Chapter 76
Kieran
Trevor left and the apartment went quiet.
The festival was tomorrow. I needed to reignite the mate bond, and if I succeeded, Serena would stop talking about the divorce. The bond was a fire between mates; once it burned again, everything else would fall into place.
I pressed my hand against my cheek; the skin was still warm where she hit me, twice, without hesitation, without a flinch. Her palm connected with my face and she did not blink.
She was cold tonight. Not screaming, not crying, not throwing things. This was different; this was ice, and ice
did not melt on its own.
If she trusted me, if she believed my words, none of this would be happening. One way or another, I needed to get her to the Alpha house.
If she could hit me that casually, with that much calm on hengface and that much steadiness in her arm, what else 00
could she do?
< Chapter 76
I touched my cheek again and Cora pressed against the back of my ribs; he scraped and searched for Aina through a bond that barely responded.
I lay down and closed my eyes.
Sleep did not come. I turned onto my back, then onto my side, then onto my stomach. The sheets tangled around my legs and the pillow was too flat and the room was too quiet and every time I shut my eyes I saw her face, calm and furious and done with me.
The night stretched on and I did not sleep for a single
minute of it.
Serena
The festival turned the city upside down.
Silver banners hung across every street and lanterns glowed from every lamppost; the shops closed early and the restaurants were packed and the whole town buzzed with energy. The only people at work were the ones who did not have mates yet, and everyone else was home, preparing for the ceremony, preparing to renew the fire between them and the person they chose.
/ 12:00
+8 Bonus
< Chapter 76
I needed a checkup. I put it off for too long and my body reminded me of that every morning when the nausea hit and every evening when the exhaustion dragged me to bed before the sun went down.
The hospital was quiet; most of the staff took the day off. The receptionist told me a maternity doctor was in and could see me, the same one I visited before.
She ran the tests, checked the results on her screen, and
turned to me.
“You need to eat more,” she said. “And you need to rest. Your body is running on fumes.”
I nodded. “I’ll do better.”
She leaned forward. “Today is the festival. You should make sure you get your mate bond reignited.”
My stomach dropped. “Why?”
“A strong mate bond helps the baby grow stronger.” She tapped her pen against the clipboard. “Your health is not where it should be. You don’t eat enough, you don’t sleep enough, and your stress levels are through the roof. A 2:00
+8 Bonus
< Chapter 76
If Kieran marked me again tonight, he would think I still loved him. He would think I wanted the marriage and he would take it as proof that the divorce was a performance.
But if I refused, my baby would suffer. My baby, the only good thing that came from this marriage, the one person who did not betray me, who did not choose someone else, who needed me and only me.
I could not lose this child; I would swallow my pride before I swallowed that grief.
I needed him to mark me without looking desperate, without giving him ammunition, without feeding his delusion.
My phone buzzed with a message from Kieran.
You need to come with me to the Alpha house for the festival.
I typed back one word. No.
His response came fast. Okay. Then I’ll come to your house for the festival. Your family is my family.
5/8
12:01
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I stared at the screen; my jaw hung open. The shamelessness of this man was a bottomless pit; I could throw every refusal into it and it would swallow them all and ask for more.
This conversation could not happen over text.
I drove home, and when I pulled into the street, Kieran’s car was already parked at the curb. He stood at my parents’ front door with his arms full; flowers spilled from two large bouquets, gift bags hung from his fingers, and more boxes sat at his feet on the doorstep.
He saw me and his brow creased. “Where were you?”
I walked past him. “Do you want to reignite the mate bond with all of my family members?”
“Stop being sarcastic.” He adjusted the bouquets in his arms. “I am married to you and I am here for you. These gifts are for the family because your family is mine.”
I did not have time for this. If I needed to keep my baby, I needed him to mark me, and I needed to do it without suspicion. Nonchalance was my only weapon; if I showed even a trace of eagerness, he would see through it. 12:01
< Chapter 76
We walked inside.
My parents sat in the living room and Josh was on the sofa with his arm in a sling. His eyes found Kieran the second the door opened; the glare he fixed on him could have set the flowers on fire.
My mother’s face went flat and my father did not stand.
Kieran set the gifts on the table. “These are for the family. I wanted to-”
“Take them back with you.” My father’s voice was calm. “We don’t want them.”
My mother nodded. “We appreciate the gesture but we cannot accept.”
Kieran’s shoulders dropped, just a fraction, just enough for me to catch it.
I moved past him and turned to my mother. “What’s for breakfast?”
I took a step toward the kitchen and Kieran’s hand closed around my arm.
12:01
&
+8 Bonus
< Chapter 76
My father stood immediately. “What do you think you’re doing?”
My mother stepped forward. “Let her go.”
“Serena is my wife,” Kieran said; his grip did not loosen. “I need to talk to her.”
“You and Serena are about to get divorced.” My father’s jaw was tight. “You don’t even live together anymore.”
“I know I’ve wronged you.” Kieran’s voice stayed level. “But the truth remains that Serena and I are still mates. I came early to be with you all, but I will need her at the Alpha house for dinner tonight.”
“No,” I said.
Kieran looked at me. “This is not a matter of your choice. You have to come, or I will have my family come here for dinner instead.”
8/8
