Chapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I bore it like a collar too tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to run once.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was thirteen. I packed a bag with a stolen canteen, a torn map, and half a sandwich from the pantry. I made it as far as the ridge overlooking the eastern border when the guilt hit me like a weight to the spine. Not guilt for leaving them, but guilt for leaving the pack behind. For failing the purpose they\u2019d carved into my bones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They found me before sundown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father didn\u2019t yell, just looked at me, disappointment etched into every line of his jaw. He said five words that still echo when I close my eyes:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you leave, we all fail.\u201d 1\u00a0<\/p>\n
That night, I didn\u2019t sleep. I sat on the back steps of the pack house until morning, watching the moon crawl across the sky like it was judging me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It still feels that way sometimes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even when I stand at the head of the strongest warriors in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even when others bow their heads and call me Alpha.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even when I tell myself I\u2019ve made it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because I haven\u2019t. Not yet. Not until I earn the Moon Goddess\u2019s favor. Not until the pack is the strongest. Not until I take the Alpha President seat. Then maybe, just maybe, I\u2019ll silence their ghosts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook the thought from my head. I\u2019ve spent years building this\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t divorce Ellie,\u201d I said finally. \u201cNot now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Felicity stared. \u201cBut you want to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t afford to,\u201d Nolan snapped. \u201cThere\u2019s a difference. Not after you destroyed public perception of this pack, its unity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Felicity burst into tears. She cried pitifully, her face like a broken flower in the rain, so vulnerable and beautiful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew why she\u2019s upset\u2013she can\u2019t become Luna!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan hesitated and tried to comfort her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a low whistle from my seat, folding my legs up under me like I was settling in to watch a play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo now I\u2019m a political asset,\u201d I said, tilting my head. \u201cGood to know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan turned toward me, irritated. \u201cThis isn\u2019t personal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 11\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, it never is with you,\u201d I said, smiling. \u201cWhich is why you\u2019re going to pretend we\u2019re happily mated while your real girlfriend clings to your arm in every hallway.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Felicity\u2019s face flushed. \u201cYou\u2019re not in a position to talk about what\u2019s real.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood slowly, brushing off her pants. \u201cActually, I think I\u2019m in the perfect position. I\u2019m married to Nolan\u2013for now\u2013and you\u2019re still playing pretend.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie-\u201d Nolan warned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I didn\u2019t stop, I looked like I wanted to yell more, tell him off. But my eyes flicked to that folder covered in coffee before letting out a sigh. \u201cYou want to keep your deal with Moonstone? Save face? Fine. I\u2019ll stay. Smile for the cameras. Sit quietly at the table. But after that? After your precious alliance is signed?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I crossed my arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI want a divorce.\u201d I declared. \u201cYou can have him, Felicity. In three months.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan frowned. It was clear he was pissed off, \u201cYou don\u2019t get to announce our divorce. And why three months?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shrugged. \u201cThat\u2019s how long you need, right? To look stable? I\u2019m just giving you what you want.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My tone wasn\u2019t bitter. It wasn\u2019t angry. It was practical.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I thought I was being thoughtful!\u00a0<\/p>\n
But he seemed bothered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan stepped forward, studying me. \u201cWhy do you sound so different?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shrugged, \u201cWhat do you mean? My throat\u2019s fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t like this before,\u201d Nolan said coldly, \u201cLast week, you had been standing outside my office, soaked from head to toe, holding my favorite jacket, the one I\u2019d left behind after a long day.\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
11\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou hadn\u2019t said anything when I opened the door, just held it out to me, said you thought I missed it, and beg for me to smile\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His tone was slow and cruel, thought it would make me pain; but he suddenly paused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because I reached for the chip bag left on the table and popped one into her mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Crunch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 11 Chapter 11\u00a0 +25 Bonus\u00a0 And I bore it like a collar too tight.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-unremembered-mate-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23580\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}