Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession

Chapter 161: Trigger

Roman’s ears rang with a sharp, piercing sound, the kind that comes just before a storm. His heart thundered like a drum, rage roaring through his veins with terrifying speed. The moment Jorell uttered the word "mate"—his mate—something primal and ancient uncoiled inside Roman. But before he responded, he did one last thing.

He lowered Tessy.

With infinite care, he bent to the ground and cradled her head in his palm, guiding her body down with a gentleness that defied the wrath simmering beneath his skin. He laid her carefully on the grass-covered marble floor of the palace courtyard, brushing her hair away from her face.

Her skin was pale. Her lips slightly parted. But she was breathing.

Still, it wasn’t enough.

Roman rose like a shadow rising over the world, then he lunged without any form of warning.

One moment Jorell was standing there, arrogantly clinging to his delusion. The next, Roman’s fist shattered the air between them with a force so brutal, so fast, Jorell didn’t even see it coming.

The first punch cracked against his jaw with a sickening thwack, his head snapping violently to the side. Blinding white light exploded behind Jorell’s eyes. His knees buckled, but Roman didn’t give him the chance to drop. Another blow struck his nose, flattening it with such force the cartilage crunched audibly.

Then a third hit followed immediately after, straight to the temple. The sheer velocity of the impact disoriented Jorell’s senses. His ears rang, vision blurred, brain stuttering from the jarring trauma.

"YOU DARE—" Roman roared, his voice hoarse with fury, drawing back for a fourth.

"ROME, WAIT!" Williams shouted.

Having rushed forward, and dropped to one knee beside Tessy, he quickly examined her. Relief washed through his features instantly when he realized she seemed normal, and no sign of witchcraft around her at the moment.

But Roman couldn’t hear him. All he could see was Tessy’s limp form. All he could feel and remember was the image of Jorell’s eyes locked on his queen. His woman. His heart.

Seeing how his words were not getting to Roman Williams rushed toward the guy and stood before him.

"She’s breathing," Williams said. "She only passed out! You need to take inside so she can rest. She needs you close to her right now. Let me deal with the bastard."

And that did it.

Roman’s fist froze mid-air, quivering with unreleased rage.

Breathing heavily, he turned to look at Tessy one more time, and then back at Jorell, who looks like he had just regained some of his senses as his face had twisted into one of anger instead of pain. noveldrama

Roman let out a low, guttural growl, then went back to Tessy.

At that moment, something snapped in Jorell’s head and he moved.

With a sudden, guttural growl, he pushed his hands against the stone pavement, his bones cracking audibly as the change overtook him. Fur burst forth, shredding his shirt in an instant. His back arched, spine twisting, body elongating. Teeth stretched into fangs, and his hands curled into claws.

In a flash, the man was gone, replaced by a massive gray wolf, snarling and soaked in blood. His eyes gleamed with rage and humiliation, and though unsteady from the blow Roman had just dealt, he didn’t back down.

Roman remained still, crouched beside Tessy, unbothered by whatever Jorell was doing.

But it was Williams who moved instead.

His bones cracked and rearranged with violent urgency, his muscles tearing and reforming under his skin as his figure expanded. Fur rippled across his frame, fangs glinting beneath a snarling muzzle. His eyes were cold and burning from fury all at once.

The transformation was complete in seconds.

Where Williams the man once stood now crouched an enormous wolf, only slightly larger than Jorell, with a bulk that pulsed with brute strength and battle-hardened instincts. He growled low, a deep warning that vibrated through the courtyard, then lunged. Correct content is on

Jorell responded in kind.

They collided mid-air with a crash loud enough to send birds scattering from the palace trees. Claws tore through fur. Fangs snapped dangerously close to vulnerable throats. The sound of growls, snapping jaws, and the crunch of bodies slamming against stone echoed through the grounds. The guards stood frozen—unable to interfere, unwilling to look away.

Williams dug his fangs into Jorell’s shoulder first, jerking his head to the side and sending the other wolf flying into a column. Stone cracked as Jorell hit it hard, but he recovered fast, scrambling to his paws and charging again.

This time, he went for Williams’s neck, leaping into the air with claws extended. But Williams twisted his massive frame just enough to avoid the direct hit, countering with a brutal swipe that sent Jorell tumbling into a flowerbed. He got up again, panting, foam coating his snout as he growled and paced.

The two circled each other now, both bloodied, both furious, both determined to bring the other down.

Jorell lunged again.

Williams met him mid-charge, jaws locking with his, the two grappling savagely in a flurry of claws and snapping teeth. This time, Williams overpowered him quickly, twisting Jorell’s body in a practiced move and pinning him down with his entire weight. His jaws closed around Jorell’s throat, not enough to kill, but enough to force surrender.

Jorell snarled, writhing underneath, claws scraping at the ground.

But Williams didn’t move.

He pressed harder, a low rumble building in his throat. One more move. One more twitch. One more ounce of defiance, and he would bite down and tear through the jugular without hesitation.

Jorell froze.

The struggle in him flickered... then faded. Correct content is on freew.ebno(v)e\l.(c)om.

He whimpered low, a sound of surrender no wolf ever made lightly, and finally let his limbs go slack.

Williams held the position for a second longer, ensuring the message sank in. Then slowly, he released his grip and stepped back.

Williams shifted first.

The transformation reversed with shuddering cracks and the sound of ripping muscle, until he stood upright again, blood dripping from a fresh scratch on his brow, chest rising and falling hard with exertion. His voice was low and lethal as he stared at the defeated wolf.

Jorell shifted back slowly, his body convulsing as fur receded and bones snapped into place. He stood up, his eyes still glinting from fury and panting heavily.

Roman stood just at the same time, lifting Tessy carefully into his arms. His eyes, still ablaze with fury, settled on Jorell.

"Leave my territory," he said coldly. "If I return and you are still here, I won’t be so merciful."

Williams stepped aside as Roman passed, cradling Tessy like she was the only thing anchoring him to sanity, which was every bit the truth.

Jorell didn’t respond. He only threw Roman a glare, his eyes glancing at Tessy for a millisecond before he looked away.

"What did you fucking do to her?" Williams barked the moment Roman, Daniel, and the maids disappeared inside, his voice low but sharp with fury, each word strained through gritted teeth as he advanced on Jorell.

Jorell, still nursing the bruises from both the punches and the fight, slowly smirked. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t flinch. His tone, when he finally spoke, was eerily calm.

"I didn’t do anything," he said, the corner of his split lip twitching. "What happened was what was supposed to happen the moment I called her name."

Williams’ fists clenched, barely resisting the urge to pummel him again.

"I know Tracy," Jorell continued firmly, his voice rising slightly. "And I would recognize her anywhere, irrespective of how many years have gone by, irrespective of how many lifetimes have passed. That... is Tracy. My original mate. The one I told you I lost because of my own damn carelessness. I have been searching for her endlessly—years of torment, years of nothing—only to discover now that the king has stolen her and claimed her as his own."

He spat the words out bitterly, like venom sitting on his tongue.

"He did not steal her," Williams snapped, his eyes flashing. "She is his mate. Fated mate. The bond between them was arranged and sealed by the moon goddess herself."

"Lies," Jorell hissed, shaking his head violently.

Williams took a threatening step forward, looming over him. "I’m not here to banter words with you, Jorell," he growled. "I’m not interested in your delusions or your long-lost fairy tales. What I want to know is—what the hell did you do to her? Why did she pass out the moment you called that name?"

Jorell straightened slightly, his gaze intense. "Because calling her name was a trigger. One I made sure would be powerful enough to unlock her memories automatically the moment I met her again. I knew she would remember me. I planned it."

He gave a small, broken smile.

"And now that I’ve said it, it’s done. By the time she wakes up..." He paused, breathing hard. "By the time she wakes up, she will remember everything. And she will recognize who her true mate is."