All Chapters of Love Was Never the Deal: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Leona's POVI whipped my head around.Sunlight streamed diagonally through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a tall man was walking toward me. His smile was bold, tinged with a hint of rogueish charm, yet his eyes held an unexpected warmth. That face—suddenly, it assembled itself in the depths of my memory.I froze.Memories nudged themselves to the surface, urgent and relentless.—Eric.Childhood scenes flooded my mind. The days when my mother and I had been forced to move to the outskirts of the community, into that crumbling little house. The wind always bit harder there, and the nights were unnervingly silent. Most people avoided us as though our very presence carried a curse.Only Eric was different.He would always appear at dusk, bringing food from who-knows-where, knocking casually on our door as if it were no trouble at all. He helped my mother repair the roof, fix the door latch, and when other kids bullied me, he chased them off with a fierce intensity before turning to me,

Kane's POVThe night was thick and heavy, the camp reeking of gunpowder and dust. I trudged into the packhouse, the air heavy with the tang of blood and the musky scent of wolf fur. Several of my warriors returned, battered and disheveled, their clothes torn, faces streaked with sweat and blood, as if they had fought three brutal battles in a row against a pack of Rogues."Reporting, Alpha!" the youngest warrior gasped, his breath ragged, a deep crimson gash running down his arm. "We… we all made it back safely, but—that woman—she… she refused to see you."The words struck like a cold knife to my chest. My hand froze mid-air, knuckles whitening. Refused? Me? Since becoming Alpha, no one had ever dared say no to my face.The room seemed to hold its breath, filled only with the warriors' ragged breathing and the distant echo of wolves howling in the night. I drew a deep, steadying breath, forcing myself to keep my anger from spilling over, though the shock and humiliation churned like v

Leona's POVMy eyes snapped open.For a moment, the world seemed frozen.I wished I had misheard, prayed this was some cruel illusion—but my father was already on his feet, moving with a speed no aged werewolf should possess.He glanced at me.That look was sharp, appraising, as if I were a bargaining chip finally put to use.Then, in the next instant, the cold calculation vanished, replaced by a flawless, warm, insincere smile."Looks like you've done well."Approval laced his tone, but my stomach churned.We descended the stairs together.The staircase stretched endlessly, each step hammering my taut nerves.When we entered the reception room, I saw him immediately.Kane lounged casually on the sofa, relaxed yet exuding an undeniable, quiet pressure. His back was straight, legs slightly apart—like a wolf perfectly at home in the hunting grounds.Behind him, several tall attendants stood motionless. Not a word, not a twitch—yet the room felt stifling, dangerous.My father quickened h

Leona's POVThe moment the words left my mouth, I felt it clearly—He smiled.Not with his lips,but with that cruel, dangerous expression that existed only in a wolf's eyes.The air in the study froze solid.The silence became suffocating.Kane's gaze wrapped around me like chains. The feeling of being stripped bare, weighed and judged, made my skin crawl. He said nothing, only advanced toward me, one deliberate step at a time.The sound of his boots against the floor was slow and heavy.One step.Then another.Each one crushed against my nerves.I instinctively stepped back, only to hit the edge of the desk. There was nowhere left to retreat."Conditions."He stopped in front of me, leaned down, and looked me straight in the eye. His voice was low, close enough to graze my jaw."Do you really think you're in a position to negotiate with me right now?"My breath caught."If I weren't," I lifted my chin, forcing my trembling hands to still, "you wouldn't be standing here listening."I

Leona's POV"Why? If you're trying to trick me again with that excuse about knowing something about my mother, forget it. I'll never contact you again," I said coldly."Then what about this?"He slowly pulled something from his pocket, his movements deliberate, almost ceremonial.He opened his palm.My breath caught.—A ring.Not ornate, yet unmistakably familiar. It rested in his hand, the metal catching the moonlight like a cold, watchful beast.My pupils shrank, my chest tightening as if gripped by an invisible fist."No… impossible…" I murmured, barely above a whisper. That ring—it was the token I had once given Henry.Damn it. How could I have forgotten this?When werewolves bond, tokens must be exchanged. And before severing the bond—even an incomplete one—the token must be returned through ritual. That was the rule, etched into our very blood and bones.Henry and I… never formally bonded.But back then, foolish, naive, desperate to believe in so-called "love," I had let him swe