Semua Bab Addicted to His Rejected Mate: Bab 21 - Bab 30

[Killian]The rain hammers the car windows like it's trying to break in, turning the city lights into smeared streaks of gold and red. Liam's driving, his grip on the wheel steady as ever, but I can feel his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror every few seconds.My hands rest on my knees, but they're not steady. Not the violent tremors from the panic attack—that black void that had dragged me under, same as it had for twenty goddamn years. No, this is different. A low burn in my chest, embers I refuse to fan into flame.I replay it, unbidden. Thunder cracking like a whip. The power snapping out, plunging us into that suffocating dark. The door jamming shut, trapping me in a space too small, too close, the walls pressing in like the basement from my nightmares. That abyss opening wide, ready to swallow me whole—Sera's voice slicing through it, soft but unyielding. An anchor I didn't ask for, yanking me back from the edge.She held me. Me. The Alpha King who doesn't need anyone, who b

 [Sera]My heart slammed against my ribs like it was trying to punch its way out.What the hell is he doing here?I glanced up at the sky instinctively—not a full moon. At least ten days until the next one. According to the contract, we shouldn't have any contact.So why is he here?The rain was coming down in sheets, turning the street into a blurry mess of pu

[Killian] Seven o'clock sharp, and the city's skyline bleeds red and gold outside my office windows, like a wound that's taking its time closing. I stare at the contracts scattered across my desk—mergers, acquisitions, the usual empire-building bullshit—but my mind's elsewhere. Ticking down the hours. Five to go until the full moon hits its peak. The restlessness is already there, a low simmer under my skin, my heartbeat edging up like it's testing the bars of its cage. My wolf stirs, pacing, hungry for something I refuse to give it. But I've got this handled. Sedatives prepped, dosage bumped up. Last month I rode it out alone, no cracks in the armor. Tonight will be the same. I don't need anyone. Especially not her. Two knocks at the door, and it swings open without my say-so. Victoria walks in like she owns the place, spine straight, chin tilted just enough to remind you she's not here to take notes. She's in a cream suit today, pearls catching the dying light, folder t

[Sera]The world blurs into a mess of white and gold as my body lurches forward, shoved by an invisible hand.One second I'm dodging through the crowd, desperate to escape this nightmare of a party, and the next—impact. Soft at first, like sinking into a cloud gone wrong, then sharp as my hip cracks against the edge of the cake stand. Frosting explodes everywhere, cold and sticky, smearing across my skin as I go down hard.I hit the floor in a heap, the massive five-tiered monstrosity crumbling around me. Shards of sugar glass tinkle against the marble, and the metallic tang of bent silverware mixes with the overpowering sweetness that clogs my throat.My hands slide in the goo as I try to push up, only to flop back down like a fish out of water. My dress—my stupid, overpriced armor for the night—sticks to me like a second skin, smeared with cream and crumbs.Silence slams down on the ballroom, thick and suffocating. It feels like an eternity. Probably only a heartbeat or two.Then th

[Sera]"Are you okay?" Ryan's voice cuts through the haze, all wide-eyed concern.I try to speak, to brush it off like always—"It's nothing. I'm fine"—but the words lodge in my throat like shards of glass. Just more tears, hot and relentless, turning the world into a blurry mess.He doesn't push. Doesn't demand details. Just shrugs off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders, the warmth cutting through the chill. It smells like turpentine and something clean, like fresh linen. "It's too cold out here," he mutters, awkward but earnest. "Let's