All Chapters of Bound By Blood: The Alpha's Human Mate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Sophia's POVThe instant dragged as the horror unfolded right before us in the moment. The wolf's lunge was fierce and a rush of motion. Ethan seemed reluctant to injure the young shifter since he couldn't fully manage his transformation, but the big mystery was how he'd ended up here?Who released him? Just as my heart squeezed tight while the wolf barreled toward us, Ethan acted.He didn't pause. He didn't bark an order. He just positioned himself squarely between the monster and me. It was a gut-level, complete gesture of defense that robbed me of any remaining breath. The wolf, its reason vanished, didn't recognize its leader; it viewed a barrier. It crashed into Ethan with the impact of a vehicle.The noise was gut-wrenching—a pained huff from Ethan, a furious bark from the wolf. They turned into a tornado of biting fangs and ripping talons. Ethan was restraining himself, that was clear. He aimed to overpower, not destroy, one of his own members, even like this. A harsh, uneven s

Sophia's POVMarcus's kiss was comforting, gentle, caring—it was soft and compassionate, a far cry from the fierce and distant intensity I'd shared with Ethan. It only went on for a handful of moments, but it felt so reassuring that I set aside thoughts of mate links, foretellings, and lethal competitors. I allowed myself to feel desired, and in my broken condition, I desired him in return.The refuge shattered with a bellow of raw, unchecked fury.We leaped back, but too late. Ethan loomed in the curved entry, his body quaking, his gaze shining with a wicked golden hue. He wasn't merely mad; he was savage."You," he growled, the term a harsh damnation directed at Marcus.He bridged the gap in a flash. No alert, no talk. His knuckles slammed into Marcus's chin with a nauseating snap. Marcus reeled, but he didn't drop. The shock on his features twisted into a sharp, pent-up wrath of his own."Back off, Ethan!" Marcus thundere

Ethan's POVThe scene of that showdown lingered in the atmosphere, blended with Jessica's scent. His parting shot came off more like a warning than anything else. It kept looping in my mind, over and over. I craved some distance. I had to sort through it all, since that was the one thing I wasn't managing right now.Idris strode next to me, a quiet, towering figure. He was smart enough not to toss out hollow comforts. He allowed the quiet to drag on, giving the breeze a chance to clear the mess from my thoughts.At last, he broke in, his words a deep vibration. "The young one's got some bite, huh."I didn't have to wonder who he referred to. "She's impulsive. Driven by feelings. She doesn't grasp what her choices lead to.""Does she have to grasp it," Idris pushed back, "or does she need someone to listen?" He paused, facing me squarely. "You can't order a gale to settle, Ethan. You can only figure out how to navigate it. Right now, you're attempting to tie it down, and you're ripping

Ethan's POVHer aroma lingered around me longer than it should have. I wasn't sure if it stemmed from the sting of seeing her and Marcus so close and affectionate, or from how stunning she appeared that evening—and I couldn't even admit it because of my stubborn pride.She carried notes of wine and crisp breeze, a stark contrast to the subtle wolf scent that had stuck to me all night, yet my thoughts fixated on what they might be up to together. My inner beast was convinced they probably wouldn't go too far, but the unreasonable side of me suspected otherwise, given Marcus and I had always been competitors.The vision of her tilting toward Marcus, her chuckle overly vibrant, her gaze hazy with alcohol, seared into my brain.I'd pretended she was invisible. Mere nothing. It was my sole shield against the raw, tearing envy risking my composure. To react would hand her leverage, confess that her minor revolt with my brother could truly harm

Sophia's POV The world didn't pause or crumble into fragments. It simply froze in place. I caught sight of his hands—the very ones that had been woven through my hair just minutes before—now settled on Jessica's hips. I saw his lips, still carrying the flavor of my fury and sorrow, now locked against hers. And I saw his eyes, wide open and fixed right on me from over her shoulder. There wasn't any surprise in them. No remorse. Just a stark, defiant glare. As our gazes connected, his grip around her strengthened, drawing her tighter against him, intensifying the kiss purely for my sake. It was all an act. A cruel, deliberate strike meant to hurt. An odd, freezing composure washed over me. The fire from our recent passion, the bewilderment, the faint wish that perhaps something genuine lurked under all that resentment—it all vanished right then. This was the reality. This was who he truly was. A schemer. A despot. Someon