All Chapters of Scorned By Husband, Claimed By His Alpha Rival : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

~Catherine's Pov~A group of people walked past me and I seized the opportunity, melting into the crowd immediately. I started moving, half-walking and half-running, not stopping until I got back to the house. My heart was hammering against my ribs the whole way.My face heated up and I tried to hold back my tears, swallowing hard as I finally pushed the front door open. Inside, Emma was already dressing Esme for the day. The room was heavy with the sharp smell of antiseptic, a clear sign they had just finished with bath time.Emma flinched a little as I shut the door too hard behind me. Esme turned to me, her face breaking into a happy smile. Those eyes. It made my stomach drop all over again. I had just seen them again, right there on the street. She got them directly from him."Catherine? Why are you back so early?" Emma asked, her voice laced with confusion."I...umm.... I —" The words stuck in my throat.I can't tell her that the bracelet is missing. I can't say that my only shot

Soren's PovIt felt like I was still hallucinating, but in the worst way possible, as I stared at her. She turned to me with glossy eyes, not blinking or staring away. She was just looking, her expression unreadable and utterly still.I blinked twice hard, trying to ward off this conjured-up image of her, knowing that I was just being crazy now. It was unusual to see her this way in my visions. I've had images of her in that perfect sky blue dress she wore to the wedding, always smiling at me or sometimes crying, but never like this. Never this real, this solid.We've gotten no solid leads to find the child. Every hospital record from the date the Celester Moon appeared, supposedly November 21st, 2025, turned up empty. It was a dead end, another failure.I drove past a small publishing house one day, the name 'Grace Welsh Press' on the sign, and it hit me like a physical blow. I recalled that she's always wanted to publish her work, to help other indie authors, especially those shamed

Soren's PovThe car came to a wild, screeching stop right at the border. It was a hidden place near the international airport, a secluded corner of the entrance that officially kept the human and lycanthrope worlds apart.Catherine hadn't said a single word to me the entire drive. She didn't try to argue about Emma anymore. It was like, deep down, a part of her had already started to believe it too. Or maybe she was just waiting to see the confirmation for herself.She hadn't believed the wedding rumors until she heard it directly from me, until she saw the proof with her own eyes. She always needed something solid to prompt her trust, or her distrust. It was the same that night on the balcony.She hadn't believed my declaration of love back then either, she thought it was merely flirting. I could read the doubt right through her eyes. She's always been so painfully easy to read. Would it have been that way with us if that maid hadn't interrupted? Would it have just been a one night s

Catherine's Pov.I forced a small, polite smile at the hotel attendant as I took the steaming cup of coffee from her. The cheap ceramic was almost too hot to hold. "Thank you," I murmured, my voice still rough from a night of little sleep. I turned and walked back to my room, shutting the door. My single suitcase lay open on the bed, half-filled with the few things Esme and I owned. I had already packed most of our things for the day, a nervous energy driving me to be ready to move at a moment's notice. Esme was sitting propped up against the pillows, fully dressed in a little yellow onesie, watching me with those big, curious eyes of hers. She babbled softly, a string of happy, nonsensical sounds that I couldn't quite understand but that warmed my heart anyway.I smiled at her, a real one this time, and took a sip of the bitter coffee before setting it down on the nightstand. I continued packing, folding a tiny sweater with more care than it needed.It's been two long, tense days si

Catherine's PovThey had arrived at 8:50pm, right on time. A text message flickered on my phone, lighting up the screen just as I finished tying the lace of Esme's tiny shoes. My heart was hammering against my ribs. After I finished my call with Mark, a deep sense of unease had settled over me. I had dropped by a store on the way back to the hotel, my hands shaking as I purchased a small taser and a can of pepper spray, stuffing them both into the depths of the diaper bag. I didn't want to blindly trust these people, but I also couldn't afford to turn down this deal. It was our only way out.I was desperately hoping that the universe would finally be gracious to me, that it would give me one reason to smile after everything I had been through. My funds were critically low; I could only pay for the hotel for one more week, and that was it.Down in the hotel lobby, two men were waiting for me. They were casually dressed in dark jeans and jackets, and they offered me warm, professional