All Chapters of Fake Mates Till Forever: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

LEAH My hand flew to my neck.I had forgotten. In the chaos of the morning, in the stress of the director's office and the meeting with Valeria, I had completely forgotten to cover my neck.Santos's mark. The one he had given me last night. A possessive, intimate mark that told every wolf who saw it exactly who I belonged to.I pushed Austin away, stepping back, my hand still covering my neck. "That's none of your business.""None of my business?" His voice was shaking with barely contained rage. "You walk in here with another wolf's mark on your neck and you tell me it's none of my business?"I glared at him. "You have Valeria. What right do you have to ask me anything?"His jaw clenched. "It was him, right? The man who gave you that dress at the boutique. He's the one who marked you, isn't he?"I opened my mouth to deny it. But the words wouldn't come.Because I realized—he was right.Santos had given me the mark. And Santos had sent the manager to save me at the boutique. Somehow,

SANTOS The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting dancing shadows across the walls. The sound of waves crashing against the shore filled the night, steady and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of the earth itself.I sat on the sofa, my eyes fixed on the woman sleeping in my arms.Leah.Her face was peaceful in sleep, all the tension and pain from the day finally melted away. Her lips were slightly parted, her chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. She looked younger like this. Softer. Nothing like the fierce woman who had stormed into my office and demanded my help.Malakai stirred inside me, restless and possessive.Mine, he growled. She's mine.I didn't argue. I couldn't. He had been screaming those words for three years now, and I had long since stopped trying to silence him.I carefully shifted, lifting Leah into my arms. She murmured something soft, her hand curling against my chest, but she didn't wake. I carried her to the bedroom, my movements gentle, careful, li

LEAH I took a deep breath, one, two, three, before I opened my mouth. "I'm very happy, Valeria." I said, voice flat. "Thank you for your concern." She tilted her head, and chuckled mockingly before returning to try another dress. I looked away. My wolf growled. The next hour was a nightmare. Valeria was getting frustrated. Nothing was good enough. The saleswomen were exhausted. One of them had literally started crying in the back room. I stood beside the rack, standing professional with a a cup of coffee in my hand. I could feel Austin eyes on me but I refused to look at him. "Leah!" Valeria's voice cut through my thoughts. She was standing in front of a full-length mirror, her hands pressed against her hips, her expression furious. "I asked you a question." "I'm sorry, what?" "I said, do you think this dress makes me look fat?" I stared at her. She was wearing a dress that was three sizes too small, the fabric straining across her chest and hips. "I think

LEAH The clock on my nightstand glowed 11:47 PM.I had been lying in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling, my mind refusing to shut off. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Santos's face. The way he had looked at me in the boutique. The way he had pinned Austin against the wall like he was nothing. The way he had said "She's mine" like it was the most natural thing in the world.And then the way I had walked away.I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to push the images away. It didn't work. Nothing worked. My wolf was restless, pacing inside me, confused and anxious. She didn't understand why I had walked away from Santos. Neither did I.The house was silent. Everyone had gone to bed hours ago. My mother's soft snores drifted from down the hall. My father's heavy breathing from his room. Matteo's room was silent, and Bianca was playing music as usual.I was alone with my thoughts.And my thoughts were destroying me.He's just protecting you because of the deal, I told myself. I

LAKE The courtyard fell silent. Matteo stayed beside me, his hand still resting on my back. His his presence steady and warm.“Nana’s going to see right through this,” I whispered with dread. “She might,” Matteo agreed. “But that doesn’t mean it’s over.”I looked at him. “What do you mean?”He shrugged. “Nana is sharp. She’ll figure out something is off. But she also loves you. More than she loves being right.” He paused. “If she sees that Santos makes you happy, she might not care about the details.”“But Santos doesn’t make me happy,” I said. “He makes me confused. And terrified. And—““And alive?” Matteo finished.I didn’t answer.He smiled softly. “That’s what I thought.”I opened my mouth to argue, but my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the screen.Valeria.I pulled it out and looked at the screen. Valeria. Of course. I groaned and answered.“Leah!” Valeria’s voice was bright and sweet, like nails on a chalkboard. “Cake tasting tomorrow at ten. Don’t