Library

Search

Home / Werewolf / Inevitable Red Flag / Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

All Chapters of Inevitable Red Flag: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

84 Chapters

61

“I don’t care what is in his heart!” she cut him off, her voice rising to match his. “Nor do I wish to find out. I thought I knew your heart, Roman. But standing here now? I realize I don’t know you at all.”A single tear escaped, tracking down her face as she stared at him. His gaze followed the drop, his hands clenching into white-knuckled fists.“You deceived me,” she whispered. “I didn't think my Roman would weave such a web of lies.”His lips pressed into a thin, hard line. “I don’t recall a moment where you asked for a report on Tyler’s career path or the specifics of his relocation.”“That is merely one of the shadows you’ve hidden. But I’m not referring to that right now,” she said, her voice turning cold. “I am talking about the night your sire died. You told me he took his own life. But that was a fabrication. He didn't end his own vigil; he was murdered.”Roman’s entire frame went rigid. The rage evaporated, replaced instantly by an unreadable, stony mask. But no matter how

62

His gaze snapped back to her. Instant, crushing guilt washed over his face as the reality of his venom set in. The agony he had just inflicted on her was reflected clearly in the gray of his eyes.“Willow...” he choked out. He reached for her, cupping her face to force her to look at him. “I’m sorry, baby. I am so sorry. I didn't mean it. You are my entire world. You are the only reason I still walk this earth...”She shook her head, pulling back. A single tear escaped. “You cannot simply spit poison and then ask for forgiveness. You accused me of treachery and then told me I am nothing to you but a guest in your house.”The words felt like a physical weight. She knew he was drowning in his own trauma, but he couldn't use her as a punching bag for his rage.“You aren't my Roman. My mate would never bark at me in such a way. He would never seek to wound me so deeply. You aren't the male who vowed to never hurt me by choice.” She pulled his hands from her face. “And you are hurting me b

63

Willow’s gaze remained fixed on the heavy oak door of the master suite. She hesitated, the silence of the room weighing on her, until the cruel words he had spat echoed in her mind again. You have no right. You are just a guest. The ache in her chest flared into a fresh, hot anger. Gritting her teeth, she wiped her cheeks with a trembling hand, her eyes hardening."Goodbye, Roman Vale!""No! Don't you dare, Willow—"She slammed the heavy entrance to the penthouse shut, cutting off the sound of his frantic, violent pounding against the bedroom door. She strode toward the lift, her heart hammering in sync with the relentless rhythm of her tears. The sentinels in the hall watched her with wide, confused eyes, sensing the Alpha’s mounting territorial rage.Just as she stepped into the lift, a distant, splintering thud reached her ears. She knew that sound. He had shifted or used his brute strength to tear the bedroom door from its hinges. But he was too late. He couldn't reach her now.As

64

Tyler: I am leaving for the Northern Wastes tonight. I don’t know when I will see Redwood Bay again. Can you please meet me one last time before I go? I want to carry the memory of your smile with me.Her heart sank. He was leaving? Tonight?It made sense. After the way she had rejected him and the way Roman had sabotaged his rank, why would he stay? He had a life to rebuild elsewhere. But she didn't want him to leave with a heart full of bitterness. She wanted to apologize for Roman's cruelty one last time.Sniffling, she stood up and walked back to her car. When the phone buzzed again with the Alpha’s name, she didn't hesitate—she powered it off.If she wasn't important enough for the truth, then he could spend the night wondering where she was. Let him taste his own medicine.Willow knocked on the heavy door and waited. The corridor of the Harborview Hotel was drafty and deserted. This part of the city was old, the building tucked away from the main thoroughfares, which was likely

65

Willow cleared her throat, the damp fabric of her dress sticking to her skin. "Yes, forgive me. I was simply... concerned for Jade’s safety."Tyler’s volatile mood shifted instantly. A look of heavy adoration returned to his eyes as they scanned her again. "I know. My Willow is always carries the weight of the pack on her shoulders."He slid closer on the sofa, his hand snaking out to grasp hers. "Did I ever mention how this crimson shade suits you? It makes your skin look like porcelain under the moonlight."When his thumb began to stroke her knuckles, Willow tried to retract her hand, but his fingers clamped down with surprising strength. He didn't break eye contact as he reached up with his free hand, tucking a stray, sodden lock of hair behind her ear."You grow more breathtaking with every moon cycle. Redwood Bay agrees with you, I can see it." His voice dropped to a low, husky vibration.Unease coiled in Willow’s gut. she pulled her hand back with a sharp tug and shifted further

66

"You're mine, Willow!"He slammed his mouth against hers. Revulsed, she wrenched her head away before he could force his way in. In the chaos of their struggle, a sudden, thunderous pounding on the hotel door reached her ears.Hope surged through her. Just as she drew breath to scream for help, a familiar roar shook the room."Willow! Open this door!"Roman?A sob of pure relief broke from her throat. "Roman! Roman, help me!""Shut your mouth!" Tyler hissed, yanking her hair again. His eyes were void of any humanity now, dark and feral as he tried to smother her face with his own. "I won't let you run to him. You belong to me!"Willow fought with everything she had, keeping her face turned away as they stumbled across the room."Willow! What the fuck—"Roman’s voice was cut off. A new wave of terror hit her when the shouting stopped, but then the entire door frame groaned under a massive, violent impact."Roman!" she cried out. "Release me, Tyler!""You're staying!"When his lips touc

67

The steam from the ritual cleanse rose around them, but the heavy tremors in Willow’s frame wouldn't cease. Roman pulled her back against the hard wall of his chest, his massive arms locking around her like an iron fortress."Ease your spirit, little wolf. The danger has passed. I have you. No harm will reach you while I draw breath, I swear it on the moon. Just breathe with me," Roman murmured, his voice a low vibration against her spine as he smoothed the tension from her shoulders.A jagged sob broke from her throat. She twisted in his hold, clutching his damp skin as if she were drowning. "I... I gave him my trust. I viewed him as a brother of the pack. I never imagined such a betrayal... that he would turn predatory."His grip tightened, his claws momentarily pricking his own palms in a surge of stifled rage. "Quiet now, do not mourn a traitor. Do not shed your light for a beast like that. Your trust was a gift he was too small to hold. He showed his true nature, and for that," h

68

Roman took over the hearth to prepare the morning meal while Willow lingered in the washroom, letting the hot spray of the cleanser wash over her skin. Now that she was alone, the harrowing echoes of the previous night surged back like a flood. Her fingers gripped the stone edge of the basin until her knuckles turned white. She fought to suppress the memory, but the betrayal was too heavy to shove aside.It was impossible to reconcile the Tyler Boone she had called her pack-brother with the feral creature from the Harborview Hotel. He had been intoxicated and wounded by exile, yes, but that didn't wash away the blood. He had been a monster. He had used a predator’s violence against her. Willow didn't know which version of him was the truth anymore—the pup she grew up with or the beast she faced in that room.Bile burned in her throat as she recalled his touch. She forced her eyes shut, drawing deep, jagged breaths to steady her racing heart. She didn't want to know where his broken bo

69

Roman’s anxiety was a physical weight between them. Despite the grandeur of the stone manor he had built for their future, a flicker of doubt still danced in those stormy eyes, a fear that the girl who had once vanished into the night might do so again.Willow stepped into his space, rising on her toes to cradle his rugged face in her palms. She forced him to meet her gaze, anchoring him to the present."I am giving you my word, Roman. I will not leave your side. Not tomorrow, not when the seasons turn, and certainly not because of whatever shadows follow you. I am staying."A ragged exhale broke from his lungs before he claimed her mouth. It wasn't the gentle brush of a courtship; it was the desperate, territorial hunger of an Alpha staking his claim."I love you, Willow. More than my own life," he growled against her lips, his voice vibrating through her chest.She leaned into him, a soft smile touching her face. "And I love you. More than anything in this world."She didn't care wh

70

Willow could feel the heat rising in her own veins. It was absurd. This was a ghost of a life she hadn't even been part of. Yet the urge to hunt down the females who had once shared his scent was a feral burn in her chest.Roman sensed the shift, pressing his forehead against hers to anchor her."It was during that first winter after you fled to Manhattan," he murmured, his voice low and gravelly. "I tried to convince myself I could let you go. I thought if I found a distraction, you could live your life in the city without the shadow of the Vale hanging over you. I sought out others, hoping their touch would drown out the memory of yours. Even then, I knew I was lying to myself."He pressed a soft kiss between her brows."I lasted a moon cycle. One month before the hunger for you drove me back to the edge of madness. I realized then that no one could ever carry the scent of my Willow. I couldn't exist without seeing you, even from the shadows."A single tear traced a path down Willow

PREV

...

NEXT

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP

DMCA.com Protection Status