Semua Bab The Alpha’s Rejected Mate: Bab 71 - Bab 80

The child speaks before either of us can breathe.“I need you to listen,” he says, and the sound of his voice stops my heart.Not because it is loud.Not because it is sharp.Because it is calm.Too calm.I stare at him, and my chest tightens in a way pain cannot explain. He looks small. He looks young. But his eyes hold something old. Something heavy. Something that has already seen endings.Kieran takes a step forward. His voice breaks before it rises.“Son”“No,” the child says gently. “Not yet.”That one word lands like a wall between them.I swallow. My hands shake, but I keep them still. I will not frighten him. I will not push. I will not fail him again.“You can speak,” I say softly. “We’re listening.”He turns to me, and his expression softens. Just a little.“I know, Mother.”That word almost brings me to my knees.Kieran exhales hard. I feel his anger and fear through the bond. It burns. It twists. It claws.“You shouldn’t be here,” Kieran says, forcing control into his voi

A scream tore through the bond.It was not a sound.It was painful.Raw. Suddenly. Wrong.I grabbed my chest before I understood it. My knees almost gave way, but I stayed upright. I had learned how to stay standing when everything inside me cracked.“Kieran,” I whispered.No answer.The bond burned. Not like desire. Not like anger. This was panic. This was blood.I pressed my hand to my mouth. “No. No. Not now.”The child’s voice slid into my thoughts before I could reach again.You felt it.My throat tightened. “You promised distance, not silence.”I promised the truth,he replied. This is the truth.I swallowed hard. “Who is screaming?”There was a pause. Long enough to hurt.The first god,the child said calmly.My heart slammed. “You said you would not start yet.”I did not start,he replied. I was allowed.The bond flared again. This time, sharper. I gasped.“Kieran is in danger,” I said. My voice shook, but my spine did not. “Call this off.”No.I clenched my fists. “You ordered u

I said no without raising my voice.The word settled between us.Soft.Final.Eryx did not react at once. That scared me more than anger.“You refuse,” he said slowly.“Yes,” I replied. “Gently. But completely.”Kieran’s relief brushed the bond, brief and cautious. NovaI cut him off with a thought. Let me finish.Eryx’s presence shifted. Not loud. Not violent. Just colder.“You understand what that means,” he said.“I do,” I answered. “You want control dressed as balance.”“That is unfair,” he replied.“No,” I said. “That is honest.”The child spoke quietly. You choose chaos.“I choose freedom,” I said. “Even if it hurts.”Eryx let out a slow breath. “Then you leave me with few options.”Kieran’s voice sharpened. Do not threaten her.“I am not threatening her,” Eryx replied calmly. “I am considering other leverage.”My pulse spiked. “Say what you mean.”Silence followed. Heavy. Intent.Then Eryx said, “The child.”The word struck like a blade.Kieran roared through the bond. Touch hi

The child cries.I freeze when I hear it.Not a soft sound. Not a quiet whimper.It is raw. Broken. Heavy with fear.The child stands in front of me, small hands clenched into fists, shoulders shaking. His face is wet with tears he does not bother to wipe away. He looks up at me as if I am the only thing keeping him from falling apart.“You promised,” I said quietly. “You promised you would never cry in front of me again.”“I tried,” he whispers. “I really tried.”My chest tightens. Something is wrong. Very wrong.I take a step closer. “Tell me what happened.”He shakes his head. Hard. Fast. Like if he keeps shaking, the truth will fall out and disappear.“Don’t do that,” I say. My voice stays calm, but my heart is already racing. “Look at me.”Slowly, he lifts his eyes.They are glowing.Not bright. Not steady.Flickering.My breath catches. I have only seen that glow once before. The last time he stood between truth and ruin.“What did you see?” I ask.He swallows. “The future.”“An

Something breaks, and this time it is not me.The scream stops.That silence is worse.I clutch my chest, breathing hard, my heart slamming like it wants out. The wrong power inside me twists, restless, angry, afraid.“What did you do?” I whisper.No one answers.The child presses his face into my side. He is shaking so hard it hurts to hold him.“They hurt her,” he sobs. “They’re tearing her apart.”Kieran’s voice is tight. Controlled. Too controlled. “Nova. Look at me.”I force my eyes to his.“If they kill her,” I say, “I will burn everything.”He does not tell me to stop. He only nods once.“I know.”A crack splits through the air. Not sound. Not light.A break.I feel it in my bones. In my blood. In the broken bond that hums between me and Kieran and the child.The gods shout. Not in command. In fear.Seal it!Hold the fracture!Too late.The pressure explodes outward.I stagger back as something tears free.She falls.Not gently.Not whole.She hits the unseen ground on her knee