Semua Bab Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine: Bab 191 - Bab 200

ROWAN My ears rang.It was a horror.Pure, gut-wrenching horror.Those few words sent me spiraling down into a place I hadn’t thought I could reach again.I didn’t even realize I’d grabbed Dustin until I felt the fabric of his shirt under my fists, my knuckles tight and shaking as I pinned him with a glare. My breath came ragged, each inhale tasting like ashes.“What do you mean?” My whole body felt like it was on fire, rage and confusion boiling in my veins.Dustin didn’t fight me. He didn’t raise his hands nor try to pry me off. His head tilted down slightly, like he had already accepted every consequence of the truth he was about to spill.“I’ll tell you everything,” he whispered. “But you have to calm down, Alpha Rowan. Please.”I released him with a violent shove, my chest heaving. My wolf clawed inside me, snarling at the truth that hadn’t even been fully spoken yet. I took a step back, but the anger didn’t leave—it only grew. My hands shook at my sides, and I had to curl them

ROWAN Where is she?She was nowhere to be found.I scoured every corner I could think of, but all I saw were walls and silence. The emptiness echoed louder than any scream could. My pulse hammered at the same question over and over, one that had no answer.Where was Tessa?I stood in Cade and Arden’s apartment, my fists pressed against my thighs, my throat too tight to swallow. Arden’s sobs broke through the air over and over again. She sat pressed against Cade, tears streaking her cheeks in steady streams that she didn’t bother wiping away. I felt numb.If Arden knew, if she had even the faintest clue where Tessa might be, she wouldn’t be crying like this. She wouldn’t be trembling against Cade’s chest with that kind of grief. Cade’s arms tightened around her shoulders, pulling her closer, his hand smoothing over her back in steady strokes. His lips were pressed tight. I looked at him, at the way he held her, the way his entire focus was her and her alone. That was how you should

TESSA I helped with the organization of the items, carefully placing each small bottle into the wooden crate while keeping my mind focused on the labels. The medicine we had gathered wasn’t much compared to what bigger packs must’ve had access to, but to us, it was already a treasure. Our pack was small, only around forty to fifty members, so everyone here knew one another by name, by voice, even by scent. Living with them felt like living with an extended family, and in some ways, that was exactly what it was.We lived in what you would call a community for humans. Our cottages, though built with sturdy stone and patched wood, lined the same winding dirt roads where human farmers and merchants lived. Their children ran past our yards, laughing in the same air as ours, without realizing how different we were. We coincided with them, blending into their lives without drawing attention. Sometimes, they provided the goods we lacked, and we protected them in ways they never truly unders

TESSA I turned to him and also expected it. Back then, when he transplanted Ellana’s heart into me, everything happened so quickly, and there was so much left unsaid. A lot of questions crowded my mind. I was sure he had a lot he wanted to ask me, too, but neither of us had the chance.So, I stood. He mirrored the motion, and we walked a bit further away from the house, out of Ingrid’s earshot. The air grew quieter the farther we put between ourselves and the little cabin. When we reached a clearing just beyond the treeline, he let out a deep sigh. “How are you?” he asked finally. I pressed my lips together. There was a time when I had resented him bitterly for giving me Ellana’s heart. That resentment had lived in my chest along with her heartbeat, every thump a reminder that my survival came at her expense. I had thought of him as cruel, careless even, for deciding so quickly, for letting her die so I could live. But time had softened that anger, and living had forced me to rea

TESSA I had been restless all morning. Ever since Ben and Ingrid came here, a strange unease clung to me, whispering fears I couldn’t quite name. My chest always felt heavy with the thought of someone coming to take Calla away. It was irrational, maybe, but motherhood is full of irrational terrors. You can tell yourself your child is safe, but the moment you turn away and they’re not where you left them, the world collapses. That happened today. I turned from the stove after finishing lunch, wiping my hands on a towel, only to find the chair beside me empty.“Calla?”No reply.My heart leapt into my throat. I searched the kitchen and the living room, and even peeked into the small laundry room, as if she might’ve slipped in there without me noticing. Nothing. The silence grew louder, pounding in my ears.“Calla!” My voice cracked. I bolted toward the hallway and checked her room. Her toys were scattered, but there was no little girl in sight. Panic settled in my veins. What if—?I