All Chapters of The forced curvy mate : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Eleanor POV I woke slowly in Lucian’s strong arms, my head resting on the solid warmth of his chest, one of his heavy arms draped protectively around me. It was the best feeling I had ever known—safe, wanted, completely held. I tilted my face up just enough to look at him. His handsome features were utterly peaceful, relaxed in a way I had rarely seen. Soft morning light touched the sharp line of his jaw and the gentle curve of his mouth. For a long moment I simply watched him breathe, my heart swelling so full it almost hurt. A quiet, helpless smile spread across my lips as the memories of last night washed over me in warm waves. I had finally embraced who I was. I had transformed. And then I had given myself to him—completely, without holding a single piece of myself back. A silent laugh of pure joy fluttered through my chest. I rested my head against him again, listening to the steady, powerful beat of his heart beneath my ear, and wished with everything I had that the moment

The moment Zita left the kitchen, one of the maids stepped inside and offered a polite smile.“Good morning, Madam.”“Good morning…” I paused, realizing I didn’t know her name. “What’s your name?”“Sara.”“Hi, Sara. You can just call me Eleanor. We might even be the same age, you know. Which means we could be good friends. What do you think?”She smiled, a little surprised but genuine. “Alright.”“Good.” I glanced toward the doorway. “I have to go.”I followed the path Zita had taken toward the patio, my heart already beating faster than it should have been for such a simple morning. Through the glass door I watched her carefully set the coffee down in front of Lucian. He looked up, said something I couldn’t hear, then turned his head—and saw me.His smile was slow and warm and completely devastating.For a second the entire world narrowed to those eyes. Heat rushed through my body so fast I forgot how to breathe. My fingers tightened around the edge of my dress. I spun away from the

As I stepped into the house, the irritation finally rose—sharp and clear—cutting through the tangle of other emotions.That beast.She had actually wanted to attack me. What had I ever done to her except love the same man she still refused to let go? The fear was fading, but the questions she left behind lingered like bruises: about Lucian’s past, the depth of what he had once felt for her, and whether the feelings Aries had spoken of would ever be enough to make me more than a temporary stand-in in his heart.The thoughts kept circling, each one heavier than the last.What had really happened between Lucian and Valeria? He must have loved her fiercely—perhaps more than anything, more than he could ever love me. The idea settled in my chest like a cold stone. I wished, with a quiet, aching desperation, that he had been only mine from the start. That I had been his first and his last. But that woman had claimed his heart long before I arrived, and the knowledge of it left a hollow I di

Lucian POV I was so delighted to hear those beautiful words from Eleanor that something inside my chest cracked open. They warmed me in a way nothing else ever had—deeper, softer, more devastating. How could she say she loved a man like me? A man who had murdered her own father and made her watch every second of it? And still she stood there, eyes shining, telling me she was ready to carry my children… not because of my cause, not out of duty or pity, but because she wanted to. The knowledge of it nearly brought me to my knees.I didn’t deserve her. Not her love. Not the way she looked at me like I was worth it. Not any of it. Yet she was the only thing left that kept my heart beating, the only light I still reached for when the darkness tried to swallow me whole.I couldn’t stop kissing her. I needed her to feel it—every desperate, grateful, aching piece of me. My hands cradled her face as if she might vanish, then slid into her hair, holding her closer, pouring everything I couldn’

Eleanor’s POVI really need to learn how to defend myself.The thought weighed heavily on my chest, heavier than the warm late-morning air pressing down on the clearing. I still hadn't told Lucian what had happened earlier with Valeria. Every time I thought about telling him, the words rose to my tongue, only for me to swallow them back. I didn't want him to worry, and I certainly didn't want to give him another reason to pick a fight with her. I knew how deeply her betrayal had hurt him, and the last thing I wanted was to make things between them even worse because of me.But I couldn't pretend that nothing had happened.Valeria had been changing right in front of me—slow, deliberate, almost taunting. Then she came at me. The hatred in her eyes was so sharp it felt like it could cut skin. For a terrifying second I believed she might actually succeed. If Aries hadn’t appeared when he did, I don’t know what she would have done to me. That was how deeply she despised me. The knowledge