All Chapters of The Untamed Matriarch : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

I stifle a giggle, pressing my palm against my mouth to kill the sound. Julian had mentioned he was "seeing" someone, but I hadn't realized he was bringing them into the Cross Estate for midnight runs. How long had this been his private truth?I creep a few steps into the corridor, peering toward the servant’s staircase, but the hooded figure has vanished into the shadows of the stone walls. I shake my head, starting down the main stairs. This definitely wasn't a point in the "stay loyal to Julian" column. He isn't being faithful to me—he isn't even bothering with the pretense.A problem for a future moon, I tell myself, pushing through the heavy oak doors into the kitchen.The sun hasn't fully crested the cliffs yet, but a few Omegas are already moving, prepping the day's rations. I head straight for the industrial espresso machine, my eyes scanning the room for Mason. I’m desperate to catch him and ask about visiting Samuel before the stresses of the Lunar Syndicate sour his mood.I

I stand at the precipice of the landing like a startled doe, muscles locked, my kinetic sense dialled to the maximum as my eyes dart through the shadows, hunting for the source of that sound.The redwood-scented hallway is still, but then—there! A sharp, hitching breath.Driven by a mix of raw curiosity and a lingering touch of the defiance that fueled my earlier recklessness, I creep toward Julian’s heavy oak door. I tell myself I’m checking on him, hoping the stress of the Lunar Syndicate hasn’t finally snapped his cord...But deep down, my wolf knows what it's sensing.I lean in, peering through the iron-wrought keyhole of the suite. It’s a relic of the "Old World" architecture Victor Aldridge loves so much—functional, but poorly designed for privacy. The gap gives me a clear, silver-tinted view of the bed, where Julian is tangled with another figure in the deep indigo light of the moon.I tilt my head, mesmerized. I’ve lived a life of clinical observation and "calm surfaces," and

My wolf wakes up then, a sharp, electric pulse snapping through my veins as I focus on him. Rage ignites behind my ribs, and I snarl, my claws threatening to prick through my skin as I crumple the vellum contract into a ball. Mason doesn't flinch; instead, a dark, predator’s smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. He likes the fire. He likes me when I’m ready to draw blood.“You're a beast,” I spit, the chair screeching against the stone floor as I vault to my feet. “I will never be your concubine—never.”“Not a concubine, Rowan,” Mason interrupts. He stands slowly, his massive frame dwarfing the room as he crosses his arms. He looks at me with the calm of a mountain. “It is a position of status within the Syndicate—a formal bond with legal protections and significant territorial incentives for your kin. I have established these accords before; the females who held these titles would testify to the honor and security of the arrangement.”“Oh?” I throw the word back like a challenge. “W

We share a jagged, toothy grin as our gazes lock. I roll my eyes at her intensity, but Harper doesn't flicker; she simply thrusts her glass toward me in a silent dare. I hesitate for a heartbeat before clinking my rim against hers."Whatever path you choose, Rowan," she says, her voice dropping into a serious, protective growl. "I’m in your corner. But never forget—this is for your survival, not his ego. The moment this arrangement stops feeding your wolf? You tear his throat out and run."I nod firmly, absorbing the weight of her survival instincts.I drain the burning liquid, leaning over the scarred wooden table to let my sister help me map out the hunt.The sun is dipping below the jagged peaks of the Pacific Northwest, casting long, bloody shadows across the redwood cathedrals when I finally pull up to the silver-lined gates of the Cross Estate. I spent the afternoon in the safety of Harper’s sanctuary, letting her sharp wit and pack-born wisdom mend the frayed edges of my nerves

I lift my chin, meeting his gaze with a defiance that masks the tremor in my soul. “Yes,” I tell him, my voice a jagged edge of silver.“Exquisite,” he purrs, the golden heat in his eyes raking over me one last time before he wrenches the heavy oak door open. “I’m salivating at the thought of our next encounter, Rowan. Every agonizing second of it.”Mason pulls the door shut with a final, resonant thud. The moment the latch clicks, my strength vanishes. I drop to my knees on the cold stone floor, finally allowing my legs to give way to the violent shaking I’d been suppressing. My breath comes in ragged hitches as I fumbled for the new device hidden in my desk’s false bottom. I dial Harper immediately.“Wait, for real?” she shouts, skipping any pretense of a hello. “Is the High Alpha already retreating? Dammit, I pegged Mason Cross for a wolf with more stamina than that—”“Harper,” I groan, collapsing onto my back and staring up at the dark rafters of my ceiling. “Stop spiraling. We di