All Chapters of Shattered by three, claimed by none: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Sage's POVI reached the stage and stood beside Kael, looking out at the crowd below. Hundreds of faces stared back at me, some curious, some skeptical, some still holding onto the old resentment. I knew those faces. They had not changed. But something in me had.Kael raised his hand, and the crowd fell silent. The applause faded, the cheers died, and the courtyard was quiet except for the crackling of the torches and the distant sound of wind through the trees.I looked out at all of them, and I wondered what I could say. If I really said my mind, they would all leave in a bad mood. I could tell them exactly what I thought of them, of the way they had treated me, of the years I had spent as a servant in their homes, of the names they had called me when they thought I could not hear. But that would not change anything. That would not make me any different from them.So I spoke differently."I am just thankful," I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest, "that I was given

Vex's POVThe words still hung in the air after Sage left, heavy and suffocating. Even though I had already guessed the truth, even though I had been piecing together the evidence, hearing her say it out loud still felt like a heavy blow to the chest. I sat there, staring at the closed door, my mind struggling to catch up with what my heart already knew.Milo was my daughter. Our daughter. The child we had created seven years ago on a night that I had tried so hard to forget, but never could. The child Sage had raised alone, without help, without support, without anyone to share the burden.I could not imagine what she had gone through. Seven years of raising Milo, and almost a year of running from the hunters. But worse than that, the beginning. The time when she was alone, pregnant, carrying a child that was half mine, half ours, with no one to turn to. No one to help her. No one to hold her hand.The pain in my chest was sharp and unfamiliar. Shame burned in my veins. I had done t

Sage's povI sat on the grass at the edge of the field, watching Milo run with the other children. The afternoon sun was warm on my face, and the sound of laughter filled the air. Milo was playing ball, her small legs pumping, her dark hair flying behind her. She was faster than the other children, more coordinated, but she held back, let them catch up, let them have their turns. She had always been like that. Considerate. Aware of others. Even when she was winning, she made sure no one felt left behind.The parents who sat on the other side of the field were different now. Some of them had come up to me earlier, thanking me for the cure, for saving their loved ones, for bringing hope back to the territory. Others had apologized, their voices low and embarrassed, for the way they had treated me years ago, for the names they had called me, for turning their backs when I needed help. I accepted their words without comment. Apologies did not erase the past, but they were a start.Some p

Sage's povKael's expression shifted. The small smile faded, replaced by something darker. His shoulders dropped slightly, and he turned back to the stove, wiping the spatula clean with a cloth."My father did not allow me to cook," he said. "He said it was below my class. That the future Alpha King should not be standing over a stove like a common servant. He said it would make me look weak in front of the pack."I watched his back, the tension in his shoulders. "Oh."Kael set the spatula down and leaned against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest. "I was too young to understand that his guidance was wrong. Most of it. I thought he knew everything. I thought everything he said was the truth." He paused, staring at the floor. "When I started growing up, when my frontal lobe developed and I could actually think for myself, I realized that none of his guidance had ever brought me peace. Or satisfaction. Or happiness."I did not know what to say. I had never heard Kael speak abo

sage's povMilo was giving me a look. That knowing look, the one that said she saw more than I wanted her to see. "Maybe you will win another match next time," she said.I could only smile. It was thin, tired, but it was real. "Maybe."Milo set her fork down and folded her hands in front of her. "Thank you, Mom. For giving the men a chance. For my sake."I reached across the table and covered her small hands with mine. "I would do anything for your happiness, Milo. You know that."Milo nodded. "I know." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Is it possible that you would allow the men to do the same for you?"I looked at my daughter's face, at the hope in her eyes, at the careful way she was asking, as if she was afraid of the answer. Seven years had passed. Feelings had moved on, or at least I had convinced myself they had. "The three men could become the best fathers you could ever have. I want that for you. I wanted you to know them, to be loved by them, to have the family I