SIXTY-TWO

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• Mated to my Stepfather, claimed by my Stepbrother   One hundred and forty-seven

  Kael’s POVThe morning light filtered through the bedroom curtains like melted gold, soft and slow. It painted Aria’s skin in hues of dawn, catching in the strands of her dark hair as she lay curled against my chest. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Holding her felt like the first time I had ever truly breathed.Her fingers were laced in mine, our hands resting between us like a quiet promise.She stirred slightly. “You’re awake,” she whispered, her voice still caught in sleep.“I was watching you dream,” I replied.Aria smiled, that kind of smile that tugged at something deep in me. “Was it entertaining?”“It was peaceful. You looked safe.” I brushed a loose curl behind her ear, my thumb lingering against her cheek. “I don’t want to forget this feeling.”She leaned in and kissed me. No rush. No urgency. Just warmth, and the taste of home.The world outside our walls had been chaos for too long, betrayals, battles, and broken truths but today, none of it reached us. Today, it was just me an

• Mated to my Stepfather, claimed by my Stepbrother   One hundred and forty-six

  Aria’s POVThe stars were too quiet tonight.Even the moon seemed to hold her breath as I stepped outside, Kael by my side. My hand rested over my stomach, where the tiniest flicker of life had taken root, soft and new, but already anchoring something deep inside me.Hope.And fear.I had told Kael about the baby… and he had stayed. Held me. Chose me. That should’ve been enough. But nothing in my life has ever come easy, and the moment Tavin mentioned Darren at the border, I knew peace would be short-lived.Darren had been too quiet for too long.He waited just beyond the courtyard gates, flanked by two warriors I didn’t recognize. His posture was rigid, his expression unreadable. But his eyes. they searched for me.Found me.And didn’t look away.“I only want to speak,” Darren said. “I swear on Gracie’s grave, I come with no violence.”Kael growled low beside me, his arm brushing mine in silent warning.“I’ll hear him,” I said, louder than I meant to. “But not alone.”Darren’s gaze f

• Mated to my Stepfather, claimed by my Stepbrother   One hundred and forty-five

  Kael’s POVThere are days when the weight of this pack feels like a second skin. One I’ve worn for so long that I don’t even notice it chafing anymore. But today… today I felt it differently. Not like a burden. But like armor.Because today, we chose something good.We chose Aria. We chose Lior. We chose healing.The council had spoken, Lior would stay with Aria. She would raise him not because she was perfect, but because she was willing. Because she loved him. And in the end, that was what mattered most.But still… I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.She had smiled. Thanked the council. Embraced Lior when he came running into her arms with his usual joy and wild curls. But her eyes… her eyes had gone somewhere else. A place I couldn’t follow yet.She’d excused herself, claiming she needed rest. No one questioned it. Not after the emotional war we just came through.But I did. I questioned everything when it came to Aria.So now, as night settled over the compound, I

• Mated to my Stepfather, claimed by my Stepbrother   One hundred and forty-four

  Aria’s POVSomething was wrong.The moment I opened my eyes, I knew it. The world tilted in a strange, off-beat rhythm. The walls felt too close, the air too thick, and my stomach churned as though my body no longer belonged to me. I sat up slowly, one trembling hand pressed to my temple, the other gripping the edge of the bed.The morning sun filtered through the curtains in golden slats. Somewhere outside, the sound of training warriors echoed. distant, ordinary. But nothing felt ordinary inside my skin.“Alpha?” a soft knock came at the door. A scout’s voice followed. “The council awaits you in the throne hall.”Right. Today was the meeting.Tavin. Gracie’s mother. The pack council. Lior’s fate.I stood, ignoring the way the floor wobbled under my feet, and dressed carefully, smoothing each wrinkle from my robe as if that could somehow flatten the chaos inside me. My reflection in the mirror looked pale. Tired. But stronger than before. I owed it to Lior to be strong.I owed it to

• Mated to my Stepfather, claimed by my Stepbrother   One hundred and forty-three

  Kael’s POV“Sometimes, the ghost you feared most isn’t the one buried in the ground. It’s the one still walking around wearing someone else’s skin.”“Don’t come closer!” I barked, stepping in front of Aria and the pup as Keiran emerged from the torchlight.He looked different. Not just older or more tired, but haunted. Like someone who had seen too many truths and had nothing left to lie about.His hands rose slowly in surrender. “I didn’t come to fight, Kael.”“Then what?” I spat. “To finish what you started? You nearly turned me into a mindless monster. You disappeared after the prison break. We thought you were dead! And you appeared again just to kill me,”Keiran's eyes flicked toward Aria, then down to the bundle in her arms.“The pup,” he said softly. “He’s alive.”Aria’s grip tightened instinctively. I didn’t blame her.“You’ve got some guts coming here,” I muttered.“I didn’t have a choice,” Keiran said. “I’ve been a prisoner in my own skin.”He stepped closer. Just enough f

• Mated to my Stepfather, claimed by my Stepbrother   One hundred and forty-two

  Aria’s POV“Sometimes, peace is louder than war. And sometimes, war returns in silence.”I looked straight into Kael’s eyes. He looked right back at me, and then, unexpectedly, we burst into laughter.It wasn’t wild or loud. It was tired, cracked at the edges, and still stained by everything we’d lost. But it was real. For the first time in what felt like ages, we could breathe together without pain clawing at our throats.Kael ran a hand down his face, shaking his head. “This is insane.”“I know,” I said, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. “I should be groveling, or locked in a dungeon, or…”He cut me off gently, “…or holding your son, like you are now.”I looked down. The baby, my baby lay nestled in a soft wrap against my chest. He was so small, so perfect, and yet the source of so much war, betrayal, and heartbreak.“The council will call a meeting,” I said, my voice softening. “Gracie’s mother. Tavin. Me. We need to talk. I need to ask for forgiveness. And we have to decide