جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 150

LyannaI watched Theo, the man who had claimed me as his mate with such whispered devotion in the dark of night, as he looked down at the woman still lingering far too close to his side."It is all right, Ali," Theo said, his voice maddeningly gentle. He finally looked at me, though he seemed entirely blind to the anger brewing behind my eyes. "The winter here is far more treacherous, and it is coming. I cannot in good conscience turn someone away to freeze when we have the space."I offered him a smile—a thin, sharp expression that felt more like a bared blade than a gesture of kindness. My mind raced with the implications of his words.Was it possible that he still harbored lingering sentiments for this woman? Or was he simply possessed by a brand of kindness that was so absolute it bordered on utter stupidity?As I watched him, I felt a sinking realization that it was likely the latter. Theo Lawrence was a man of the earth and of his word, but he was also a man who seemed tragicall

LyannaI was pulled from a restless, shallow sleep by a rhythmic pressure against the mattress. Opening my eyes, I found Trish jumping at the foot of the bed, her energy seemingly unaffected by the gloom of the storm outside. Her dark curls bounced with every leap, and her face was lit with a vibrant excitement that felt quite abrasive so early in the morning."Wake up! Wake up, Big Sis!" she chirped.I groaned softly, pulling the heavy blankets up to my chin in a futile attempt to preserve my peace. My head felt heavy, the lingering tension from the previous night making even the simplest movements feel like an ordeal. "What is it, Trish? It is much too early for this level of activity.""The snow stopped for a little bit! Come play outside before it gets heavy again!" She leaned over, her small face inches from mine, her eyes full of the kind of pure joy only a child possesses during a blizzard.I stayed silent for a moment, the cold air of the room nipping at my nose. The memory of

TheoI have always operated by a few simple, unbreakable rules: work the land until your hands bleed, protect your own with everything you have, and never turn your back on a soul in need. I thought those rules made me a good man.But as I stood in my bedroom, steam still rolling off my shoulders and water dripping down my bare chest, I realized that my own brand of mercy had become a blade used to gut the only woman who actually matters to me.I was topless, just about to reach for a shirt, when the door swung open. Before I could even get a word out, Ali lunged at me. She didn’t say anything; she just threw her entire weight into my chest. I lost my balance, hitting the mattress hard.I was still trying to recover, still trying to wrap my head around what she was doing, when she scrambled onto my lap. Her hands were in my hair and her mouth was on mine, a desperate, forced kiss that made my skin crawl.Then I heard it. The heavy, unmistakable thud of luggage hitting the floor.I loo

TheoHer cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly parted, and I could see the rise and fall of her chest under her top. God, she was stunning, and knowing she wanted me as much as I wanted her sent a rush of heat straight through my body.I reached out and cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs gently stroking her soft cheeks. Then I pressed my lips to hers, soft at first, just a brush to feel the spark. Her mouth opened to me right away, warm and inviting, and I deepened the kiss, our tongues touching lightly, exploring each other with a slow rhythm that made my pulse race.The taste of her filled my senses, and I couldn't get enough. I tilted my head, kissing her harder, my hands sliding from her face to the back of her neck, holding her close. She sighed into my mouth, her breath mixing with mine, and it drove me crazy.Pulling back just a fraction, I rested my forehead against hers, our noses brushing. “You're so beautiful, Lyanna,” I whispered, my voice coming out rough, thick with

LyannaThe winter had been a long, exhausting test of our endurance, but the land was finally showing signs of life. Once the structural repairs to the farm were finished and the rhythmic pulse of daily chores had stabilized, the atmosphere at the ranch shifted from a state of survival to something resembling true peace.It had been a season of rebuilding, not just for our storehouses, but for the family within. Theo and I decided it was time to step away from the labor of the farm. We needed to remind the siblings—and perhaps ourselves—that there was a world beyond the fences and the recent trials we had endured.The scent of salt air reached us long before the ocean came into view. As the blue expanse of the horizon finally opened before us, the lingering tension from Ali’s departure seemed to dissipate into the breeze. Theo handled the reins of the carriage with an effortless grace, his gaze steady on the path ahead. I sat beside him on the passenger seat, the rhythmic clip-clop of