All Chapters of The Rogue King's Mate: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

KELLYMorning light crept softly through the thin curtains, painting the room in shades of gold and warmth. For a long moment, Kelly simply stood in the doorway, letting herself take it in — the hush of safety, the smell of sunlight on clean sheets, and the delicate sound of her daughter’s laughter. It was such a small thing, that laugh, yet it filled the room like music she hadn’t realized she’d been starving for.Nevaeh was sitting cross-legged on the rug, surrounded by a mess of pebbles and tiny flowers she’d gathered from the yard the day before. She was arranging them carefully, building a little “forest” in her own world. When she looked up and spotted her mother, her smile broke wide and unguarded.“Mommy! Look! The flowers are talking to the rocks,” she said, holding one up proudly.Kelly’s heart tightened, the kind of ache that came from pure gratitude. “Are they?” she asked softly, walking over and lowering herself beside her daughter. “And what are they saying?”Nevaeh

EZEKIEL The study smelled of ash and old whiskey. Papers lay scattered across the mahogany desk,maps, reports, names crossed out in red ink, a battlefield of his own making. Ezekiel leaned back in his chair, one hand gripping a half-empty glass, the other rubbing the scar along his jaw where his brother’s blade had once grazed him. He’d told everyone the wound came from a rogue. Lies were easier than ghosts. The silence was heavy tonight. The kind that carried whispers from the past if you sat still long enough. And he had been sitting still for too long. He told himself he didn’t care, that Kelly’s absence was a relief, that her betrayal had freed him to focus on his legacy. Yet, every time he passed her old chambers, the faint scent of lavender and rain still lingered, taunting him. The memories wouldn’t fade; they clung to the walls like shadows that refused to die. Then there was Eve. Her laughter used to soothe him, all honey and deceit. Now, it grated. She entered his li

KELLYThe sound of Nevaeh’s laughter danced through the apartment like sunlight, it filled every quiet corner, soft and pure. Kelly leaned against the doorway, watching her daughter spin across the small living room, curls bouncing, joy unrestrained.Tomorrow would be her first day of school. A normal school. No guards, no locked doors, no whispers of war. Just books, chalk dust, and laughter. The thought alone made Kelly’s chest ache with something dangerously close to peace.Across the room, Kayden sat with Raymond and Liana, maps and notes spread across the table. His voice was steady, calm, is much like before everything had fallen apart. Every now and then, he’d glance at her and offer a small, reassuring smile. The kind that said we made it.And for a while, she believed it.She let herself breathe. Let her shoulders drop. Let hope feel real again.But then, something shifted.A quiet, almost imperceptible ripple in the air.Kelly turned toward the window. The sun had dipped

When I woke up, the sheets still smelled like him. That intoxicating mix of smoke, cedarwood, and danger clung to the pillow beside me. My fingers brushed over the empty space where his body had been, still faintly warm, and a slow smile tugged at my lips as the memories of last night came flooding back — his breath on my neck, the heat of his skin, the way my name had fallen from his lips like a prayer and a curse all at once.The mark still burned where his teeth had claimed me. A shiver ran through me as I traced it lightly, and before I knew it, a small sound escaped my throat — soft, helpless. Goddess, what was wrong with me? It was like his touch had awakened something primal inside me that refused to quiet.I reached lazily for him, expecting to find Dante still asleep beside me, but my hand only met cold sheets. My eyes fluttered open completely, scanning the dimly lit room. His side of the bed was empty. The air felt heavy, tense… wrong.“Dante?” My voice came out hoarse,

I couldn’t believe it—no, I refused to believe it. My thoughts tangled into knots as I rubbed at my temples, pacing the floor in uneven, restless steps before I finally turned sharply to face Marco.“Is there even a plan in place to solve this?” I demanded.“I just got back, Ariana. I haven’t even had time to think—thanks to someone,” Marco replied, his tone edged with irritation.My gaze flicked toward Ruben, who looked ready to speak, but I cut him off before he could. “There’s no time for arguments. Lives are at stake here.”Marco’s face hardened again, urgency seeping into his expression. “I already know, Ariana.”“Then why haven’t you started doing anything yet?” I snapped.“I am,” he said curtly. “But I need you to tell me exactly where you went, why you went there, and when you last saw Ellen.”“Mother?” I asked, my voice softer, uncertain.“Yes. I need every detail, Ariana—everything and anything could help right now.”“I don’t understand… did she follow you to the borders?” I