Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Unexpected Fated Mate: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

AnnaIt had been a week since everything I knew was turned upside down.Seven days since I walked into my apartment and found it destroyed. Seven days since Michael insisted I come stay here—at his estate—where everything felt like it had been carved out of another world. Seven days of breathing deeper, sleeping with one eye open, and watching my son thrive in a place that still didn’t feel like mine. Michael had been around… but not as much as I’d hoped. He was always polite, always present when it counted, but I could see the weight he was carrying in the lines of his shoulders and the tired glint in his eyes. Whatever he was investigating, whatever danger still lingered around us—he was determined to find it. I admired that about him, even if it meant his touch had become more fleeting than I wanted.Still, he made sure we were protected. He made sure Ethan didn’t miss a single day of school.Michael’s security team had taken over school drop-offs and pick-ups, and while it took

Anna I wasn’t thinking—I just walked. Out of the estate. Down the winding road. Past the hedges. Past the gates. I needed air. Space. A minute to clear my head from the whirlwind of feelings clawing inside my chest. I kept seeing her—that woman—laughing with Michael. The way she looked like she belonged in that kind of place. Elegant. Composed. Accomplished. Everything I wasn’t. Before I realized how far I’d gone, I was in the heart of town. It was beautiful—like something from a postcard. Cozy shops with hand-painted signs. Hanging flower baskets. Boutique storefronts. But no amount of charm could stop the prickle of discomfort climbing up my spine. People were staring. Not just glancing—staring. Their conversations dipped into whispers the second I passed. Brows lifted. Eyes narrowed. It was subtle, but I felt it. Like I didn’t belong. I looked down at myself. Black leggings, gray zip-up hoodie, sneakers. Just like half the people walking around. I didn’t look that out of p

Anna I needed a little air. The estate was beautiful—elegant in a way that felt both timeless and intentional, like it had been built from the bones of history itself. Each room was refined, curated with detail, yet somehow didn’t scream extravagance. Still, even with all that beauty… my mind was a mess. So I found a bench tucked into a quiet patch near the back of the garden, surrounded by a variety of flowers I couldn’t name but appreciated all the same. It was quiet here. The kind of quiet that helped you think—or at least made the noise in your head seem a little more manageable. I had just started to relax when I heard a splash in the distance. I stood, curiosity winning over caution, and walked along the stone path toward the pool. It was just behind the guest wing, nestled between high hedges and tall trees, as if even this part of the property was meant to be hidden from view. Then I saw her. A woman, her long dark hair slicked back as she emerged from the water like

Anna Michael’s words in the limo were still echoing in my head as we pulled up to the front of the venue. I don’t know how he always knew exactly what to say, but the way he held my hand and kissed it—like I was his entire world—had calmed every storm raging inside of me. I wasn’t used to that kind of reassurance. I wasn’t used to a man like Michael. As we stepped out of the limo, flashes of cameras and the low hum of elegant conversation greeted us. The gala was breathtaking. The entrance alone was covered in crystal chandeliers that cast a soft glow across the velvet carpet. It was like something out of a dream—or maybe a movie I had no business being in. Everyone was dressed in sharp suits and flowing gowns that shimmered when they moved. Michael fit in perfectly. Me? I still wasn’t sure. But he never let go of my hand. His palm was warm against mine, steady, grounding. I took a slow breath as we entered the main ballroom. Music floated in the air, champagne flowed freely,

Michael Something was wrong. I felt it in my fucking bones. I’d told myself giving Anna space was the right thing to do. That a couple of days with Dawn would help her decompress. That I could be rational. Patient. But that tether between us—between me and her, and me and Ethan—was straining. Then it snapped. My breath caught, and my wolf howled in my chest. I reached for the mind link, searching for the guards I’d discreetly placed near Dawn’s. Silent. Nothing. Not even a whisper. That had never happened before. Panic—raw and untamed—gripped me by the throat. My fingers flew across my phone, calling one of my guards. Voicemail. Another. Still nothing. No one should’ve been able to take out my security team without alerting me. Unless— “Witches,” I growled, slamming the heel of my hand against the dashboard as I swerved through lanes, tires screeching. “They used a sleep spell.” That was the only explanation. I didn’t care that I was 50 miles over the sp