Rejected by Moonlight, Claimed by Shadows.

Chapter 3

Author's POV

"Stop the car at a nearby hotel," Richard ordered the driver. "The rain is heavy and I wish to rest tonight before heading to the Fort."

Richard's beta immediately leaned forward and gave the driver directions to the nearest hotel. The vehicle smoothly adjusted course and cut through the rain in the streets while Richard leaned back in his seat with his eyes staring out at the stormy night beyond the window.

Finally, the car screeched to a stop in front of a hotel, Richard's beta quickly stepped out and opened an umbrella to shield him from the heavy downpour.

As Richard placed his foot on the wet pavement, Janet came out of nowhere and threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms around him in a desperate embrace. "Please, help me."

Richard stiffened at the unexpected contact. She was completely drenched with her clothes clinging to her trembling form while her entire body quaked with fear.

"And why should I help you?" he asked.

Clearly scared that he would push her away and the warrior wolves might catch her, Janet said some words that shocked him, "Sleep with me."

Her breathless and desperate words stunned him.

Did she just ask him to sleep with her?

Richard's lilac eyes darkened as he regarded her with intrigue.

Did she not know who he was?

For such a fragile woman to make such a bold request, he was amused and his curiosity was piqued.

He had never let any woman get close to him and he had given up on finding his mate. He gave up as the moon goddess had seemingly denied him that bond, he had long believed it was because his mate must also despised him.

And yet, here was this woman that came out of nowhere and pressed herself against him in the pouring rain. She was even asking for something that no one had ever dared to demand from him before.

Without any hesitation, Richard agreed to sleep with her. He carried her in his arms in a bridal style and headed inside after giving a befitting reply to the approaching warrior wolves.

Janet started feeling nervous when Richard walked through the hotel's lobby with many eyes fixed on them. She didn't dare to look up since she didn't want anyone to recognize her.

She barely noticed when they arrived at the grand suite as she was too lost in her own thoughts. It was only when Richard gently set her down that she realized they were inside a suite. With her hands on his arms, she whispered, "Thank you."

But her relief was not for a long time.

"Shall we begin, miss?" Richard's deep voice sent shiver down her spine again and it reminded her why she was here.

Before she could react, his thumb brushed against her lips, Her breath shuddered and she slowly lifted her gaze to meet his striking lilac eyes.

"Do you want to take a bath first," he asked casually, "or should we do it right away?"

Janet's heart pounded violently against her ribs.

"I'll shower first," she replied quickly with her fingers fidgeting against the fabric of her damp dress.

Richard didn't press further, he simply watched her with amusement.

As she turned away, she clenched her hands to steady herself. She couldn't tell him she was pregnant. Never! If he knew, he might throw her out and she would have nowhere else to go.

For tonight, this man, Richard, was her only hope.

But how the hell was she supposed to sleep with him?

As soon as she stepped into the washroom, she locked the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment to catch her breath.

Her reflection in the mirror made her stomach twist, she looked terrible. The makeup she had carefully applied earlier was now a complete mess. Her eyeliner had smudged with dark streaks now running down her cheeks. Her perfectly laced lipstick had smeared unevenly around her lips and she barely recognized herself.

With a tired sigh, she stripped off her soaked dress and heels with her bare feet pressing against the cold floor as she stepped toward the transparent shower room.

"They all want me dead," she murmured under her breath as warm water cascaded down her body. "Even my own family didn't come to save me."

The water washed away the dirt, the rain and the traces of her ruined makeup. But it couldn't wash away the betrayal that she got from Bart and her own younger sister.

How couldn't she ever notice this?

Was the sweet smile that Bart carried all the time around her was fake?

But why?

Why did it happen to her?

Wiping away her tears under the warm stream of water, she steadied herself with a deep breath. "I will leave this place at all costs by tomorrow," she whispered as she finally made up her mind.

Shutting off the shower tap, she reached for a bathrobe and slipped it over her damp skin. Her hair remained loose and it dripped slightly against the fabric as she stared at her reflection one last time. Her reflection in the mirror looked fragile and haunted but beneath the exhaustion, there was determination and resilience.

She hovered near the door with her fingers gripping the handle tightly but she was hesitant to open it.

"Just sleep with him and get over it," she murmured to herself under her breath. "It's only for a night. You need to do this. Just this once to save your baby's life."

However, her body refused to move until Richard's deep voice came from outside.

"Don't make me wait too long. I don't like wasting my precious time."

Janet finally opened the door and stepped out. Her breath was caught in her throat as her eyes landed on Richard who was standing half-naked with his back facing her. But it wasn't just his bare skin that caught her attention, it was the massive tattoo carved into his back.

A wolf's face with fangs that bared in a menacing snarl as it stretched across his entire back. She had never seen anything like it before.

Richard exuded a dark aura with an unshakable dominance that couldn't go unnoticed. Yet, she felt an unexplainable pull toward him. The pull felt so magnetic that it unsettled her.

"Why did you call me your mate?" Janet asked with the hope of starting a conversation to delay what Richard was waiting for.

Richard turned around with his phone pressed against his ear. He locked his piercing gaze onto hers as he uttered a simple response.

"I'll talk to you later."

With that, he ended the call and lowered his hand.

Janet swallowed hard with her eyes flickering over his sculpted chest and toned arms before she quickly looked away. She tucked a strand of her wet hair behind her ear as she kept trying to steady herself.

"Why did you offer your body to me?" Richard also asked in response.