Semua Bab Marked for Ruin: The Alphas’ Rejected Mate: Bab 81 - Bab 90

ELLA“Quincy,” I said after a short silence. She arched an eyebrow as a smile danced at the corner of her lips.“I reckoned you’d say that. If he’s willing to help with the procedure, that means he considers you an important part of his life—or something close to it. That’s not the kind of thing someone does without a compelling reason. Why don’t you want a bond with him?”I pondered her question for a moment and decided to answer as honestly as I could. It was the only way to clear my doubts. “I don’t want to undo a bond with the twins only to jump right into another with someone I barely know. He’s been great so far, and his family are good people, but I feel like there’s more to him than meets the eye.”“More to him than meets the eye? In a good or bad way?” she asked, curiosity lighting up her features.“In a way that makes me want to stay close to him… and run as far away as possible at the same time. It’s that sort of uncertainty that leaves me wondering if bonding with him woul

ELLAThat thought process was also problematic. I didn’t want to accept his offer of a relationship just because he was nice to me. When I looked at it that way, it felt more transactional than mutual.I needed it to feel like we both wanted it—more than me doing it because he was showing he wanted me in his life. I wondered if I could use this moment to my advantage.He could’ve taken me shopping himself, but he asked Eve to do it, and that pointed to something. If he was trying to get me to bond with his family through these seemingly small activities, then I would make the best use of it.“I won’t tell him anything. And thank you for doing this—I had a great time,” I said after a short silence.“I’m glad you enjoyed it, and no need to thank me. You’re practically family. I’d do anything for you,” she replied in her usual upbeat manner, and I smiled.“Besides telling May I’d like to work around the house?” I asked teasingly.She laughed and bit into her bun while her other hand held

ELLA“You’re back,” Claire said, holding the door open before I could knock.“Hello, Claire,” I said and shoved my hands into my pockets. “Why does it feel like you were waiting for me?”“Hi, Ella. Come in,” she replied, holding the door for me as I walked in. “I was waiting. I knew you’d come back—I just wasn’t sure when.”“So you waited until I arrived. That’s not creepy at all,” I blurted, and she laughed.“If you call occasionally glancing at the door for the last few hours creepy or categorize it as waiting, then yes—I knew you’d turn up sooner or later. You’re a bit earlier than I assumed you’d be, but you’re here. That’s what counts.”“I had to make a decision at some point, and this seemed like the best one,” I replied, walking into the office.Something was different about the place. The air felt foreign, and I couldn’t put a finger on what was amiss until I glanced to the left and locked gazes with a parrot.“Meet Daisy,” Claire said, gesturing to the bird dismissively. “Ign

ELLA“I’m going to see Claire tonight. I finally decided to get the bond between the twins and I severed,” I blurted as soon as we were outside.I had been holding it in for so long and thinking about how to tell him about it—it just seemed sensible to get it all out without beating around the bush. “That’s… that’s great,” he stammered and tried to hide the grin that danced at the corner of his lips. “You’re getting it done tonight? How can I help?”“You’re not mad?” I asked and arched an eyebrow.“Why would I be?”“I don’t know… I didn’t tell you before deciding and I just… I think springing it up on you right now seems rather unfair and impromptu.”He chuckled and playfully pinched my cheeks. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Ella. It was your decision to make anyway. I stayed away from the topic because I realized that nothing I said would convince you. You had to come to that decision yourself—and I’m happy you’ve done that.”“Thank you,” I replied quietly and started walking do

KADE“I know it feels very weird right now, but we have to trust the police and hope they can catch the killers soon. That poor kid and his mother deserve justice.”My mother’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. For a few minutes, I had relived that day, and it filled me with a wave of uneasiness. The air that morning felt like something had changed drastically, and I dreaded what was to come.At the time, I regarded Ella fainting as a perfect example of why she was seen as the weak link and even made snide comments about it.But with everything I had heard from the seer—as much as Lucian would hate to hear it—I was beginning to think there was more to the entire ordeal than met the eye.I blinked and turned to meet her gaze, then exhaled slowly. “They need to get justice,” I agreed. “Monsieur Cavill, is he…”“A werewolf?” she asked, and I nodded. “No. He isn’t, and I don’t think your father ever told him about it.”“How close could they have been if he didn’t know something that imp