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Chapter Twenty-Four: Matthias Crowe
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2025-04-26 22:03:23
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Once His Mate, Now His Regret Chapter Eighty-Nine: Aurielle DuVall
The sharp, sudden ringing of my phone shattered the easiness that had finally settled over the room. I blinked, barely processing the sound as I reached for it. My food was forgotten, my heart was suddenly tight. The number on the screen was unfamiliar, but my pulse quickened anyway.Unknown number.That could only mean one thing.I answered without thinking, breath caught in my throat.“Aurielle, don’t hang up.”His voice. Matthias.My stomach twisted. My fingers gripped the phone harder. Didn’t I block him? What was he doing with another number?My jaw clenched as heat bubbled in my chest, rising like steam from a kettle. Fury. Exhaustion. Disgust. It was always him, finding new ways to barge into my life, clawing past every boundary I tried to set.I glanced at Cassiel across the table. His hand froze halfway to his drink. Something flickered in his eyes—sharp and alert—as he watched me carefully. He didn’t ask who it was. I was sure he already knew.I took a breath, steadied my vo
Once His Mate, Now His Regret Chapter Eighty-Eight: Cassiel Aldric
I excused myself to get changed.I found one of the upstairs bathrooms and shut the door behind me with a soft click. It wasn’t the first time I’d walked away from a meeting drenched and scratched by the claws of someone’s disappointment—but it was the first time I didn’t care. Not even a little. Not when the person waiting for me downstairs was Aurielle.I towel-dried my shirt as best I could, wringing the excess water into the sink, then used another towel to shake off the shards that clung to my neck and collarbone. A light knock on the door broke through my thoughts.Aurielle.Her voice was soft through the wood. “Hey, I, um… I brought a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. They’re oversized. The pants stretch.”I smiled. The idea of her rummaging through her closet—picturing which of her clothes might possibly fit a man my size—was enough to bring warmth into my bones.“My pants are mostly dry,” I called back. “But I’ll take the hoodie.”When I opened the door, I found her standing
Once His Mate, Now His Regret Chapter Eighty-Seven: Aurielle DuVall
After a long moment spent drying his hair—my fingers moving on instinct more than intention—I realized just how close we were. His golden eyes, usually calm and unbothered, were locked onto mine with an intensity that left my heart stumbling over itself.Cassiel didn’t blink. Didn’t move. Just looked at me like I was the only thing in the room worth his attention.Then, slowly, he placed the containers of food he was holding onto the counter. The quiet clatter snapped me out of the daze I was sinking into. My hands stilled on his damp hair, and I pulled back before he could reach for them. Quickly. Too quickly.“I—uh,” I murmured, clearing my throat and dropping my gaze to the kitchen island. “What else did you order?”Cassiel laughed. The sound was warm and rich, like sunshine and velvet all tangled together. It tumbled into the air, tugging a reluctant smile out of me.Still grinning, he grabbed the towel from his head and rubbed the rest of the water from his curls, then gestured t
Once His Mate, Now His Regret Chapter Eighty-Six: Aurielle DuVall
While I waited for Cassiel to arrive, I made the dumbest mistake anyone freshly removed from a toxic environment could make—I opened social media.At first, it was just to pass the time. To see what the world was doing outside my little peaceful bubble. I wasn't searching for them. Truly, I wasn’t. But curiosity is a manipulative little thing. All it took was one trending headline. One stupid hashtag. One perfectly posed image of them—Matthias and Nerissa—standing side by side at a party with camera flashes painting their smiles gold.And then, like a woman walking into a fire, I scrolled.Every photo made my stomach twist tighter.They were everywhere. The pack’s golden couple, soon-to-be wed. Nerissa’s eyes glimmered, her smile all white teeth and polished perfection. She leaned into him with the eagerness of someone who wanted the world to believe she was cherished. These photos looked even more damning than the one I’d seen on the news.But it was Matthias I kept staring at.Becau
Once His Mate, Now His Regret Chapter Eighty-Five: Aurielle Duvall
There’s nothing quite like coming home.The second I crossed the boundary line into my town, something in my chest loosened. My shoulders dropped. My grip on the steering wheel softened. I rolled the window down just enough to let in the familiar scent of pine and open road—clean air and distant woodsmoke. The land here smelled different. More honest. More mine.And gods, how I’d missed it.Being near Moonveil had felt like living inside a bruised ribcage. Tight, fragile, sore in ways that didn’t always make sense. No matter how composed I looked on the outside, I’d been walking on land where pieces of me had broken apart, piece by piece. There were ghosts in the walls, memories in every hallway, and a mirror in every pair of eyes that saw me only as “Matthias’s ex-wife” or “the luna who lost her alpha's child.” I wasn’t Aurielle there. I was a shadow of the woman I used to be.But here?Here, I could breathe again. I stopped to give the wolf at the gate the new code, then drove into m
Once His Mate, Now His Regret Chapter Eighty-Four: Aurielle Duvall
Monday morning came with a heaviness I couldn’t quite name.Maybe it was the knowledge that I’d be wrapping up this whirlwind visit. Maybe it was knowing I’d have to sit across from Matthias one last time. Or maybe it was just the accumulated ache of being near so many ghosts—ghosts of dreams, love, hope. Whatever the cause, I pushed through it. I had a job to finish.I woke early, checked and double-checked my notes, packed my things, and checked out of the hotel. My bags were in the car, ready to be taken back home as soon as I was done. This wasn’t an emotional goodbye. Just a task crossed off the list.By midmorning, I made my final rounds to each foundation—seven in total. One for abandoned or recovering women, one for adolescent girls at risk of exploitation or displacement, and one for struggling single mothers who were still adjusting to pack life and survival. As well as four others that filled out my history in this pack.Each visit was filled with a bittersweet energy. The s
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