All Chapters of MY FATED MATE NOW CALLS ME AUNTIE: Chapter 21 - Chapter 26

Laura’s POV With that, he walked right past me, keeping me in a puzzled state.I stood glued to the cold stone floor, his words echoing over and over in my head like a relentless drumbeat. Ryder never actually does anything for any lady unless he's in love with her. My chest heaved as I stared down the empty hallway where Vance had vanished. It sounded ridiculous, completely insane given how brutal and unyielding Ryder was….and yet, every time he touched me, every time he bled for me, it defied everything I knew about him.I slowly backed into his chambers and shut the heavy oak door behind me. Before I could even cross the room toward the fireplace, the side door connecting to his washroom swung open.Ryder stood in the doorway, his broad, bare chest slick with water, a white towel low on his hips, and his wet dark hair sticking to his forehead. His gray eyes pinned me to the spot with lethal intensity."You're still standing," he growled, his voice a low, raspy rumble that made my

Laura’s POV "The council does not dictate who I protect," Ryder rasped, his voice dropping into a deadly frequency that vibrated straight through the stone floorboards.Before anyone could move, his hand shot to his belt, drawing his heavy silver blade and slamming it deep into the center of the council map…splintering the oak table clean down the middle."Laura stays under my roof," he growled, leaning over the cracked wood, his dark Alpha aura flaring so violently that even the torches along the walls seemed to flicker and dim. "Anyone who has an issue with that can step out into the courtyard with me right now and try to take my head. Otherwise, shut your damn mouths."Beta Vance remained silent, choking back his words as he adjusted his crumpled leather collar. The rest of the elders stood completely frozen, paralyzed by the sheer threat radiating from their Alpha. Not a single man dared to reach for his sword.Up in the dark gallery, I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my back fla

Laura’s POV "False hope?" I repeated softly, watching his large, calloused fingers finish securing the fresh linen around my wrist. His touch was so careful it felt like a lie compared to the harsh words coming out of his mouth. "Is that what you call this, Ryder? Protection without feeling?"Ryder didn't answer right away. He kept his head bowed, slowly pulling the fabric tight and tying a neat, firm knot over my pulse point. His broad shoulders were rigid, his dark jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle ticking beneath his skin."It's not about feeling, Laura," he rasped, finally lifting his head. His storming gray eyes were completely devoid of warmth…cold, distant, and hard as steel. "It's about keeping you breathing. You want to call me ruthless? Fine. Call me a monster if it helps you sleep. But you stay alive under my roof.""You're a hypocrite," I whispered, resting my head against the carved wooden headboard as he packed away the linen roll into the small wooden box wit