All Chapters of His Mate Or His Step-Sister: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

~ASHTON~This could not be happening. Not now. Not again.Hazel had just somewhat recovered from the last attack and already the forest was closing its jaws around us a second time. Only this time the teeth had names.Lustfangs.They weren't vampires. They were worse. Faster. Stronger. Single-minded in a way that made the old blood-drinkers look civilized. They didn't kill for food. They killed for release, for the screaming, clawing moment when they forced life into something soft and breakable. They hunted women in heat—real heat, chosen heat, accidental heat, didn't matter—and they never stopped until the scent was replaced by the thicker reek of seed and satisfaction. Those creatures were so deranged in their minds that their distorted behaviors directly mirrored the twisted personalities of the Keepers who had created them, reflecting a disturbing link between creator and creation. I'd laughed at the stories when I was younger. Old men around dying fires, half-drunk, swearing th

~ASHTON~This damn forest was a living nightmare. We could not seem to catch a fucking break. Here we were, stuck in another sick battle all planned out from sick bastards that had nothing better to do with their lives than ruin the lives of innocent folks. Lustfangs poured from the woods like red wine, their eyes glowing with single-minded hunger. They didn't want me. They wanted Hazel. That thought would never fail to send my fucking heart up into flames. The scent of her fear, her heat, her untouched skin—it drove them insane, as it did me. I'd already carved through three of them, blood steaming on the ground and on my blade, but more kept coming, slinking between the trees, low and fast.I planted myself between Hazel and the pack of Lustfangs.My arms burned, lungs on fire, but I didn't dare slow down. Behind me, she fought too—short, vicious attacks that did enough damage to help me take them down. Every time one of her attacks aided in taking down a Lustfang, pride flared ho

~ASHTON~I didn't let go of her even then — even as every last trace of Lustfangs vanished into the forest, no longer posing a threat. Couldn't let go. My forehead rested against hers, both of us breathing like we'd run for miles. Her skin was fever-hot, her pulse hammering so hard I felt it in my body. "Ashton," she whispers, voice cracked. I could tell that she's still in shock from everything. I could not blame her. No one expected me to do what I just did. But in the moment of desperation, I felt like I had no other choice but to cross all boundaries to save her. I close my eyes. Shame crashes over me, heavy and sour. How could I have done that to my step-sister? How could I have done that without her permission, especially knowing that our entire family and my partner were watching the live streams, seeing everything I did in real-time? "I'm sorry," I rasp. "There was no other way. They'd have kept coming. They'd have—" I couldn't finish it. The thought of them all doing what

~HAZEL~As I watch Ashton near the stream, taking care of our clothes, there is plenty on my mind. I want to tell him that today, when his mouth was on me, something inside me rushed open and has been alive ever since. I want to tell him that the idea of "undoing" this, of going home and pretending none of it happened, feels like dying over and over again. But I say none of it.Instead I watch him wring out the dress, watch droplets race down his forearms, watch him lay the fabric across a low branch to dry. He does the same with his shirt. Then he straightens and finally looks at me, really looks at me, standing there in nothing but underwear and unsaid words between us.Breathe. Then his throat moves. "You're cold," he says, voice low, almost rough. “You need something to cover yourself.” I nod even though I know that's not why I'm shaking.Since I knew the real reason I was shivering, I planned on keeping it to myself, at least for now. I'm not cold. I'm burning.The desire bet

~HAZEL~Ashton's jaw flexes. He stares at the dripping dress like it has personally offended him. I can't look at his face; I'm afraid of what I'll see there. Anger. Reluctance. Or worse—duty. A duty to keep me safe. He has already sacrificed enough to protect me. I could not ask for more from him. I hug my arms over my chest, aware of how very naked I am, how the forest air kisses places it has no business kissing while he's staring at the ground, contemplating listening to the command of the Soul Keepers. I've heard this rule already but never truly paid attention to it. We've held onto our ragged, torn clothes for some time now, not letting it bother us. I didn't once think to follow their foolish rule to achieve new, fresh ones. Goosebumps race over me at the thought of Ashton giving into this. "We can wait until it dries," I say quickly, hoping to reassure him that I didn't need him to do another big sacrifice for me. Especially not after what he's just done. "We still have