MasukShare
CHAPTER TWELVE
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-13 16:57:20
Bab terbaru
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Sleep had finally claimed both of them. Thank the moon goddess because honestly? After all that Shadowbreed drama, they both needed their beauty rest.Everything was peaceful until sometime around 3 AM when Ethan started moving. It startled Lydia awake, and for a second she thought they were being attacked again.But nope. Just Ethan having what looked like the nightmare from hell.He was sweating even though the room was freezing cold. His face was all scrunched up in that broody way of his, but this time it was not for show. Whatever he was seeing behind those closed eyelids was seriously messing him up."Ethan," Lydia whispered, poking his shoulder. No answer.She whispered again, softer this time, like maybe gentleness would work where volume would not. “Ethan, hey..."His lips moved, forming words that never quite made it into sound. She leaned in, holding her breath, trying to catch whatever pieces she could“Do not...no...” It was barely a whisper, like whatever he was seeing w
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
She walked into the bedroom like it might hurt her. The blanket on the bed was still messy from earlier, the fear still clinging to it like it had not really gone. Without saying anything, she grabbed it and pulled hard, letting it drop to the floor.“I can not sleep with that on the bed.”Ethan did not argue. Wolves remembered through scent. Even if she could not smell what he did, her body still remembered.“Use mine,” he said, disappearing for a moment and returning with a thick, dark blue blanket. “It is clean.”She took it quietly. Their hands nearly touched but did not. Lydia made the bed fast, like keeping busy would keep her mind from thinking too much. When she was done, she stood staring at the bed, like she had just realized what it meant—two people. One room.“I am just gonna…” she waved toward the bathroom. “Get ready.”Ethan nodded and sat down in the chair by the window. He listened to her move behind the closed door. Water running. A drawer opening. Toothbrush tapping
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
“Perfect. We should just start preparing for death.”Lydia’s voice was dry, almost sarcastic, but not enough to hide the tremor under it.Ethan turned, a corner of his mouth twitching like he was trying to fight off a smile.“What is so funny?” she asked, folding her arms. “Not scared of dying?”He shrugged. “Death is for everyone. We all die eventually. Why waste energy fearing something that is guaranteed?”Lydia scoffed. “Wow. Morbid and emotionally unavailable. What a combo.”But Ethan’s eyes did not carry their usual detachment. They were darker tonight. Not just brooding, haunted.She let out a breath and leaned back against the counter, fingers tightening around her mug like it was the only solid thing left. “It was not dying that scared me,” she said quietly. “I think…I could have handled that. The pain, the ending. I have made peace with the idea that it might not be a long life for someone like me.” Her voice cracked, but she kept going. “I was scared for my mom. For what i
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
What if he had stayed on that call with Riley a little longer? What if he had taken his time walking back, let the rain slow him down, told himself it could wait?Five seconds. That is all it would have taken A breath. One fucking breath slower, and she would be…Ethan rubbed his palms down his face, hard. His jaw was locked so tight it hurt. He could still see it, see Lydia standing there, frozen, that thing so close. Too close. Her eyes, God. That look. Like she knew what was coming and had already accepted it.She had not screamed. Had not moved. Just stood there waiting like prey that did not get the chance to run.And he had told her to go ahead. Walk alone. Because he needed to breathe. Because she made him feel too much. Because he thought pushing her away would shut it all off.Instead, it almost got her killedWhat the fuck was he doing?This was not about duty anymore. It was not about legacy, alliances, or the cold-blooded rules drilled into him until they felt like truth
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Ethan did not know what the hell was wrong with him. Lydia was not his type. She never had been. Too stubborn. Too soft. Too…much, and yet, here he was, haunted by the scent of her skin, the tremble in her voice, the way she looked at him. A look he did not deserve.Every cell in his body screamed to turn around, to look at her, to finish what they had started against that tree. But he would not. He could not.He had spent the last two days telling himself he was fine with the silence between them. That the distance was necessary. But every hour without seeing her felt like something crawling under his skin. He found himself pacing. Listening for her voice like it might steady something in him. It did not. Nothing did.Because the truth he would not say out loud, not even to himself, was simple: Lydia was not just getting under his skin. She was already there. Deep and that terrified him.The memory of her pressed against him, soft and yielding yet somehow strong enough to push him aw
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
They walked in silence. The kind that stretches too long and coils itself around your spine like a warning. Every step Lydia took felt heavy like the earth was watching. The woods had gone still again, the way it did before a storm or after something bad.She did not look at Ethan. Would not. Could not. Not with the way her skin prickled just being near him. Not with how her body still remembered his. How he had thrown himself over her like a human shield, heat and muscle and growl. That stupid heroic instinct of his, like saving her was something he did not even need to think about.It made her chest feel tight.She focused on her boots instead. Watched the mud cling to the soles. Let herself listen to the crunch of twigs and not the way his breathing sounded when he was close. Not the way the scent of pine and heat and Ethan kept messing with her brain.And still, he said nothing.“You are quiet,” he muttered finally. “What is the matter? Cat got your tongue?”She scoffed, folding h
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Avoiding Ethan was harder than Lydia thought. For someone who acted like he wanted to be left alone, he sure had a knack for showing up everywhere. She found herself ducking behind trees, taking the long way around town and slipping out early to run errands just to avoid him. It was exhausting, really. Who knew avoiding one person could become a full-time job?Two days had passed since the fight with the creature and Grimholt had fallen into an uneasy silence. No strange noises. No shadows creeping through the woods. Just silence. Lydia would have given anything to keep it that way.She kept telling herself it was better to steer clear of Ethan. Better to give him space, better to give herself space. After everything he said, it was safer to keep her distance. Hating him wasn’t an option not anymore. She couldn’t hate him even if she tried. But she also couldn’t bear to be near him not when his presence made her feel like she was being slowly torn apart from the inside.Ethan seemed f
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER TWENTY
Almost dying makes you see things differently. Colors look brighter. Sounds are clearer. Even the air tastes better when you know you almost stopped breathing forever.But fear sticks to you. It follows you like a shadow.Walking back to their cabin was so long for Lydia. She helped hurt Ethan through the scary woods, always thinking that the monster might jump out. Every sound made her heart jump. The weird trees seemed to laugh at them.Ethan's blood was wet on her shirt. It showed her that even strong people can bleed. Can get hurt. Can die.She kept thinking: What if things went wrong? What would she tell the Alpha? "Sorry, I got your heir killed?"She almost laughed. Who was she kidding? If Ethan had not fought that monster, she would be dead. Just a sad story people would tell. "Remember Lydia? Poor girl died."She looked at Ethan. His jaw was tight, eyes looking ahead. He had not spoken since they left. That's Ethan for you. Bleeding but too proud to show it hurts.But Lydia kn
Bloodlines & Hearts CHAPTER NINETEEN
Lydia jumped at every noise as they walked to Fay's cabin. She kept thinking about Alain's cut-off head."You feel it too?" Ethan asked.Lydia nodded. "These woods feel wrong." The air felt sticky. "Like eyes are watching.""They are," Ethan said."What do you mean?""Look at the tree." He pointed.At first, Lydia saw nothing odd. Then she saw it, a face in the bark with empty eyes and an open mouth. She stepped closer, thinking it was just shadows.Then it blinked. Lydia fell back against Ethan. He held her shoulders."Don't look too long," he said softly. "The more you look, the more they see you.""What are they?" Lydia whispered."I don't know yet," Ethan said.As they walked, Lydia saw faces in all the trees. Some looked asleep, others watched them. None looked human."I've never seen this," she said. "This isn't normal, right?""Right," Ethan agreed. "Something opened a door that should've stayed closed."The path got smaller. Ethan went first with Lydia behind. She looked at hi
Anda juga akan menyukai
THREE BROTHERS! ONE MATE!
Lockness896.3K DibacaAlpha Theo
C.J. Primer837.7K DibacaAlphas Broken Mate
Salani529.8K DibacaMy Alpha's Mark
JP Sina658.5K DibacaThe Cold Alpha's Second Chance Mate
Emo Blessing934 DibacaHybrid: Claimed by the Alphas
Passion263 DibacaBlind Alpha And His Unwanted Mate
ambivertgirl114.0K DibacaProfessor And The Feisty Human
Carina Coldwell679 Dibaca
