All Chapters of Maeve: Marked By Blood, Chosen By Fate.: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Maeve.I didn’t bother knocking.The door slammed open so hard it bounced off the wall.Carson looked up from behind his desk, surprise flashing for half a second before his expression hardened. “Something you need?”“Yeah,” I said, stepping inside. “How about an explanation for why you’re sending your lapdog to dig through my past?”His eyes narrowed. “You were listening.”“Damn right I was.” I shut the door behind me, my voice rising. “You want to know if Johan’s telling the truth? You could have asked me. But no — you’d rather go behind my back and play detective with Roy.”“I needed the truth without your spin on it,” he shot back, standing now, towering over the desk.“My spin?” I barked out a laugh. “You think everything I say is a lie, don’t you?”“I think you tell me what you think I need to hear.”I stepped right up to the desk, jabbing a finger at him. “And I think you’ve been waiting for a reason not to trust me since the second I got here.”“Maybe I have,” he said, his voi

Maeve. Roy’s eyes flicked over the two of us — my bare shoulders, Carson’s shirtless, the mess of the bed — and for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched in something that wasn’t quite a smirk. Then he was gone, the warrior retreating after him, the door clicking shut. The silence he left behind was heavier than before. Carson sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand over his face. “You should get dressed,” he said finally, his voice low. “That’s it?” My words came out sharper than I meant them to. His head lifted, eyes finding mine. “Maeve… what we just did—” “Don’t you dare call it a mistake,” I cut in. He sighed, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “I’m not. But I can’t ignore what’s happening out there. Johan’s pushing harder. Roy’s already poisoning the pack against you. And now…” He glanced at me, hesitation in his eyes. “Now you’ve shown them what you can do. That power? It’s not just dangerous to him. It’s dangerous to us.” I pulled the sheet tighte

Maeve."Is it true?"My voice was so cold, I almost didn’t recognize it. Carson froze halfway through whatever he was about to say to Roy. His head turned slowly toward me, and for a moment, all I could see was the flicker of something in his eyes. Not guilt. Not denial. Something heavier.Roy was watching me like a wolf waiting for the kill."Maeve," Carson started, but I cut him off."Is it true?" I repeated, stepping forward. "That Johan is my brother. That his blood is in me. That the reason I have this power is because I am one of them."Carson took a step toward me, his voice low. "You weren’t supposed to hear it like that.""Like what? The truth?" My laugh was sharp and humorless. "Or the part where you decided to keep it from me?""It is not that simple.""It is exactly that simple," I snapped. "You knew. You let me stand there and fight him, all while you were hiding this from me."Roy’s voice slid in, smooth as poison. "He didn’t just hide it, Maeve. He’s been making decisio

Maeve.The first hit came fast. Roy lunged without warning, his shoulder slamming into Johan hard enough to knock him back a step.Johan’s laugh was low and sharp. “Finally.”Then they were on each other. Claws flashing, teeth bared, bodies moving so fast the shadows blurred. The sound of it was all bone and muscle and rage.I took a step back, but the pull in my chest didn’t let me move far. My wolf was restless, ears pinned, tail low. This wasn’t just a fight. It was a challenge. A claim.“Stop it,” I shouted, but neither of them even glanced my way.Roy caught Johan’s arm, twisting hard until something popped, but Johan didn’t flinch. He slammed his forehead into Roy’s, sending him stumbling.“You think you can keep her from me?” Johan growled, circling him. “She’s already mine in the ways that matter.”Roy’s snarl was pure venom. “The only thing you own is your ego.”They collided again, and this time it was ugly. Johan’s claws raked across Roy’s ribs. Roy’s teeth sank into Johan’

Maeve.The night was so quiet I could hear the distant drip of blood on the leaves. Carson stood a few feet away, shoulders squared, chest heaving, golden eyes locked on Johan. Johan stood just as still, but calm, his smirk infuriatingly steady.And me? I was caught between them, the weight of both stares pressing me into the earth like a stone.Carson’s voice was low, rough. “Step back, Maeve. Come to me. Right now.”I didn’t move.Johan’s mouth curved. “See? She hears you, but she doesn’t obey. Because she doesn’t belong to you, Carson. Not in the way you want her to.”“That’s enough,” Carson snapped. “You don’t get to stand here and twist her head.”“Twist?” Johan tilted his head, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “I’m not twisting anything. I’m untangling the lies you wrapped her in. You kept her in the dark about her blood, about me, about who she really is. I’m just opening her eyes.”Carson’s fists clenched, and I could feel the storm in him rising. “You’re trying to rip her apar