All Chapters of The Untamed Matriarch : Chapter 61 - Chapter 68

68 Chapters

61

I map out a silent laugh at his absurd little performance, shaking my head as the instincts of my clinical training war with my amusement. Nikolai doesn't let the distance widen; he reaches across the fur lounge and captures my hand, lifting and lowering our interwoven fingers in a deliberate, mocking parody of a human greeting."Do not retreat behind the professional armor," he rumbles, his grey eyes flashing with dangerous amusement. "Initiate the sequence.""A profound honor to cross your perimeter, Rodrigo," I murmur, slanting my eyes up to locate his gaze, a sharp smile cutting into my mouth."My calling is that of a beast master," he declares, dropping his voice into a low, resonant register that vibrates straight into my core as he locks into the performance. "I consume my daylight cycles suppressing the rage of feral Alphas, and my nights... taming the wildest she-wolves the territories can produce. And what is your designation?" He tightens his grip on my hand, anchoring me t

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"I am listening," I breathe. "Proceed.""You must exercise absolute tactical caution within that fortress, Rowan," Nikolai urges, his hand lifting to hover near my shoulder. "My intent was to deliver this intelligence last night—but our dialogue took a different trajectory. Our timeline is now critical, so forgive the abrupt nature of the transmission, but... the geopolitical balance within the Lunar Syndicate is destabilizing. A massive structural war is mounting across the West Coast Territories—I refuse to let your system be collateral damage. But your current position places you in direct proximity to the primary targets of this purge. My concern is that you will be completely crushed when the lines collapse."I feel the temperature drop in my chest as I process his words, my mind working at maximum velocity. I was fully aware of the friction between the Alphas, but the scale of this threat—"Does your pack comprise one of the executing forces, Nikolai?" I find myself asking, my v

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MASON BLAKE POVI keep my feet still on the wood floor until her bedroom door shuts completely. My chest is warm from my wolf trying to break out. I just nod at her before I leave, not showing her how much my teeth are grinding together. I do not look back at Rowan as I walk out into the dark hallway.As soon as the door clicks, I lean my back hard against the wall. I close my eyes and breathe in the scent of cedar and old blood from the hallway.That girl.She is going to drive my wolf insane. It was so hard to look away from her in that room. She just threw her sweater and skirt onto the floor like it was nothing. My wolf was screaming at me to claim her right there, especially after what we did yesterday in the Canyon Stables. But I kept the beast locked up. I forced myself to look at the stone wall while she washed the mountain mud off her skin, talking about her night with the Petrov boy.I open my eyes and walk fast down the stairs to my war room. I have to be smart. Nikolai Pet

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ROWAN BLAKE POVThe Alpha moves like a shadow. He takes four giant strides and hits the oak door with his palm, throwing the latch. The loud clack makes my inner wolf jump. Mason is so big, but he moves like a predator hunting in the woods, not a heavy bear. He has perfect balance. It makes my skin prickle with a little bit of fear.But it makes my blood run hot, too."Rowan," he growls. He locks his massive hands around my waist and yanks my hips against his suit. "What are you doing, walking through my pack house looking like this?""What do you mean?" I say, making my voice sound small and innocent. I love pushing his buttons. It feels like a fun game. "Am I breaking a pack rule?""Yes," he snarls. He gives my hips a small shake that makes a laugh pop out of my mouth. Even when he is mad, his large hands cannot stay still. One palm slides down until his fingers brush the small pearls on my silk underwear. His other hand snakes into the back of my hair, gripping my neck tight to hol

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Thwack!A sharp sting snaps across the right side of my backside. The loud slapping sound echoes in the quiet office.I stand straight up, my eyes wide as I gasp for air. Mason just spanked me.I start to spin around to look at him, but he hits me again, a little harder this time."Look at the wall, Rowan," Mason barks, but I can hear the dark pleasure in his voice. "Keep your hands on the desk. Do not move them."I freeze. I stay completely still for a few seconds. Mason lets me think about what just happened so I can choose my next move. And then my brain realizes... it didn't really hurt. He hit the softest part of my hip. It stung and it shocked my system, but moon above, it felt amazing. I liked the sharp sting mixed with the heavy wolf pleasure. I liked it a lot.So, I face the wall again and put my palms right back on the wood. I hide the big smile growing on my face so he can't see it."Good girl, Rowan," Mason whispers. His voice sounds thick and heavy with pure need.I hear

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Rowan POV"Whoa, easy now," Mason says and his voice shakes like my body shakes. He catches me before I fall onto the desk. His hand is on my chest and his other hand is on my belly and he holds me steady."You okay, Rowan?"I try to talk but no words come out. My brain feels like mush. Some part of me thinks I should feel weird about crying but who even cares right now.Mason pulls me back so I lean on his chest. His arms wrap around me tight. I try to breathe normal but my breath comes out all weird and shaky.And then I feel the wet on my cheeks. Little sobs come out of me. Soft ones. Like a pup crying."It's okay," Mason says soft. His cheek feels rough on my neck. "It's okay, sweetheart."I lean on him more because I need him steady for a minute. But then my eyes open and I breathe deep and I feel so embarrassed.Who cries after their first time? Who does that?"Um," I say. That's all I can say. Just um. So dumb. "I'm okay. I think I..."I stand up straight and push away from Mas

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ROWAN BLAKE POV"Do not play with me, Caleb," I whisper. I grip my glass so hard the pulp shakes. "He went into my room?""Yes," Caleb whispers back. He looks at the kitchen doors like a guard watching for a rival pack. "Daniel walked right to your door last night before he came to my bed. He wanted to scream at you. But you were not there, Rowan. Your bed was empty."My heart drops straight into my stomach. I feel sick. If Daniel went to my room at midnight, he knows I was not sleeping alone. He knows I was down in the Alpha’s den with his own father."Did he see me leave?" I ask. My voice sounds tiny and scared like a lost pup. "Did he see me come out of Mason's secret office door?""No," Caleb says, shaking his head fast. He takes a big gulp of his orange juice. "He just saw an empty mattress. It made him go completely crazy. He came to my quarters smelling like pure rage and silver. That is why he risked everything to bring me up to his private room in the main house. He usually n

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ROWAN BLAKE POV"He talked about the pack meetings, the shift, and then he let the bomb drop," Caleb whispers. He leans against the cold metal fridge. "He knows everything, Rowan. He knows your mate bond to Julian is a sham. He knows Julian is... well, Julian.""Did he say I was the one who told him?" I ask, my heart sinking."Julian thinks you sold him out to get closer to the Alpha throne," Caleb sighs. "He went to your room last night to scream at you. But your bed was cold. That is when he knew you were in Mason's den. Now he is hunting for blood."I stare at the floor. My stomach feels like a pit of snakes. I didn't tell Mason a single thing, but Julian doesn't care."I need to go," I murmur, grabbing my espresso."Rowan," Caleb says, stopping me. "Try to be soft with him. He is crumbling."I nod and walk out, heading for my room. I change into riding gear, but the dress Mason sent is still a mystery. Why send it if he doesn't want me to go anywhere? I stomp up the stairs, fuming

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