All Chapters of Guarding His Forbidden Mate: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The ride back to Blackwood felt twice as long as the journey to the Silver Moon. I couldn't stop imagining Kaelen’s hand on my wrist, and that deep frown on his face when he said to me…‘Don’t you ever come back here again.’The words hadn't stopped playing in my mind since then, like an alarm that wouldn't stop ringing. I had played my part perfectly. I had acted as the obsessed, heartbroken girl from his past, and I had watched the way that Princess looked at me. Like my coming was a mistake or something.We finally got to the palace, and the black tall gate slowly opened for us to pass through. Straightway, I headed for Nathan's study room. I reached the doors of the study and pushed them open without knocking.Nathan was standing next to his desk, and in his hand was a glass of red wine. His gaze was focused on the map hung on the wall that he didn't spare me a glance when I entered."You’re back," he said, not looking at me yet. "I assume the trip was... enlightening?""I did exa

The news of Alpha Dylan’s arrival had turned the palace into a beehive of activity. For two days, the servants had been scrubbing the floors, and the kitchen was filled with the sweet scent of roasting meats and spices. It was as if the Silver Moon Pack was trying to prove its worth to the world, all because a childhood friend was coming to visit.My mother was the worst of them all. She had spent nearly the entire day in my room, fluttering around like a nervous bird. Suddenly, she was obsessed with the flowers in the vases, the scent of the oils I used in my bath, and especially what I was going to wear."Mom, for Christ's sake, can you just please stop hyping this man?" I groaned, leaning back against my vanity chair. "You’re making him look like he’s Zeus coming down from Olympus. He’s just Dylan. We used to play in the sand together."My mother paused, holding up two dresses against the light. One was an emerald silk, and the other was a royal violet with silver embroidery. "We a

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.Dylan’s arms were still around me, holding me firmly against his chest like I weighed nothing at all. My palm had flattened against him during the fall, and I could feel the rise and fall of his breathing beneath my fingers. My heart began to race, not from the almost-fall, but from something far more terrifying.No… no, no… Please, Moon Goddess… don’t do this to me.Don’t tell me this is it. Don’t tell me that everything I’ve been feeling… everything I’ve been holding onto… was wrong. That all those sleepless nights thinking about Kaelen, all those aching moments, all that longing was nothing.That this… this calm, steady man holding me right now… is my mate.My chest ached. The feeling I felt wasn't that feeling of fire I always felt whenever Kaelen was near, but it wasn't an empty feeling either. And that scared me even more.Dylan gently stood me on my feet, his hands lingering at my waist for just a second longer than necessary before he le

Later that night, I sat in front of my vanity, slowly brushing through my damp hair while I stared at myself at the mirror. My thoughts kept drifting back to the garden, to Dylan, to the way his arms had felt around me. And then, just like always, Kaelen forced his way into my mind, uninvited and impossible to ignore. I exhaled slowly, trying to focus on my routine instead of the chaos in my heart.I reached for my skincare, carefully dabbing cream onto my fingers while watching my reflection. If I kept myself busy, maybe I wouldn’t think about the confusion, the guilt, or the anger that had been building all day. Maybe I wouldn’t remember the way Kaelen had looked at me, like he was holding himself back from something dangerous. Maybe I wouldn’t feel this strange pull in two different directions at once. I hated it. I hated how none of this made sense anymore.Just as I leaned closer to the mirror, the door suddenly burst open. My heart jumped violently in my chest as I spun around,

That night, I sat beside my husband, watching the fire burn in our chamber. My thoughts were far away from anything else, fixed instead on what I had been observing since Dylan arrived. There was something about the way he looked at Jessica, something intentional, something that went beyond just mere politeness. It was not just admiration, it was deeper, and I could not ignore it.I turned slightly to face Silas, studying him for a moment before speaking. I knew he had seen it too, even if he had not said anything yet. He always noticed things, especially when it concerned our daughter. I folded my hands together, trying to put the words right.“Have you noticed the way Dylan behaves around Jessica?”Silas did not answer immediately, but I saw the small shift in his expression. He leaned back slightly, as if he had already been expecting this question. After a moment, he nodded once, calmly.“I have. And it is not just admiration, I believe there is something more there.”His respons