All Chapters of FAKE MATE, REAL BOND: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

GinaI had slept like a baby, like I had never slept before. I reached across the bed without even opening my eyes, reaching for his strong body, but the bed was cold when I reached for him, empty. I blinked, still drowsy, stretching out my hand to the other side of the king sized mattress empty. The sheets still smelled like him, faintly smoky and masculine, but they were cool to the touch. He was gone.My heart sank. After everything that happened last night, I thought maybe... maybe we had crossed some invisible line. That maybe it wasn’t just pretend anymore.I sat up slowly, wincing slightly at the sore ache between my thighs, the dull reminder of how hard he had claimed me. My cheeks flushed at the memory of his hands, his mouth, his voice commanding me like I was his. And I wanted to believe I was. Even just for that night. He had said I was his. With his own mouth, but now he was gone. Waht was so important he couldn't wait for me to get up? I pulled on a soft robe and pad

RyanOf all the things I was planning to do this morning, meeting Ashley was not part of the list. But when I saw her text asking me to meet her, I couldn't say no. She still had this hold on me, she was my true mate and we were bonded by that forever which is why I could not say no to her. I tried calling her though asking her what it was about, but she always had a way with me, she could always manipulate me and she did it again because now I was in a coffee shop seated across from her while the woman I had done unspeakable things to last night was still in my bed. Ashley hadn’t changed at allNot in the way she dressed, she was still a minimalist, like she was too good for trends or the way she spoke, every word deliberate, laced with soft control. Even her scent, faintly citrus with a touch of lavender, brought memories I didn’t want back. Still, there was something in her posture, in her eyes, that told me this wasn’t a social visit. The last time we talked we had both agreed

GinaI couldn’t breathe.I couldn’t think.Everything around me, the gold trimmed walls, the silent marble floors, the quiet hush of servants in the distance l felt like a coffin closing in on me.My mother’s arms were around me, but I could barely feel them.I didn't want her to hold me, not when she had secrets of her own haunting her, secrets from her past that included me that she didn't want to talk about. The moment the words left my mouth “Is Alpha Damian my father?” and she didn’t deny it, something inside me snapped.She didn’t even flinch. She just… held me. Like that would erase the years of silence. Like that would fix the tidal wave crashing inside my chest.Luke holding me like a baby would fix everything that was going wrong. “I need air,” I choked, ripping myself from her arms.“Gina, wait” she said, reaching for me again.“Don’t.” I lifted my hand. My voice shook, not from fear but from rage. “Don’t touch me. Don’t say another word unless it’s the truth.” I said to

GinaThe trees grew thicker as I pressed deeper into the woods, each step muffled by the damp carpet of moss and fallen leaves beneath my feet. My breath was uneven, my throat raw from crying, but I didn’t stop.I couldn’t stop.Not when every heartbeat reminded me of what I’d done.Not when the mate bond inside me pulsed like a cruel joke.How could the Moon Goddess be so cruel? How could she tie my soul to someone who could very well be my own blood?I stumbled forward, catching myself against a crooked tree trunk. My fingers dug into the bark as I tried to steady my thoughts, but they were spinning memories of Ryan’s mouth on mine, his hands on my body, the way he whispered my name like I was something sacred. Something his.I bit my lip hard, trying to stop the flood of shame that rose in my throat. I had to find her.The witch.The one they whispered about in half truths and warnings. The one said to live beyond the river’s bend, past the crescent stone, in a crooked cottage the

RyanI didn’t know what to expect, I had been gone for over two days now with no communication with anyone including Gina and I know she is pissed. But I had to come home at some point. The door creaked open as I stepped inside, the faint echo bouncing off the marble floor like a taunt. The house was too quiet. Not the peaceful kind of quiet. The kind that made your gut twist. The kind that screamed something was wrong even when everything looked normal on the surface.Of course something was wrong, I had not been home for over twenty four hours and I can't expect to come back to sunshine and roses. I closed the door behind me, slowly, scanning the grand foyer out of habit. No sight of Gina curled up on the chaise by the window, no scent of chamomile tea or that wildflower shampoo she used. Just stillness and the cold realization that something was missing.Her. Where was she? I shrugged off my jacket and tossed it onto the console table, trying to convince myself I was overreacti