All Chapters of Carrying His Secret Baby; My Stepbrother's Forbidden Claim: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Wren’s POVI stayed beside the cemetery path until Dante’s driver finally managed to get him on his feet. Dante resisted once, looking back toward the headstone as though leaving it meant abandoning Wren all over again. I moved farther into the shadows before either man could glance in my direction.The driver guided him toward the car with one arm ready near his shoulder. Only when the door closed behind Dante did I turn away. I left before the vehicle pulled out, unwilling to risk being seen and even less willing to explain why Ivy Sinclair had been standing near Wren’s grave.By the time I returned to the hospital, the corridors had gone quiet. Nora was still asleep, one hand curled beside her cheek while the nurse updated me in a whisper. Nothing had changed. Her readings were steady. For tonight, at least, there was no new reason to be afraid.I sat beside her and watched her breathe. The cemetery still clung to me, along with Dante’s broken voice and the sight of his hand presse

Dante’s POVGarrick arrived before noon with two Ashridge representatives and the expression of a man who believed entering my house meant he had already gained something. I received him in the council chamber instead of my office. My Beta, three senior council members, and our recorder were already seated when he walked in.He noticed the witnesses immediately. “Formal today, aren’t we?” I told him yesterday had made formality necessary. Anything said between us would be recorded, and nobody would leave this meeting with a convenient version of the conversation that differed from what actually happened.Garrick smiled as though the precaution amused him, but his eyes moved around the chamber before settling on the chair beside mine. The Luna’s seat had remained empty through more council meetings than I cared to count. Today, under his stare, the absence seemed deliberately exposed.“Interesting,” he said, approaching the table. “Your house keeps a place ready for a woman you still h

Dante’s POV“I’m beginning to understand why he keeps his mate waiting,” Garrick said, his voice reaching me as I approached. I had already left the elders when I saw him near Ivy, but his words made my pace quicken.“If you cannot discuss business with me without insulting me, then our conversation is finished,” Ivy replied, her expression hardening as she turned away. She never looked toward me for help, and I knew better than to assume she needed it.Garrick deliberately moved into her path before she could leave. I reached them and stepped between them, blocking his access to her. “Move,” I ordered, holding his gaze when he made no attempt to obey.“I wasn’t speaking to you,” Garrick replied with a dismissive smile. People nearby had begun watching us, and from the satisfaction in his expression, that attention was exactly what he wanted.“You were blocking my guest after she ended the conversation,” I reminded him, keeping my voice controlled. “Stand aside, Garrick.”“You’re unus

Dante’s POVBy the time I walked back into the reception hall, I had my anger under control. Ivy entered several steps behind me with Cole, and I resisted the urge to look back at her. What had almost happened on the terrace belonged somewhere private. Garrick had already dragged enough of her life into public view tonight.He stood near the center of the room with three neighboring Alphas and several elders around him. His expression changed when he saw me approaching. “Dante,” Garrick greeted me with a smile, spreading one hand toward his audience. “We were just discussing the unusual direction your priorities have taken.”“No, you were discussing a woman who has nothing to do with the dispute between us.” I stopped several feet from him, keeping my voice controlled. “You’re using her reputation because you cannot win your argument with me honestly.”The people around him became quiet. Garrick’s smile tightened as he glanced toward Ivy, but I stepped slightly into his line of sight

Dante’s POVBy nine the next morning, the central hall was full. Pack members crowded the floor while elders and visiting leaders stood closer to the front. Seraphina waited beside me, composed despite the attention, and I looked across the room before beginning.“Yesterday, three Thornbridge employees were detained near our eastern border by armed Ashridge wolves,” I announced, keeping my voice level. “All three are safe. Our patrols have been increased, the border is secure, and Alpha Garrick has been warned that another violation will not be treated as a misunderstanding.”The uneasiness in the room shifted. I could see warriors straighten and families exchange relieved looks. Garrick had spent too much time encouraging people to believe our territory was vulnerable, and I would not let what came next sound like fear had forced my hand.“This pack does not reward threats, and we do not make decisions because another Alpha tries to frighten us,” I continued, letting my gaze pass ove