Love is Hell; Mate is Heaven のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 81 - チャプター 90

(Mabel’s POV)“You’re late again,” Tina said without looking up from the cutting board.“I know, I know. Sorry.” I pushed into the kitchen, breath short from rushing. The apron hook inside the pantry door clattered as I grabbed one. “Where should I start?”I tied the apron tight and only then noticed two women at the counters. One had short blonde hair, peeling potatoes. The other, a redhead with her bun pulled high, was rinsing vegetables at the sink. Tina’s knife moved quick through raw meat, her shoulders steady.“Good you’re here,” she said, flicking her chin toward the two. “That’s Dawn. And that’s Zina.”They both gave me a nod, casual but sharp enough that I felt like the new kid in class. Tina pointed her chin again, this time at a tray on the island.“Take that to the living room before you get messy.”I lifted the plate. Cheese, grapes, dried meat, neat rows of crackers. The smell made my stomach turn with h

Mabel’s POV“Can you take this dish to the dining room?” Tina pressed the plate into my hands before I could step aside.I wanted to refuse. My throat tightened with all the excuses I had already used tonight. But Tina’s look told me no wasn’t an option.So I pushed through the door.The dining room was alive with voices. Vivian sat at the head, hosting in Zane’s absence. Alpha Adrian and his son Sullivan occupied one side of the long table. Their presence filled the space with quiet authority.And then Navy made her entrance.She glided across the room, chin high, irritation flickering in her eyes. “Where should I sit?” Her gaze landed on Zane’s chair at the head. “Is that his spot?”“Yes,” Vivian answered evenly.Navy’s heels clicked against the floor as she moved toward it. Adrian frowned, shoulders stiff. He expected her to

Mabel’s POV“Stick close. If you get lost in here, I’m not coming to rescue you.”Vivian’s words carried over the bass that throbbed through the narrow hallway. I kept a hand near her back as the sound grew heavier with every step.The door swung open and music slammed into me. My ears rang. Lights cut through smoke and haze. For a second I forgot how to breathe.The place was massive. Shadows of bodies moved as one, their sweat and perfume mixing with alcohol in the air. Even without sharp senses, it was overwhelming.I stayed inches behind Vivian. If we got separated, I’d never find her in this sea of moving people. Somehow, though, the crowd shifted aside. Paths opened as if the room itself knew to give way.I didn’t know Vivian was pushing her Beta aura. All I cared about was keeping balance on heels that already punished my legs. Ronan’s brutal workout earlier had left the

Mabel’s POV"Are we interrupting?"The voice cut through the music. I turned with Ronan, and there stood Iver and Finch.Heat rushed to my cheeks. My hands were still on Ronan’s shoulders, and we were too close in the middle of the dance floor. I stepped back, trying to breathe, but Iver’s grin told me he had seen enough."Thought I’d steal a dance," Iver said, eyes locked on me. He ignored Ronan’s glare."Me next," Finch added with a laugh.Ronan’s jaw flexed. I couldn’t explain it, but the thought of either of them dancing with me set his whole body tense."We were just about to grab drinks," Ronan cut in, answering for me."Perfect," Iver said easily. "We’ll join you."So the four of us pushed through the crowd toward the bar. Vivian was already perched on a stool, watching everything with her usual calm.I slipped onto the seat beside her. The gu

Mabel’s POV“I swear I’m fine, Vivian! I just needed a little drink.”Three cocktails in, my words came out slurred, but my grin refused to leave. My arms shot into the air as the bass thumped through my ribs. The lights blurred, faces flashing and vanishing like pieces in a puzzle I couldn’t solve. Dawn, Zina, Finch, Iver—smiling, waving, gone again in the sea of moving bodies.My legs wobbled. Someone bumped my hip and kept me upright. I giggled louder than I should have, the sound lost in the roar of music. Vivian said dancing would lift my mood, so I had done the drinking part first. Now it was time for the second half.I let go. No Zane, no Navy, no doubts about being unwanted. Just me, the crowd, and the beat shaking my chest.I spun once, hair whipping across my cheek, and stumbled into someone’s shoulder. Strong hands caught my hips. I laughed, but the grip didn’t ease.