The Rejected Beast Bride’s New Mate Chapter 03

The Rejected Beast Bride’s New Mate Chapter 03

Chapter 3 The Storm and the Stranger

That should be enough to make sure Adrian didn’t get the wrong idea about me chasing after him.

But it only seemed to make him angrier. His voice spiked in volume. “Are you threatening me?”

That’s not what I meant. I just…

He cut me off, his voice dropping low and dangerous Alliance regulations are clear. If a Beastkin is injured or killed due to their partner’s negligence, the partner gets punished.”

“Are you trying to get me in trouble? Get your ass back here. Now

I couldn’t even defend myself. But I did worry about the consequences for Adrian.

Dawn was starting to break outside, and a light rain was falling. I said a quick goodbye to the Volunteer and hurried out the door.

I didn’t see the puddle. My foot hit the water, and I went down hard.

A searing pain shot through my ankle, and my arm scraped against the ground, drawing blood My white dress was soaked and filthy.

All the hurt, all the sadness I had been bottling up found a crack and came flooding out at once. The tears I had been holding back for so long finally spilled over. I sat there in the drizzle and let myself cry.

I was right in the middle of a good, ugly cry when two pairs of long legs appeared in front of

I looked up. It was Adrian and Kylie, though I had no idea why they were here. They stood there in their expensive clothes, staring down at me.

A flicker of contempt crossed Kylie’s eyes. She spoke in a teasing, patronizing tone.

“Oh, sweetie, how’d you end up looking like this?

“You’re the War God’s partner now. Even if you don’t care about your own image, at least think about Adrian’s reputation. Imagine what people would say if they saw you like this.

Adrian pressed his lips into a thin line. His expression was dark.

His gaze lingered on my bleeding arm for a long moment before he jerked his eyes away

“Are you waiting for me to help you up? You think sitting in the dirt like that is a good look? Or

are you saying I haven’t been humiliated enough already?”

Kylie giggled. “Oh, don’t be so hard on her. Maybe she’s just one of those helpless little things that doesn’t know to come inside when it rains or eat when she’s hungry.”

Adrian let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “A Defective is a Defective. Can’t present herself in public, and can’t even think for herself.

“Being matched with you is the biggest stain on my entire life.”

Why? Why did they have to treat me like this? I never asked to be matched with him. None of this was my choice. So why did I have to suffer for it?

My face went pale. All I wanted was to shrink into nothing and disappear from this suffocating place. But the pain in my ankle wouldn’t let me move. So I sat there in the rain and let them tear me apart.

Then, suddenly, the rain stopped. An umbrella had appeared over my head, shielding me from the downpour. A jacket settled over my shoulders, and warmth wrapped around me instantly, chasing away the cold that had sunk into my bones.

A faint scent of herbal medicine filled my nose. I looked up at the stranger in a daze. Clear blue eyes stared back at me. It was Caleb Voss.

He helped me to my feet, and I heard his voice, soft and gentle. “Are you okay?”

After a lifetime of cold words and sharp edges, this kind of gentleness felt almost foreign. It threw me off balance.

I fumbled for words, waving my hands and insisting I was fine. But Caleb’s eyes hardened. He took my hand. “You’re bleeding here. Does it hurt?”

My nose stung with the threat of fresh tears. I ducked my head and managed to get out in a shaky voice, “It doesn’t hurt. I just need a minute. Th-thank you.”

He let out a quiet sigh, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He wrapped my hand carefully and tied it off with a neat little bow. I stood there, stiff as a board, too stunned to do anything but let him work.

Adrian, who had been standing there ignored for far too long, finally snapped. He barked at Caleb.

“Who the hell are you?”

Kylie had already recognized Caleb. She tugged lightly at Adrian’s sleeve and whispered something to him.

A look of understanding crossed Adrian’s face, and he immediately shifted to a snide, mocking

tone.

“Oh, so you’re the famous former Commander. Getting handsy with another man’s Bonded Beastkin in broad daylight. How impressive.”

Caleb finally lifted his gaze to Adrian, his voice flat and even.