Chapter 40

Dante’s POV Angel stood resolute; her beautiful chocolate eyes now clouded with tears. “I, Angelique Baker, of the Wintercrest Nightwalkers, reject you, Dante Greene, Alpha of the Wintercrest Nightwalkers, as my mate.” The impact of her words sent me crashing onto the soft grass, my hands instinctively gripping my chest as if I could contain the ache that spread within my being. Each syllable felt like a merciless blow, causing my heart to fracture into a million agonizing shards. “Angel, please don't do this,” I gasped, my voice strained with the agony of her rejection. Tears blurred my vision as I pleaded with her. She looked down at me, her gaze void of the warmth it once held. “I have no use for you, Dante.” Her indifference cut through the air like a bitter wind, leaving me shattered and abandoned as she strode away. I awoke with my body drenched in a cold sweat. In the darkness, I instinctively reached out, but the space beside me lay empty and untouched. Three days, eighteen h