Semua Bab Once His Mate, Now His Regret: Bab 121 - Bab 130

Aurielle DuVallI stood there like a fool, frozen in place with the phone pressed to my ear, fingers clenched so tightly around the device that my knuckles ached. I didn’t even know how long I’d been standing like that. Seconds? Minutes? Time felt syrup-thick and mocking.Because, of course, it was he who would strike some type of fear into me.Was there something about me that attracted problems? Like a curse stitched into my bones. A magnet for every person I’d tried to escape. Every hand that had hurt me.I swallowed hard and forced my voice into something cold, clipped, unforgiving.“Yes. What do you want?”Being pleasant was a luxury I couldn't afford with this man. Not this heartless, arrogant excuse for a father. This man, who replaced me within a year of my disappearance, as if I were some broken item he didn’t want to repair. This man, who welcomed Nerissa with open arms, no questions asked, while treating me like a burden the moment I returned.This man, who, now that I thoug

Aurielle DuvallIt’s strange how quickly a week can vanish when you’re in a place that feels like heaven. Nirvana? Peace? Living in Cassiel’s home had been… peaceful. Surreal, even. He checked in on me every day just like he’d been doing, never hovering but always aware. He made space for me without asking me to fill it. Whether he was reading, in a meeting, or just brewing coffee, he always made a point to include me in his world. It wasn’t just small talk, he spoke to me about his pack, his ideas, his visions for its future. It was normal for us. Even before this new arrangement, Cassiel and I enjoyed hanging out with each other and talking about everything.Somehow, I knew more about his upcoming strategies than the council members he spent hours with.It felt oddly intimate. Like I was being woven into the very fabric of his life. While he wouldn’t let me stress myself with my own work, but he made sure I knew my insight was invaluable. A part of me wonders if it’s just because he

Aurielle DuvallAfter spending more time at the bistro, getting myself lunch and some dessert, I arrived at the Sunset Bar thirty minutes past eight.Not on purpose. I could’ve been punctual if I wanted to, but I didn’t. Letting Nerissa wait felt like the only control I had going into this mess. I wanted her to be the one worried for once, even though my heart rate was beating faster than ever.She was already there, just as I’d predicted. Tucked into a booth in the far back, as far from the noise of the bar’s regular crowd as she could get. I saw her before she saw me. Her face was tense, her jaw tight as she tapped aggressively at her phone screen. Her manicured nail kept jabbing the screen like she wanted to stab through it.She looked pissed. Good.I didn’t approach right away. Instead, I stopped at the bar and ordered drinks, one for her, one for me. A peace offering, or maybe a calculated move. I wasn’t sure yet.The bartender, a guy in his late twenties with kind eyes and a moon

Matthias CroweI planned my grandmother’s birthday with a pit in my chest that only seemed to grow heavier the closer the day came. Every time I thought about it, about walking through her front door, hearing her cheerful voice, smelling the warm scent of her perfume, I could already picture the exact moment she’d pull me aside, smile gently, and ask why I still sent out invitations or save the date cards.I’d told her I would. I nodded, agreed, even managed to fake a hopeful smile when I said it. But then I backtracked the second I got home. The weight of it hit me too hard. I kept telling myself I just needed time. That I was too busy. That I needed to get through one more thing before I committed to nerissa. Just like I’d always dreamt of doing.But the truth is, I didn’t have a good enough lie.And the truth I did have? It felt cruel. Unfair. Not just to my grandmother, but to Nerissa.I spent years loving her, years of my life tangled up in a version of her that I now realize mig

Matthias CroweNerissa brightened moments later like she had finally accepted my words. She gasped, light bursting into her expression like someone had flipped a switch. Then, without warning, she squealed, a high-pitched sound that made me flinch, and leapt into my arms like a child receiving a long-awaited gift.I blinked, caught somewhere between disbelief and resignation as her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.Gods. If only my wolf had stayed fated to Nerissa, maybe none of this would be happening. Maybe I wouldn’t feel this… fractured. Split between duty and desire, past and possibility.I shoved thoughts of Aurielle into the farthest corner of my mind, locking them behind every reason I could come up with. I reminded myself- well forced myself to remember- how wrecked I’d been when I thought Nerissa had died. The sleepless nights. The frantic search for closure that never came. The guilt. The way I’d clung to the idea of her.I tightened my hold on her, because that memory s