All Chapters of Rejected and Banished; The kids are his.: Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

Eva's POV.I woke up to the slow, steady rise and fall of a warm, solid chest beneath my cheek. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. The scent that filled my lungs was undeniably Nicklaus's, making my heart thump so hard I thought it might wake him.My eyes fluttered open, and there he was.. his arms were wrapped around me so securely that I almost felt… caged. Not the bad kind of cage, but the kind you never want to escape from. I’d almost forgotten how blissful it was to be encased in his arms, how his presence alone could quiet the storm that had been raging inside me for the past few days.The last week had been a whirlwind of tension, uncertainty, and too much toxicity I never imagined could happen to me. But now… in this moment… I felt safe. His heavy breaths brushed against the side of my neck, warm and rhythmic, and I could tell just from the way his body was slack against mine that he was in a deep, unguarded sleep.My chest ached with a strange mix of relief and happiness

Nicklaus had barely rounded the corner leading to his house when a shadow detached itself from the side of a building. His sharp senses caught the faintest whiff of who it was before the figure even stepped into view. Aragorn.He walked steadily towards Nicklaus, his lips were already curled into that irritating smirk that always made Nicklaus’s knuckles itch.“Well, well,” Aragorn drawled, folding his arms across his chest. “The mighty Nicklaus walks out from the council of elders… still walking freely, despite breaking the rule. I’m impressed.” His tone dripped with sarcasm. “Tell me, Nicklaus… how much did you pay them to look the other way?”Nicklaus stopped walking, their shoulders squaring. His eyes, cold as steel, fixed on Aragorn. “Bribing the elders?” he repeated slowly. Then his lips curved into a dangerous smile. “See, Aragorn… not everyone needs to buy their way out of trouble. When you’ve spent years leading from the front, risking your life for the pack, spilling your ow

Eva's POV. I lay sprawled on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. There was a faint crack running along through the white ceiling, and I had been tracing that same line with my eyes for… I don’t even know how long. Morning light had seeped through the curtains hours ago, but it didn’t make me want to get up.It had been days since I arrived back here... my father’s house. The house I grew up in, but now, it felt different. Not because anything here had changed, my family was still here, my childhood room was still as intact as I had left it... but because I had changed. I wasn’t supposed to be back here like this. Married women didn’t just… come home like this. Not unless something was wrong.And something was wrong.The shame was heavy, I didn’t even have the strength to open my bedroom door. I’d been locking myself away for days, avoiding my family’s eyes. Avoiding questions... real or imagined. Meals were brought to me, left on the little table by my bed. No one pushed me to c

Eva's POV.My stomach rumbled hungrily as I hurried down the stairs, towards the dining.I had taken my time to bathe properly and dress beautifully, not leaving my makeup out of the equation; almost like I had an even in mind to attend, but the whole time I was anticipating the arrival of Nicklaus, as much as I was enjoying my stay here, I couldn't wait to go home with him, and every passing day, I dress up in wait for his arrival.When I got to the dining, everyone was already seated, my father at the head of the table as always, my mother beside him, Ethan leaning lazily on one elbow, and Annabelle grinning as she stuffed her mouth with bread.“Finally,” Ethan teased, looking at me. “We thought you planned to starve.”I rolled my eyes and dropped into my seat. “I’m not late.”“Not late?” Annabelle giggled, pointing at my plate. “The eggs are already cold. That’s late.”I stuck my tongue out at her childishly, and she laughed. Father shook his head at us.“Eat, Eva,” he said warmly

Eva's POV.I walked into the dining hall with Annabelle and Ethan by my side.Annabelle’s posture was an evidence that she was going through enough trauma inside, but she held her chin high. She was braver than I ever gave her credit for, even if I knew deep down she was quivering inside. Ethan’s jaw was clenched, his hands balled into fists at his side. “Annabelle,” Ms Chloe suddenly called out sweetly, stretching out her arms as though nothing in the world was wrong, “come to mummy. Come, my darling. I’ve missed you so much.”Annabelle froze for a moment, her eyes flicking from Chloe to me, then to Ethan, as if searching for some anchor. “Let the child decide,” Father suddenly fired at ms Chloe, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Don’t force her. Let her choose where she belongs.”Annabelle’s grip on my hand loosened, and slowly, with hesitant steps, she moved toward Chloe. I held my breath, my heart pounding. Chloe’s face lit up in triumph, as though she already believed she