Chapter 4 His Rejected Mate

CEDAR BLAKE

"Who was that?" I asked, still rattled.

"Sammy Porter," he answered casually, almost with a hint of smugness. He bent to kiss the corner of my mouth. "My rejected mate."

Rejected mate?

I handed the empty wine glass to a passing maid, trying to mask the storm swirling inside me. Without waiting for me, he started up the stairs, leaving me trailing behind like some confused guest at my own ceremony. No further explanation, no attempt to justify why I suddenly felt cornered into a marriage-contract or not.

He had promised transparency. Honesty. I deserve to know what I'm getting into.

"And you didn't think I should know that you had a mate whom you rejected? One who's clearly not over it?" I caught up with him, my voice trembling with hurt. "Do you realize the position you've put me in?"

He stopped at his door, pulled out a key, and unlocked it with a sharp twist of his wrist. "I know I should've told you," he muttered, not meeting my eyes. "But I forgot. Besides, I never promised you a bed of roses, Cedar. I only guaranteed the benefits of accepting my proposal. I thought we had a mutual understanding."

He walked into the room, leaving the door open behind him, still refusing to look at me.

I stood in the doorway, stunned. "Oh." That was all I could say. What was the point of arguing with a man like Dominus? He wouldn't hear me anyway.

He turned briefly. "Are you coming in, or are you going to stand there like a lost sheep?"

My hand held the door open as I stared at him, really stared at him, and then let my gaze sweep over the room. It was massive. A dozen warriors could sleep on his bed without brushing elbows. And yet, it looked untouched. The charcoal-grey duvet matched the abstract wallpaper behind the bed. A sleek door led, presumably, to the bathroom. A floor-to-ceiling window stretched across the other side, flooding the room with moonlight. Beside it sat a single lounge chair, perfectly placed yet clearly unused. An open space led to a walk-in closet that looked more like a boutique.

Everything about this room screamed perfection. But it also felt cold. Untouched. Just like its owner, beautiful, but emotionally sterile.

"I'm still trying to figure out if I'm allowed to share your room, or if I'll be going back to the guest house," I said as I finally stepped inside, closing the door behind me.

He raised a brow and shrugged off his jacket. "Did you read the contract properly, Cedar?"

That question hit harder than I expected. No, I hadn't read the damn contract. I skimmed it. I was desperate. I needed to survive. And now, I'd just handed myself over to a man I barely knew. A man feared across every corner of the kingdom. The mighty Alpha of Oakwood. The man with too many secrets and too little empathy.

I've thrown myself into the viper's den.

"I'll take that silence as a no," he said, flinging his jacket carelessly onto the bed. "It's alright, Sweet. You'll be out of this mess before you know it."

He came closer, took my hands in his, and gave them a light squeeze. Then he kissed my knuckles gently, like a twisted gentleman with a dark past. For a moment, it almost felt real.

I used to think the fear surrounding him was exaggerated, just the usual stories spun about alphas who conquered rogue lands and destroyed enemy packs. I believed he was just misunderstood. But tonight proved me wrong. The way people looked at him... like they were trying not to breathe too loudly in his presence. Like one wrong word would cost them their lives.

And now they'd look at me the same way.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he said, as if reading my thoughts. "You don't have to worry about pack affairs. You've got your freedom now. Unlimited access to luxury. All you have to do is play your role as my Luna, and in ninety-eight days, it'll all be over."

He paused, his voice hardening. "And you can't share my room."

My mother always said, All that glitters is not gold.

She would've warned me about this. She would've told me not to sign a damn thing until I understood the full weight of it. But I had no one. No guidance. No safety net.

And I had foolishly convinced myself that he wanted me. That maybe, just maybe, there was something genuine in his eyes when he looked at me. Because he had saved me, hadn't he?

I could survive ninety-eight days, right? I mean, it couldn't be worse than what I went through back in my own pack. Right?

"Hey."

I looked up, startled. He was staring at me again, this time more intently. For a split second, I saw desire flicker in his eyes, but it vanished just as quickly as it came. He lifted his hand, placing a finger under my chin to tilt my face toward him. He bent slightly and kissed my forehead.

Then he squeezed my hands again, tighter this time. My heart thumped so hard I could barely hear myself breathe. Okay. I wasn't imagining it. He was attracted to me. But for some reason, he was holding back. We were both playing a role.

"I don't want you to regret this," he said softly. "I didn't tell you about Sammy because I wanted to protect you. Forget her. Focus on your family's vindication. Make the world tremble at the sound of your voice. You have that power now."

A smug smile pulled at his lips as he turned away, continuing to undress like the conversation was already over.

I let out a breath and spoke quietly. "I want to go for a walk."

I moved toward the door, hands shaking as I reached for the handle.

But before I could even touch it, it burst open.

A massive guard stumbled into the room, nearly crashing into me. His face was a mess, bloodied and bruised, his nose clearly broken. He was trembling even more than I was, and I hadn't stopped shaking since the ceremony.

He dropped to his knees.

"I'm sorry!" the guard cried out, bowing his head so low I thought it might hit the floor. "I didn't mean to barge in!"

Dominus turned slowly, his expression unreadable.

The guard kept going, his words tumbling over each other. "It's-it's-Deklan, he told me to...he said... he said I should tell you-"

"Deklan?" Dominus cut him off, his voice suddenly a low growl.

He froze. His entire body went rigid. His hands clenched into fists, and his irises shifted, changing into a deep, unnatural hue that made my breath catch.

Everything in the room fell silent.

Even the air refused to move.