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37. Fear Of Love

Author: Stellina
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-20 21:32:26

ZACH WINCHESTER…..

The arena was already crowded when dawn broke. The circle of dirt, marked by ancient stones, had held countless trials, but today it felt like the ground itself was waiting to see if I would rise or fall.

Warriors lined the edges, elders sat in the raised seats, and whispers buzzed like restless bees in the morning air. Some voices carried doubt, others hope. All eyes were on me.

I stripped off my shirt and boots, leaving only the locket on my chest then reached up and unfastened it, handing it to Ariella. Her fingers brushed mine, her eyes fierce.

“You don’t need this anymore,” she whispered. Her faith burned hotter than the sun.

Vaughn entered opposite me, his smirk plastered on like armor. He rolled his shoulders, eyes gleaming with hunger. “Ready to lose, brother?”

Axel chuckled in my head, a sound like rolling thunder. He has no idea what he’s about to face.

His mother sat just behind the elders, her eyes burning with a mix of hatred and fear.

Axel stirred insi
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  • BETRAYED BY MY MATE CLAIMED BY HIS STEPBROTHER    43. Savior or Jailer!

    NATALIA DE LUCA…..The first thing I felt was pain. Excruciating pain in my back. My lashes fluttered open, and for a moment I didn’t recognize the walls in front of me, white, smooth, unfamiliar. Not home. Not prison.Where am I?My heart stuttered, panic clawing its way into my chest. I was lying on my back. I sat up with a jerk, breath catching in my throat, eyes darting across the room. Clean walls, expensive furnishings, an armchair tucked neatly by the window. Everything spoke of wealth, of order, yet nothing I had ever seen before.Where am I?I clutched the blanket tighter around me, every muscle wound tight as a bowstring. My ears strained at the faintest sound. Then…The door clicked open.My head snapped toward it, every nerve braced for the worst.And then he walked in.Knox Davenport.He carried a glass jug of water in his hand, casual as if he owned not just this house but the air itself. His dark hair was damp, his shirt sleeves rolled up, and when his eyes landed on me

  • BETRAYED BY MY MATE CLAIMED BY HIS STEPBROTHER    42. Knight In Shining Armor

    NATALIA DE LUCA…..I walked into my sister Ashley’s room, my heels clicking softly against the marble floor. She had called me, saying she wanted to talk. My gut told me it wouldn’t be anything good, but still I came.“What do you want from me?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. Ashley was sitting on her wheelchair.Her lips curved into a faint smile, her pale face tilted up toward me. “I know you are insecure… thinking there’s something between me and Ethan. But trust me, he just cares about me. In his heart, it’s only you.”I stared at her coldly. “There is no one in this room except you and me so drop your acting.”And then, Ashley laughed. A dark, chilling laugh that slithered into my bones.“You’re right,” she said, eyes glittering with venom. “I am acting. I love Ethan. And I’ll snatch him from you. Just like I’ll snatch everything you love dearly. Because after what I went through, after becoming like this…” she gestured to her legs, “You don’t deserve to be happy afte

  • BETRAYED BY MY MATE CLAIMED BY HIS STEPBROTHER    41. Marry Me

    NATALIA DE LUCA…….For a moment, I thought I misheard him.The café hummed around us, cups clinking, voices rising and falling but all I heard was his voice, low and steady, dropping a bomb between us.“Marry me.”My fingers froze around my coffee cup. My heart gave a sharp, traitorous lurch in my chest. I hadn’t expected him to move this fast. Teasing him at the banquet, staging a “chance” encounter outside the boutique, orchestrating today’s little blind date, all of it was meant to plant seeds, to stir curiosity, to make him chase.But Knox Davenport didn’t chase like other men. He devoured.I stared at him, letting the silence stretch, watching the way he leaned forward, eyes locked on me like he’d already made up his mind. That intensity in his eyes, it was dangerous. Addictive.I forced a laugh, soft and disbelieving. “You can’t be serious.”He didn’t blink. “Do I look like I’m joking?”God, the way he said it, like he could tear the world apart just to hand me the pieces. For

  • BETRAYED BY MY MATE CLAIMED BY HIS STEPBROTHER    40. Payback Time

    ZACH WINCHESTER……She looked so fragile, standing there clutching the mug like it was the only thing holding her together. The apology on her lips was unnecessary, but I let her say it. I could see the storm in her eyes, the battle she was waging against herself.“You don’t have to apologize,” I said quietly, stepping closer but not too close. “Not to me.”Her gaze flickered up, startled, almost relieved, but still shadowed by doubt. I wanted to reach for her, to close the distance, but I forced myself to stay steady.“Ariella,” I continued, my voice firm but gentle, “whatever you’re fighting, you don’t have to fight it alone. I don’t need you to give me more than you’re ready for. I just need you to let me stay.”For a long moment, silence stretched between us. Her lips parted, her eyes shimmering as though she wanted to believe me but wasn’t sure she could. And I knew then, this wasn’t about rushing her, or about my own longing. It was about proving to her, every single day if I had

  • BETRAYED BY MY MATE CLAIMED BY HIS STEPBROTHER    39. Scheming

    ZACH WINCHESTER…..I sat there, frozen in the chair, staring at the closed door as if it might open again and she’d walk back in. The warmth of her touch still burned on my skin, and the sting of her sudden retreat left me reeling.She had been right there so close I could almost taste what it would feel like to finally have her. And then, in the blink of an eye, she’d pulled away as though I was the very thing she feared.I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling hard. “What did I do wrong?” I muttered into the silence. Confusion tangled with frustration, but deeper than that was worry. The look in her eyes before she left, it wasn’t rejection. It was pain.My chest tightened. Whatever haunted her, it wasn’t me she was running from. It was something older, something that still had its claws in her. And as much as it killed me to let her go just now, I knew pushing would only drive her further away.Still, the unanswered ache lingered. I wanted her to trust me, to believe that I would n

  • BETRAYED BY MY MATE CLAIMED BY HIS STEPBROTHER    38. The Trap

    NATALIA DE LUCA…..I smiled to myself as I stepped out of the boutique, the warm evening air brushing against my cheeks. Perfect timing. Perfect location. Knox didn’t need to know I had orchestrated this moment down to the last second. All he had to believe was that it was a chance.And Knox… well, Knox never missed an opportunity when it came to a woman. He would see me, think it was fate, and walk right into my little trap.I spotted him immediately, leaning casually against the corner of the café across the street. His posture screamed confidence, but his eyes… I caught that flicker of curiosity, that awareness of someone he wanted to figure out. He was scanning the crowd, probably already wondering if it was truly a coincidence.I took my time, pretending to fumble with my shopping bag, dropping my scarf just close enough to his side of the street. I choose to walk away hoping he will call out for me. And he did.“You dropped something, Miss Natalia.” He said, his voice low, smoot

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