All Chapters of The Alphas Who Owned Her: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The moment he did, Gwen felt the pull to follow him, to move toward the one brother who had been gentle with her, But Killian’s presence in the room was like gravity....heavy, inescapable, terrifying in a way she couldn’t articulate.She stayed where she was, her head down, her hands clasped in front of her.Killian stood from his chair and walked toward her. His footsteps were measured, controlled, each one deliberate and slow. When he reached her, he stopped close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body."Gwen," he said, and the sound of her name in his voice was almost her undoing.She kept her head down."Look at me."She lifted her gaze to his face. His silver eyes were cold, analytical, but there was something underneath that coldness...something that looked almost like regret."We will be sending you back to your mother," Killian said, his voice steady and absolute. "This weekend."The words took a moment to process.When they did, Gwen’s head snapped up."W

The training grounds opened up before her like a clearing that had been intentionally carved out of the natural landscape. There was a wide, flat expanse of packed earth, bordered by racks of weapons and training equipment. And in the center of it all was a scene of controlled violence.Gwen stopped at the tree line and watched.Cassian was there, shirtless, his body glistening with sweat in the morning light. His golden eyes were sharp, focused, his entire attention fixed on the two warriors he was sparring with. They were large males...strong, obviously trained, but they moved around him like they were trying not to get too close.Because Cassian was dangerous.Gwen had never seen him like this before. In the office, he’d been tender and protective. In the hallway, he’d been conflicted and uncertain. But here, on the training grounds, he was something else entirely. He was pure, unleashed alpha.His movements were controlled but violent—every punch precise, every shift of weight pur

"You can’t be serious," Cassian said. He moved toward the desk, his movements sharp and agitated. "You can FEEL what’s happening, Killian. You can feel the bond. She’s our mate. We can’t just let her leave.""We can," Killian said, finally looking up from his desk. His silver eyes were cold, controlled, but there was a flicker of something else underneath....pain, perhaps. Or regret. "And we will.""Why?" Cassian demanded. The question came out like a curse. "Give me one reason why we would find our mate and then let her go?"Killian set down his pen with deliberate care. When he spoke, his voice was measured, but every word landed like a hammer."Because," he said slowly, "she didn’t choose this. She didn’t choose us. She was brought here under false pretenses and traumatized in ways we are still trying to understand. And forcing a mate bond on her, forcing her to stay, would be the cruelest thing we could possibly do.""It would be survival," Cassian shot back. "Do you have any idea

The morning came too quickly.Gwen woke before dawn, her eyes opening to darkness that was just beginning to soften at the edges. For a moment, she lay there in her bed, listening to the silence of the estate as it slept. Then it hit her, the realization that this was her last morning in this room. Her last morning in this place.She felt a flutter of nervousness mixed with anticipation.Then someone knocked at the door."Come in," Gwen called.The door opened.Nessa appeared with a tray of breakfast, real breakfast, not the sparse offerings from the early days. Fruit, bread with honey, tea. Behind her came Agnes with Gwen’s original clothes folded neatly over her arm."Good morning," Agnes said. Her weathered face held something like approval. "The car is being prepared. You’ll leave within the hour."Gwen nodded.She wasn’t surprised. Had known it was coming."Thank you," Gwen said.Nessa set the breakfast down with a small smile. "You’re happy," she observed."I’m going to see my m

She didn’t know what she was apologizing for. For leaving her alone in this hospital bed. For not being able to protect her from the mate bond breaking. For surviving something that had destroyed her. For coming back changed in ways she didn’t fully understand yet.For everything.Her whole body was shaking now. Every muscle vibrating with the force of the tears she was finally allowing herself to cry. Three months of holding it together. Three months of surviving. Three months of moving through each day without breaking.And now, sitting beside her mother’s unconscious form, she finally broke completely.She wept into their joined hands, her whole frame wracked with sobs. The machines beeped steadily around her, indifferent to her pain. The hospital sounds continued outside the room....distant voices, the hum of equipment, the ordinary noise of people dealing with medical crisis.And Gwen sat there and cried like her heart was breaking. Because it was. Because she’d survived somethin