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Chapter 16
publish date:
2026-06-07 19:59:24
Latest chapter
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 20
Jolene The name hit me like ice water. JoleneI froze mid-step, the air suddenly too thick to breathe. Jolene Falls. The girl who was never meant to be my mate. The one I’d rejected without a backward glance all those years ago. My chest tightened painfully. Jessica,my little sister,couldn’t stop talking about how happy she was to have her best friend back. Mad at first, sure, but they were working through it. And Aurora? She wouldn’t shut up about ‘Miss Falls this’ and ‘Miss Falls that.’ The clay wolves, the stories at circle time, how she helped with the dress tonight.Cal watched me carefully. “Yeah. She’s back in Crove. Been teaching at the school for a bit now. Aurora’s completely taken with her.”I sank back into my chair, staring at the photo again but seeing something else entirely. Jolene. Back after seven years. The girl who used to blush every time I walked into a room in high school. I’d thought it was just a stupid crush back then,harmless, fleeting. Then the mate bond s
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 19
SethThe evening light had long since faded from the windows of my office, leaving the room bathed in the warm glow of a single desk lamp. I sat in the heavy leather chair, a glass of whiskey in my hand, the ice long melted into a watery amber. My thumb traced the edge of the silver frame on the desk, the photograph that always pulled me under.Aurora’s second birthday. She was perched on my shoulders, tiny hands tangled in my hair, her laughter frozen mid-bubble. Kaira stood beside us, one arm wrapped around my waist, her head tilted back in that carefree way she had when the world felt light. Her smile lit up the whole damn picture. It was one of the last truly happy moments before everything turned dark. Before the weight of the pack, the endless responsibilities, and then the sudden, cruel emptiness two years ago.I took another slow sip, the burn sliding down my throat but doing nothing to loosen the knot in my chest. Some memories you cling to because forgetting would be worse t
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 18
Jolene At the school gymnasium, the decorations were simple but sweet, twinkling lights, paper lanterns, and a small stage for performances. Parents and daughters milled about in their finery. I spotted Aurora immediately near the refreshments table, wearing a pale pink dress with little sparkles that caught the light. Her hair was in careful curls, but her face looked anxious as she scanned the growing crowd.“Miss Falls!” she called, running over the second she saw me. She did a little twirl. “Do you like my dress? Daddy picked it out special.”My heart squeezed. I crouched down to her level, smiling wide. “Aurora, you look absolutely beautiful. Like a little princess. That color makes your eyes shine.”She blushed, ducking her head with a shy giggle. “Really? You’re not just saying that?”“Really really,” I promised, tapping her nose gently. “You’re going to have the best time tonight. Want to show me your moves before it starts?”We practiced a silly dance together, her small han
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 17
JoleneThe days blurred together in a rhythm I hadn’t expected. Every afternoon around three-thirty, the classroom door would creak open and Cal would step inside, his broad shoulders filling the frame. At first I kept my responses short,polite nods, quick updates about Aurora’s day, nothing more. “She did well on her spelling quiz. She shared her snack with another student.” Professional. Safe.But Cal had a way of chipping at the walls I’d built so carefully. He’d linger, leaning against the desk with that easy half-smile, asking questions that pulled more than one-word answers from me.“Rough day?” he asked on Tuesday, watching Aurora carefully pack her clay wolf into her backpack like it was made of glass.I shrugged, wiping down the whiteboard. “Not really. Just long. You know how it is with twenty-five six-year-olds.”He chuckled, low and warm. “I can barely handle one. You’ve got superpowers, Jolene.”The compliment landed softly, unexpected. I felt my cheeks warm despite mysel
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 16
We spent the next thirty minutes playing simple games while we waited.Aurora showed me her drawings and I helped her finish a puzzle.Then somehow we ended up building tiny animals out of modeling clay.She made what was supposed to be a wolf.It looked more like a potato with ears but I told her it was beautiful.She looked very pleased with herself.The classroom felt strangely peaceful.For the first time since returning to Crove Pack, I wasn't thinking about my past.I wasn't thinking about Seth, I wasn't thinking about the night that changed everything, I was just sitting on the floor helping a little girl build a clay wolf.The classroom door suddenly opened.Aurora's face lit up."Uncle Cal!"I looked up and then froze.Not because it was Cal, but because it wasn't the Cal I remembered.The last time I'd seen him, he had been eighteen years old.After their graduation. He was loud,reckless,always laughing,and always causing trouble. But.....The man standing in my doorway looke
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 15
Jolene The next morning, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror longer than necessary while brushing my teeth.Not because I was fixing my hair or trying to choose an outfit.I was thinking about a seven-year-old girl.Which was ridiculous.I had been teaching for years. Children got attached to teachers all the time, especially younger ones. It wasn't unusual.What was unusual was the fact that Aurora King was Seth's daughter.Every time I thought about it, I saw those gray eyes.His eyes.The same eyes I had spent half my teenage years daydreaming about.I rinsed my mouth and stared at my reflection."Get it together, Jolene."Aurora hadn't done anything wrong.She was a child.A sweet child.Whatever feelings I had toward her father had absolutely nothing to do with her.I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.Mom was already making breakfast."Morning."She looked up from the stove."Morning. You look tired.""I was thinking.""That's usually dangerous."I rolled my eyes and grab
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 14
Jolene Mom took one look at both of us and decided it was the perfect moment to disappear, which honestly felt like a betrayal but also very on brand for her.“Hey,” I said as I walked into the kitchen.“Hey.”The silence that followed was heavy and awkward in a way that made my skin itch. I sat a
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 12
Jolene Dinner was uncomfortable.Not because anyone was fighting.Not because anyone was angry.It was uncomfortable because seven years had happened without me.Seven years of birthdays.Seven years of holidays.Seven years of memories I wasn't part of.Mom kept piling food onto my plate like she
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 11
Jolene Jessica.The world stopped.She froze too.The toddler blinked between us in confusion while silence crashed through the room.Jess looked older.Not older in a bad way.Just… grown.Her once soft features looked sharper now. More mature. Long blonde hair rested over one shoulder while the
The Unchosen Mate Chapter 10
Jolene The drive to my parents' house felt shorter than it used to.Or maybe I spent too much of it trying not to panic.The roads were familiar. Every tree, every turn, every cabin hidden between the woods carried memories I never asked to keep. Some good.Most are painful.I kept both hands tigh
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