Rejected And Claimed By The Alpha

Kennedy’s Pov

I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

She lay completely still on the cot, her wide, stunned eyes fixed on me. The word still echoed in my mind.

Mate.

I didn’t mean to move closer. I didn’t mean to let my guard down.

But my body moved on its own.

In the next second, I was beside her, pulling her into my arms.

“You’re my mate,” I said, my voice low and rough as I drew her closer.

She fit perfectly against me. My wolf stirred in satisfaction.

But she didn’t react.

She didn’t push me away… but she didn’t respond either.

Her arms hung loosely at her sides. Her face stayed frozen in shock, like she couldn’t understand what was happening.

I didn’t care.

Nothing made sense. Not even to me.

All I knew was the heat in my chest… the way my heart pounded like it never had before.

She was mine.

But why?

How?

I loosened my hold on her and leaned back slightly so I could look at her face.

Her eyes were beautiful. Dark, deep… filled with something heavy. Pain. Loss.

“What are you doing to me?” I murmured, more to myself than to her.

My wolf was restless, pacing, growling softly in my mind.

I searched her face for answers.

But she looked completely lost.

Then she tried to speak. Her lips parted. Her brows drew together as if forming words took effort.

But nothing came out.

Her hands flew to her throat. Panic flashed in her eyes.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

Something was wrong.

“Stop,” I said quickly, my hands gripping her shoulders. My voice came out sharper than I meant. “Don’t force it.”

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she clawed at her throat. Fear rolled off her in waves, hitting me harder than I expected.

It twisted something deep inside me.

“Here,” I said, grabbing a glass of water from the table and holding it out to her. “Drink.”

She took it with trembling hands and raised it to her lips.

But the moment she tried to swallow, the water spilled out. She choked, coughing harshly as her body shook.

I took the glass from her and set it aside.

“Damn it,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

Her panic grew worse.

Her eyes darted around the room, wild and desperate, before landing on me again. Tears filled them, spilling down her cheeks as she shook her head.

“No,” I said firmly, cupping her face in my hands. “Look at me.”

Her gaze locked onto mine.

I softened my voice.

“Don’t panic. We’ll figure this out.”

She didn’t speak, but her breathing slowed slightly.

“Stay here,” I said, pulling away even though I didn’t want to. “I’m getting Jerry.”

He was already in the hallway when I stepped out, likely drawn by the noise.

He barely had time to react before I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.

“What now?” he said, irritated. “You can’t expect me to fix everything in one night, Ken—”

“She can’t talk,” I cut in.

His expression changed instantly.

“Can’t talk? What do you mean?”

“She’s trying,” I said, nodding toward her. “Nothing comes out.”

Jerry moved toward her, all traces of humor gone.

“Alright… easy,” he said softly as he examined her.

Her hands stayed locked around her throat. She flinched when he touched her.

My wolf growled low, warning me to push him away.

I forced myself to stay still.

A moment later, Jerry straightened, his face serious.

“Her throat is swollen,” he said. “Probably from a hit during the fight. Her vocal cords could be inflamed… or worse.”

“How long?” I asked.

He hesitated.

“I don’t know. It might heal on its own… if she rests.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

He looked at me.

“Then it might not come back.”

My gaze snapped back to her.

She sat there, clutching her throat, tears in her eyes.

Then she looked at me.

And I saw it clearly this time.

Fear. Anger. Despair.

All of it.

I moved closer and knelt in front of her.

“Listen to me,” I said quietly, keeping my voice steady even though something inside me felt tight. “You’re going to be fine. You hear me? You’re safe now. We’ll fix this.”

A tear slipped down her cheek.

For a second, she just stared at me.

Then something changed.

She shook her head violently and pushed my hand away.

Her lips moved again, trying to form words that wouldn’t come. Frustration filled her face. She hit her chest lightly, then pointed at her throat.

“Don’t,” I said quickly, grabbing her wrists before she could hurt herself. “Don’t do that.”

She gasped.

Then suddenly—

She froze.

I saw it in her eyes first.

Pain.

Her hands flew back to her throat. Her face twisted as she struggled to breathe. A broken sound tore from her, raw and strained, like something trapped inside her.

“Jerry!” I shouted.

She coughed violently, her whole body shaking. Blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

My chest tightened.

“Hey,” I said, my voice softer now as I held her shoulders. “Stop. You’re making it worse.”

She couldn’t hear me. Panic had taken over.

Her breathing turned uneven, broken. She doubled over, shaking.

“Do something!” I snapped at Jerry.

“I need her calm!” he shot back, already moving toward us with something in his hand.

I pulled her against me.

“Breathe,” I said into her hair, my voice low and steady despite the tension in my chest. “Just breathe.”

Her hands clawed at my shirt, gripping tightly.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured. “You’re not alone.”

Slowly… slowly… her movements weakened.

Her breathing eased into uneven, shaky breaths.

Jerry knelt beside us and carefully applied a soothing salve to her throat.

“She’s exhausted,” he said quietly. “The injury isn’t fatal, but the strain is making it worse. She needs rest, Ken. Real rest.”

I didn’t respond.

All my attention was on the girl in my arms.

Mine.

The word came again but this time, it felt different.

Not possessive but protective.

A promise.

She was mine.

And I would fix this.

I had to.