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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Violet CLAW: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

72 Kabanata

41

Yes, this male didn’t offer to hand over billions in territory and titles because he felt some sudden fated-mate bond. He simply believed she was incapable of carrying a pup!"Forget it. I have no desire to bring a new life into this world with you."I forced my gaze toward the car window, letting the biting mountain wind chill the dangerous greed that had started to sprout in my mind. Because I was staring so intently at the passing dark pines, I missed the way his smirk vanished from the rearview mirror, replaced by a void so cold it was as if his amusement had never existed.Because of the tension, I refused to help him pick out the supplies at the market. When he finally returned to the vehicle, he was hauling a massive crate overflowing with pack-planning materials.I gasped. "Why did you buy the entire stock?""You said you didn't want pups," he rumbled, his voice losing every trace of its previous warmth. "So we’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen.""But these charms and

42

Jane’s expression shifted instantly, her composure frosting over as if she’d been plunged into a sub-zero lake.Arnold’s booming voice broke the sudden silence. "Excellent! Since you two are already acquainted from the medical center, I don't need to waste breath on introductions. Let’s get inside. This mountain air is enough to freeze the whiskers off a rogue."He led the way with a hearty smile, completely oblivious to the silent, predatory snarls being exchanged behind his back."I’m truly stunned, Dr. Mercer," Jane said, her voice carrying a chill that rivaled the night wind. "I hadn't realized you could find the time to play with wood when you’re supposedly so dedicated to your patients at Pacific Heights."I offered a thin, razor-sharp smile. "A wolf never stops learning, Jane. Even when the schedule is tight, one finds a way to squeeze out the time for what matters."If Sara hadn't backed me into a corner, I would never have set foot on Yoris land. But here I was, infiltrating

43

"I don't believe a word that leaves an Alpha's lips when we’re between the sheets," I breathed, my heart hammering against my ribs."Technically, we're on the sofa," Cole rumbled, his voice a low vibration against my skin.I was speechless. He didn't give me a chance to argue, capturing my mouth in another devastating kiss. That night, the air in the Ryder Penthouse was thick with a primal, desperate heat.But by morning, the cold light of reality returned. I needed to know if Cole’s promise to "hold the umbrella" during my storm was just talk.The test came via a ping on my device from Arnold Yoris: [Wednesday is the marking of my second son’s mating anniversary. We are hosting a small gathering at the estate. I expect my apprentices to attend and present their progress. I will be evaluating your steel.][I'll be there,] I replied.I knew exactly who lived at that estate: William and Sara Yoris. The two people I loathed most in this territory. But for the sake of my long-term play, I

44

We were unbonded, nothing more than a temporary arrangement of heat and friction. There was no pack law requiring us to track each other’s scents or movements.Yet, as he sat there, his admission felt like a strange form of respect—as if he were treating me as more than just a place to park his shadows. Did he actually expect me to play the role of the doting mate, fretting over his travel safety?I looked at him, my gaze sharp with suspicion. His eyes were like winter flint."Since you're going away," I said, trying to puncture the heavy tension, "why don't you buy me a gift? A Mercer should have a decent bag." I named a high-end designer, the kind my family used to collect in vaults before the fall. I’d sold every last one to keep the debt collectors from my mother’s throat.Cole didn't even answer. He just stood up and headed for the shower, his silence more cutting than a snarl.What is wrong with him? I wondered, watching his broad back disappear. One minute he’s offering to burn

45

I could see the faint muscle in Cole’s jaw twitching as he licked the inside of his cheek, a dark, playful glint in his eyes that only I seemed to catch.Jane, sensing the atmosphere thickening into something she couldn't control, suddenly spoke up, but Cole cut through the noise. "Why are you all hovering? You didn't hike up to this peak just for the catering. Since you’re here to evaluate the Cooper clan’s new territory, go sink into the springs. Otherwise, you’ll have nothing of substance to offer Tyler later."As the most dominant Alpha in our coastal circles, Cole’s word was law. The crowd of social climbers and heirs immediately scattered toward the steaming pools, eager to please him or at least stay out of his line of sight.Tyler had been splashing around with me earlier, our laughter echoing off the stone walls like pups at play. But the peace was shattered by a parade of guests seeking his ear. He was forced to play host, juggling improvement notes while keeping a protectiv

46

Mason Clark wasn't one for subtlety. He pulled the woman at his side into a bruising, performative kiss as if he had something to prove to the rest of the pack.One of the younger Alphas leaned back, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Mason, I’m starting to think you were the one responsible for that racket coming from the guest wing all afternoon."Cole was nursing a glass of dark red wine that Talia—no, Jane—had poured for him. He looked up, his expression unreadable. "What noise?""Moaning, Cole. Primal, unadulterated moaning," the man said, gesturing wildly as if he were re-enacting a hunt. "Someone was knotted for the better part of the day. They were still at it when I passed by an hour ago. Honestly, it made my own wolf restless just hearing it."I felt my blood turn to ice. My grip tightened on my water glass until my knuckles were white. I shot a panicked glance at Cole, but he was a mask of cold indifference, swirling his wine as if he hadn't heard a thing.The table

47

As a trauma surgeon, I knew precisely how much an twelve-hour shift in the theater drained the marrow from your bones."Go on up," Tyler said, his gaze lingering on me from the driver's seat of his Porsche. "I’m staying until I see your lights go on."He’d intended this weekend at the springs to be a battery recharge for tomorrow’s heavy surgical load, but the chaos with Talia had left him looking frayed. If I hadn't been so spent myself, I might have let him follow me up to my door."Goodnight, Tyler," I said with a tired smile, waving as I ducked into the lobby.Once inside the Mercer apartment, I stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass and waved again. Tyler pointed to his phone, signaling for a 'goodnight' text, before finally pulling away.The second his taillights vanished, my cheerful mask hit the floor like a lead weight. My chest felt tight—not from the surgery, but from the memory of Jane Yoris sliding into Cole’s SUV. I’d played the part of the busy, sought-after doctor for the

48

I had thought I had laid my cards on the table, but Elwood’s face remained a mask of bureaucratic iron."Dr. Mercer, we understand your family strain," he said, his voice dripping with a false, practiced sympathy. "But the scrolls have been signed and the roster is already reported to the High Council. If we strike a name now, it creates a void in the formation. It will be seen as a mark against your residency, and quite frankly, it could end your career at Pacific Heights before it begins."I felt the air leave my lungs. They were using my future as a leash, knowing exactly how much I had sacrificed to climb back from the Mercer family's disgrace."I see," I whispered, the word tasting like ash.I had no move left but to submit. The transition team was scheduled to depart at sunset, leaving us the morning to gather what we could. I used the window to sprint to the burns unit to see my mother."Mom," I said, keeping my voice light as I tucked the thin blanket around her. "The elders h

49

I obeyed the commands of the loudspeaker and retreated to a safe distance, but my feet felt like they were rooted in the sludge. I couldn't look away from the breach.Only the head nurse’s frantic grip on my arm saved me from being buried as a secondary slide hissed down. She dragged me back just in time, and I gasped out a thanks, my mind reeling. I must be losing my sanity in this downpour; for a split second, I could have sworn that voice on the megaphone belonged to Cole.It was impossible. The Alpha of Ryder Global wouldn't be in a wasteland like this.I mocked my own desperation, but as the steel blade of the bulldozer shoved the last of the boulders aside, the figure in the driver’s seat became clear. The rain lashed against his black raincoat, and his dark hair was plastered to his forehead, but there was no mistaking that silhouette.It was Cole."Those aren't council enforcers," a medic whispered nearby."The machines aren't government issue either."The rescue crew watched

50

Soggy clothes were a minor grievance compared to the rising flood. The further I pushed into the lowlands of Autown, the more the earth vanished beneath a murky, swirling tide.By the time the water reached my calves, the electric bike began to sputter, its motor choked by the silt. I realized that if I forced it any further, the battery would fry, leaving me stranded. I hauled the heavy frame onto a patch of higher ground and decided to continue toward the supply depot on foot.I hadn't trudged more than a hundred yards when a sound like a thousand falling trees shattered the rhythm of the rain. I looked toward the ridge, my heart stopping. A massive shelf of mud and ancient stone was peeling away from the mountain, surging toward the road like a living, hungry beast.Back at the Ryder encampment, the air inside the command tent was thick with the scent of cedar and expensive tobacco."Ivy Mercer has crossed the border into Autown," Noah Pierce remarked, his voice neutral as he adjus

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