. I pushed away from the wall and straightened slowly.

Ethan was staring at me.

"Don't." I warned him before he could speak.

He closed his mouth, but the wary look was still in his eyes.