All Chapters of SCAR OF THE REJECTED THORN : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

ALARICThe ride back home was quiet, the soft hum of the engine filling the silence as I stared at the bouquet resting on the seat beside me, white roses, lavender sprigs, and a single pink peony. I didn’t know if she’d like them, but somehow they felt right. Beautiful. Gentle. A little like her.By the time I reached the palace, the moon had begun to rise, silver light spilling through the tall windows. I climbed the grand staircase, the flowers in hand, and made my way toward our bedroom.The door was slightly open.She was there.Anya stood by the wardrobe, her back to me, auburn hair gathered in a loose bun with soft strands falling over her face. She was wearing one of the dresses Evelina must have chosen, pale and elegant, flowing gently with her every movement. She was so focused on arranging the clothes in the shopping bags that she didn’t notice me at first.For a moment, I just watched her, the way she moved, the quiet determination in her small gestures. There was something

ANYAThe ride to the mall was quiet.Not the peaceful kind of silence that comes from comfort, but the heavy kind, filled with nerves and thoughts I couldn’t quite untangle.I traced my fingers along the strap of my purse, realizing how light it felt. I hadn’t really spent any of my own money since I arrived. Evelina had paid for everything, clothes, soaps, perfumes, insisting they were gifts from my sister-in-law. It was kind of her, and I appreciated it more than I could say… but it still felt wrong. Like I was taking too much, like I hadn’t earned any of it.Alaric’s steady hands on the steering wheel caught my attention. He looked calm, focused, as if silence never bothered him. That somehow made me even more aware of mine.When the car finally slowed in front of the mall, he turned to me. “You’re sure about this?”I nodded, trying to sound confident. “I just want to get something for the king and queen. I don't want to go empty handed.”He smiled faintly. “They have everything, A

ANYAAlaric came back again.I heard his footsteps before I saw him, sharp, angry, determined, and for one awful second, I thought he was going to scold me.But the moment he reached me, everything about him softened.He crouched slightly, trying to catch my eyes.“Anya… look at me.”I did. Barely. Just enough to see the worry tightening the lines around his eyes.“You’re shaking,” he whispered. “And you can’t even breathe properly.”I opened my mouth to say something — anything — but all that came out was a broken inhale.That was when he made the decision.“Fuck it,” he said, voice gruff but gentle. “We’re going home.”I stared at him, stunned.He wasn’t forcing me to stay.He wasn’t telling me to calm down.He wasn’t telling me to face the queen or ask questions or try to understand.He just… wanted me away from there.“We’ll come back when you want to,” he added softly. “Not before. I know you’re not ready, Anya. And that’s okay.”My chest clenched.I didn’t trust my voice, so I o

ALARICThe house felt too quiet the moment Anya closed her bedroom door.She had barely looked at me when we got home. Her voice was soft—soft in the way that tells you someone is breaking but trying not to show it.“Alaric… I just need some time alone.”I nodded, even though every instinct in me screamed to follow her, to hold her, to fix whatever was wrong. But I stepped back and let her disappear down the hallway.I shouldn’t have.I shouldn’t have let her walk away like that.I paced the living room for a while, pretending I wasn’t listening for sounds from her room. My wolf was restless, pacing circles inside me, whining low.“Something is wrong.”I could feel it too, this strange pressure in my chest… an uneasiness without a name. The kind that creeps into your bones when you know someone you care about is hurting but you can’t help them.I tried to distract myself, but every little sound from her room made me glance up. At one point I heard her wardrobe door open. Then silence

ALARIC I stood in front of her door longer than I should have.Not because I was unsure, but because I needed a second to steady myself. The last few hours had left my mind tangled and my chest tight, and I knew she was feeling it even more.I knocked once.Two minutes passed before the lock clicked. I knew the exact time, because I had been watching the clock like a man waiting for a verdict.When the door opened, she wasn’t crying like I feared. She looked… collected, but fragile beneath it. Her eyes held this quiet chaos, like someone holding too many thoughts at once.And then she said it.Soft. Quick. As if the words had slipped out before she could stop them.“I love you.”Everything inside me froze.Not because I didn’t feel it — hell, I’d felt it far longer than I should admit — but because she said it like she was stepping off a cliff, not offering her heart.Like she expected me not to catch her.“Anya…” I said quietly.She wasn’t shaking. She wasn’t running. She was standi