Semua Bab His Mate Or His Step-Sister: Bab 91 - Bab 100

~ASHTON~ Ariel leans into me, her arms looped loosely around my neck. Her scent wraps around my senses the way it always has, familiar, soothing, right. Having her here again, pressed against my side in this damn cave, should feel like the world snapping back into place. For a moment it does. My wolf settles, because his mate is finally where she belongs.Then the guilt hits. Not the guilt I was braced for. No. This is sharper, an uglier feeling.Guilt that every time I brush my lips across Ariel's skin, Hazel is near. Guilt that when Ariel's fingers slide through mine, I feel like I'm breaking a promise I never spoke aloud.Guilt that touching my actual mate feels...treasonous. Simply because of one person, one person that should not have such a strong impact on me. What the fuck is wrong with me?Ariel is my mate. The bond between us roared the first time I saw her, violent and undeniable, the way the stories say it's supposed to. Hazel is my step-sister. Family, yes. But never

~HAZEL~I hadn't recovered from the humiliation of that moment from yesterday—not even close. Falling flat on my face while stumbling upon Ashton and Ariel tangled in each other's arms, their bodies pressed close in a way that left no room for doubt about what was about to happen. If I'd arrived just seconds later, I would have witnessed everything: the raw passion between mates, their bodies joining as one. The thought alone made my stomach churn. Seeing even the warm-up had broken something inside me, and I wasn't sure I could ever piece it back together.It was the next day now, and my body refused to cooperate. Sleep evaded me entirely; every time I closed my eyes, flashes of their intertwined bodies replayed in vivid detail—Ashton's hands on her body, her soft gasps echoing in the cave. Eating was impossible; the mere idea of food turned my throat tight. Even resting brought no relief. My mind was a relentless bully, looping the scene over and over until I felt like I was drown

~ASHTON~Ariel stood before me, her eyes shimmering. Her whisper cut through the silence like a blade."Does it truly matter what I think?"The words hit me harder than any challenge in this cursed game. I reached for her hand instinctively, my fingers wrapping around hers, squeezing with a desperation I hoped she couldn't feel. "Of course," I say, my voice rougher than I intended it to be. "Of course it matters what you think, Ariel. More than anything."I hate that she needs to ask me such a question. She sighed, a soft, trembling sound that twisted something deep in my chest. Her gaze dropped to our joined hands before lifting back to mine, vulnerability etched across her beautiful features. "I know you will never betray me, Ashton. I know the type of person you are—the honorable one, the loyal one. Everything that's been happening here. . .it's not your fault. The Keepers are forcing you to get closer to Hazel. They're manipulating all of us. They're trying to tear us apart."He

~HAZEL~The fire crackled softly between us, casting flickering gold across the rough stone walls of the cave. The light danced over Ashton's face, sharpening the quiet intensity in his eyes as he watched me. I sat on the the cold ground, my heart hammering so hard I was sure he could hear it over the low hiss of the flames.My fingers trembled as I hooked them into the waistband of my panties that now felt like the final barrier between Ashton and me. Slowly, deliberately, I slid them down my thighs. The cool air kissed my newly exposed skin, raising goosebumps everywhere. I pushed the fabric aside, suddenly very aware of every inch of my exposed body.Ashton didn't speak. He simply watched, jaw tight, the muscle ticking beneath the stubble that had grown darker over the past few days. His gaze was heavy, and it made my cheeks burn hotter than the fire ever could.This wasn't like the other times.We'd done what we had to do to survive the rules of this twisted game.But tonight wa

~HAZEL~"I know that this conversation might make you uncomfortable," he says, voice rough, as though every word was hard to escape his lips. "And believe me, I wouldn't have brought it up if there was an easier way out of this mess, but I need to get us out of here and it's the only way."My pulse thundered in my ears. "Ashton?" The word came out small, fragile. "Just tell me. What is it you're trying to say?"He kept avoiding it which only made my anxiety even worse. He dragged a hand through his hair, the same hair I'd spent all these weeks pretending not to notice. When he finally met my gaze again, his eyes burned—bright, desperate. Whatever it was that he wanted to say, he was definitely worried about my reaction to it. "Fuck," he growls as he looks out the cave for a few seconds before finally turning around and facing me again. I can hardly breathe at the fire I see staring back at me. Why was he looking at me like that? It was not good for my knees, for my body, for my hea