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Home / Werewolf / Scorned By Husband, Claimed By His Alpha Rival / Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

Lahat ng Kabanata ng Scorned By Husband, Claimed By His Alpha Rival : Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

31 Kabanata

Chapter 21

Soren's PovMy heart is racing way too fast, pounding against my ribs like it's trying to escape. My head is barely in one place, thoughts scattering in every direction. I'm trying my hardest to keep my focus on the road, but it's barely working. It's impossible not to be distracted, not with my blood-smeared daughter looking at me from the back seat like I was some fascinating new piece in a puzzle she had just discovered. And definitely not with Catherine glaring daggers at me the second I brought up Silvermane.I knew she wouldn't entertain the idea, not for a second. But after what happened today in that tunnel, a darker, more desperate part of me is considering shifting tactics to just forcing her. It's a risky move, it might shatter whatever fragile truce we have left, but it has to be better than the alternative. They've probably gotten a solid hint that she's here in the human world now. First it was witches, now it's vampires. It could be demons next. I can't let them stay he

Chapter 22

Soren's PovThe house was empty and silent as I had expected. I helped Catherine down from the car, watching as she took her new surroundings in. Her eyes scanned the dark driveway, the tall trees surrounding the property, and the modern lines of the safe house, all with a wary curiosity.Esme was awake now. She had woken up when we had to make two stops, first at a large supermarket to fetch some basic supplies and then at a smaller boutique to get fresh clothes for them both. I had pulled a hoodie low over my face to go into the stores myself while Catherine and Esme stayed hidden in the car, the engine running. It was a necessary gamble, a small risk to stay under the radar, but it had set my nerves on edge. I couldn't quite believe that I, Soren Ashford, was nervously shopping for baby supplies using a list scrawled on a napkin. I had followed Catherine's instructions exactly, but it didn't make the moment feel any less strange or surreal.I led the way into the house, my arms lo

Chapter 23

Soren's PovWhen I got back from my shower, the guest room was quiet. Catherine and Esme were already asleep. Catherine was lying on her side, one arm curled protectively around Esme, who was sprawled out on her back. One of Esme's chubby legs was flung up on the pillow Catherine had used as a makeshift barrier to keep her from rolling off the bed. They were both breathing softly, the rise and fall of their chests in sync.I haven't seen Catherine sleep in years. I had always enjoyed the sight of it, back when things were different. I loved how her hair would be all ruffled up after a wild night, her lips swollen and parted slightly as she breathed gently. I especially loved how her eyes would squint up at me when she first woke, soft and confused before the day's sharpness returned. I'd give anything to be back in that bed with them right now, to feel that simple warmth again. But I know better. I've already ruined that chance, at least for now.My mind drifted back to what she said

Chapter 24

Soren's Pov"It wasn't planned, I swear it!” I shot back, my voice tight with defensiveness. “I just got lost in the moment with her. And Evander had told me she had fertility issues, that it was practically impossible. I didn't really think of it that way, I didn’t think it could actually happen!”“I warned you about this!” he bellowed, his tone heavy with sarcastic fury. I could hear the sound of his feet thudding back and forth on the other end of the line, pacing in his agitation. “I warned you about the dangers the very moment you told me you'd fallen in love with her! I said it was a complication you couldn't afford!”“I know you did,” I said, running a hand through my damp hair. “I just... I didn't think any of this was actually real. The prophecies, the curses... it all felt like old stories. And the woman who rescued Catherine, the one who helped her fake her death, she was a witch. Turns out she only did it because she needed Esme for herself, to save her own dying daughter.

Chapter 25

Soren's PovMy movements came to a sudden stop just inside the bedroom doorway. The bed was empty, the covers thrown back in a tangled mess. But I could still hear her crying, louder than ever. The pillow Catherine had used as a barrier was gone, and my throat went instantly dry at the implication. Whatever had happened, it wasn't good.I rushed into the room, my eyes scanning frantically over every surface until my gaze dropped to the floor beside the massive bed. My breath hitched simultaneously in my chest, catching like a hook.There was Esme on the hard, marble-tiled floor.She was crying, a raw, pained sound. Her tiny hands were grasping at the empty air, her eyes shut tightly against the world, her face a very red, scrunched-up mask of anger. Seeing her like that, small and vulnerable on the cold floor, caused my heart to shatter. I crossed the room in two strides and scooped her up, cradling her against my chest, rubbing her back gently as she kept trembling against me.Tears

Chapter 26

Soren's Pov My eyes widened at her words, the raw plea hitting me hard. I gently took her hands off me, my own fingers trembling slightly as I pried them loose from my shirt. I had to turn away. I strolled a few slow steps across the room, putting a sliver of distance between us. I wanted to curse at something, at someone, at myself. I wanted to slam my fist against the wall until the plaster cracked or shout out my frustration to the empty, uncaring space. I couldn't even bring myself to look at her. My mind was twisting, a chorus of ugly, familiar voices rising to fill the silence she left. “She doesn't love you. She never has, and she never will.” “Escapism. That's the only thing you can ever give to her. A distraction from her miserable life. That's all she ever really wanted from you.” “What were you even thinking? You hurt her, you ruined her, and you actually expect her to love you after a year of that pain?” “She probably just sees you as a sex addict. She only needs you

Chapter 27

Soren's Pov“It started way before I married Evander,” she said quietly, her voice so low I had to strain to hear it.“What started?” I asked, keeping my own tone just as low and gentle. I reached for her hand, slowly intertwining our fingers together. I needed to ground her, and maybe I needed to ground myself too for whatever I was about to hear. She didn't fight my touch, her fingers curling slightly around mine as she kept going.“The sleepwalking... the hallucinations and the nightmares. For a little while, it all stopped during the time that we were together. But it got so overwhelming again when I had Esme. We couldn't afford a cot at the time, so she stayed with me in my bed.” She bit her lower lip hard, worrying the skin between her teeth. “At first, I didn't touch her or anything. I would just wake up in the living room or the kitchen. But one night, I think her crying must have alerted me while I was still asleep, and I almost did it... I almost hurt her. Not until Emma fou

Chapter 28

Soren's PovI kissed her again, this time softly, before trailing my lips away from her mouth and down to her neck. Her grip around my shirt tightened instantly, followed by one of her soft, breathy whimpers that went straight through me. It was then I realized she was holding on with her injured hand. I had almost forgotten about the cuts, the bandages, everything that had happened just moments before.I carefully broke the contact, despite the heavy, almost painful arousal burning through me. I felt so hot, my skin tight and sensitive, and having her pressed against me like this only made it worse, every nerve ending screaming for more."We should go to bed," I heaved harshly, trying to catch my breath, forcing the words out through sheer will. I hated whatever principles I had laid down for myself in that moment, but I had to prioritize her wellbeing, even if it meant I'd be showering with cold water for an hour to cool off before I could even think about sleep.But she leaned clos

Chapter 29

Catherine's PovI couldn't find the right word then, and honestly, I still don't. I still don't fully understand how we went from bleeding among shards of broken ceramic littered all over the floor to… this. To his hands on me, his mouth on mine, my body pressed against his like no time had passed at all.My body was still buzzing from the aftershocks, trembling with a raw, exposed need that had built up over so many lonely months. That need was finally out in the open now, and it left me desperately craving more of him, more of this, more of us.I had let my emotions take over completely, and now I had to seriously debate whether I had made the right decision. Was choosing him all over again really going to be the right thing to do? I knew it would take a long time to truly win back my trust, but didn't moments like this already make him feel victorious? Didn't letting him this close hand him the win before the real work had even begun?I bit my lower lip even tighter, almost tasting

Chapter 30

Catherine's Pov."It's my uncle," Soren says, his face immediately tightening into a frown as he lets out a low, exasperated sigh. The relaxed mood from just moments before evaporated completely."Uncle?" I repeated, my voice sounding a little hollow even to my own ears. I hadn't known he had any family besides Evander and his mother."Yes, Damien," he answered, his gaze shifting from me toward the house as if he could see through the walls. "He's reached out to me through the mind-link." He hesitated for a second, like he was weighing how much to say, then added, "He's helping me with the plan.""Plan? What plan?" I asked, and I sounded like a complete blank slate, my mind still stuck on the word uncle. My heart wavered a bit when he pulled his hand from my waist, breaking our connection."You said you wouldn't go to Silvermane without one, didn't you?" He raised a brow, his eyes searching mine intently, looking for understanding, for trust."Does he know about Esme? About us?" I ask

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