Rejected and claimed by the alpha beast Novel by Paige T

The waves of the night sea pulled a dangerous tide, and with its steep, dark waters, two figures emerged from the water in the sunken car.

At the last moment, Elise had dunked forward, hitting her head on the wheels, making her bleed and fall unconscious. Now Rygan was holding onto Elise’s body, but she wasn’t moving. He panicked and rocked her side as he turned her over,her body as pale as snow.

“F**k no,” he muttered in terror as he reached for her cold check. Parting her lips open, he began pulsing air from his mouth into her mouth. “Come on, El,” he muttered, not wanting to lose her again.

He glided their lips together again in a desperate attempt to give her air. After a few tries, her body began to twitch, and Elise croaked before her eyes shot open

She turned to the edge, throwing up all the water in her system before she began to take large gulps of air. Rygan reached towards her, pushing her hair out of her face; his eyes finally calmed in relief.

“You’re ok; you know El,” he muttered. “You’re crazy, you know that?” Rygan said to her. She stared at him; she couldn’t help but lean into his warm hands. She was caught in the moment for a second, then pushed away instantly

She hated that when she was on the verge of death, the first face she had seen in a trance was his.

“We need to leave; we aren’t safe here,” she said the moment she stood up. Rygan held her waist and steadied her from the dizzying spin from getting up too quickly.

She pushed him away. “I can do that myself” Rygan was a bit confused as to why she didn’t want to meet his gaze.

“Well, at least tell me why you did that; why did you jump?” He asked Elise as they headed away from the water; they were both freezing from the night’s cold air, both soaking wet in their shoes.

As they trailed, Elise could see the temporary dye coming off her hair locks. What was the use of all this when Kaide knew they were coming along? And what Hayden had done was go behind her back, but why did she choose Rygan when she could have just handed him over and been done with?

“At least f**g talk to me, El,” Rygan’s voice rang in, breaking her thoughts as she stopped walking. Even with her bruised body and aching feet, she finally turned to Rygan.

She thought she could hold that stance with a cold indifference on her face, but the moment her gaze met Rygan’s, her whole world crumbled, and tears began to flow.

“F**k, what is it, El? Please let me in.” He called with a palm cupping her face, the only warmth her body sought.

“I might have just traded my chance to see my baby boy again,” she confessed. The moment she could think clearly, she pulled Rygan’s hands away from her face as she stood up, taking off the heavyweight of the wet jacket.

She hated what she was feeling right now; she hated Hayden for meeting with Marcus and Kaide behind her back; and she hated that she was acting this way in front of a man she didn’t want anything to do with anymore.

“What?” Rygan snarled. “So Hayden had planned this? He joined Kaide.

“No, he didn’t, he wouldn’t; he did it for me; he has always done everything for me, and it’s my fault he even tried making a deal with those monsters in the first place!” She muttered.

“No one forced him to go meet them, and you did not tell him to-f**k!” He muttered with pacing anger. “You should have sold me out,” he said.

“What?” Elise froze in anger.

“What if this was the only chance?”

“* you, Rygan Al Andras; yes, I should have. But I couldn’t; as much as I’d like to enact my revenge on you, I do not play foul, and my child’s life is not a bet to those monsters,” she said as hot tears spilled.

“Look at me, they want me dead; they won’t kill Ethan if they want me; he is still alive, El, we will get him back.” Rygan assured her, and Elise let out a cry of agony as her knees planted to the ground. Her nails dug into the warm soil as she cried her heart out. Why was this happening to her son?

She heard the crunch of Rygan’s footsteps gaining closer as he knelt in front of her, taking her small, shivering frame into a hug. “I’m sorry, El. I hate this. I hate myself so much for what I’ve done to you,” he muttered.

Rygan felt an intense rage. “I’ll kill them all; 111 let them burn. If I could never see a tear on your face, I will,” he muttered.

He cupped her face in his palm, and for a moment, their eyes locked. Elise felt comfort in his warmth; something in her tugged to get closer, and his face grew inches nearer to her, close enough till they shared their breath; not the moment Rygan tried to kiss her, she pulled away.

“No, no, not again she pleaded, standing up; she couldn’t be fooled again. “I cannot betray Hayden’s trust,” she said, walking

away.

“Just like he has honored yours?” He asked, his question making her pause. “Right now, this isn’t about Hayden; it’s about what you feel, f**k Elise. I know you feel it too; for a long time, even in death, you know our wolves have imprinted on each other.”

“I don’t care! I cannot trust you, being close to you is making me do things I shouldn’t, so stay away,” she muttered, shaking her head as she took a step back, but Rygan took another forward. Elise couldn’t stop until she was cornered and backed by a tree.

Rygan’s hands stayed beside her head. “Then rip my heart out now while you have the chance, because even I can’t stop myself from what happens next,” he muttered, bending down and joining their lips together.

Elise felt like her world exploded and joined back again-that burning feeling that he had missed that her body had yearned for, like a needy soul deprived of its way back until now.

Their tongues meshed like an unspoken symphony, the heat between them sizzling hot and filled with yearning.

It took a second for Elise to recall what she was doing. Her eyes widened when she got back to her thoughts as she pulled back from the kiss; she raised a hand, hitting Rygan hard on the face before pushing him off; and her eyes turned cold as she gave him a vulgar gesture, raising a middle finger.

“Go to hell, Rygan,” she muttered before walking away. They were barely out of the forest after minutes of walking, but not word had been spoken between them after that kiss.

“I’m sorry, I just-

“We need to head back east.” Elise cut him off; she didn’t want to hear or think about anything that reminded her of the kiss.

“What we need is to talk,” he said, coming to block her from walking away.

“No, Ryan, there is nothing to talk about; I am not going down that road with you; it is a long history, and I very much like to forget it, and whatever you think just happened didn’t,” she snarled coldly before brushing his shoulder and passing him by

Even though she was free, her heart beat as loud as a drum from just the brush of their skin.

But as she walked further, she almost stumbled, so Elise’s body had to feel warmer than usual; her once cooling skin was now clammy with sweat, and with each step, she felt her body get heavier.

Her vision had started to become blurry. She walked further but wanted to be away from Rygan. She couldn’t think when the alpha was close.

“I know you want to forget, but I can’t. These years I spent thinking of you, regretting everything I ever did, watching as those b**astards manipulated me. Elise, no, it was all my d**n fault. I still love you.”

He was cut off by the sound of a thud. Elise’s knees hit the ground. “El!” He called in shock as her body became limp in his hold.

“I don’t feel so good,” she groaned. She felt a pain in her abdomen that made her lurch forward, but Rygan held her closer.

“Don’t worry, I got you,” he assured, picking her up. He knew he had to risk it, but he turned into his wolf and urged her to hold onto his fur before he raced farther out of the woods.

Until her head cleared with a small cottage, probably abandoned because he smelled no living being nearby. He rushed her into the house, keeping her on the couch, just as he reached to start the fire, he felt an intense, heavy pour of sweet yet intense pheromones from Elise’s body.

He stiffened, but his wolf whimpered, intrigued by the knowing, sweet scent that spilled from Elise. Something feral in him shifted from recognition of that scent.

She was in heat.