Chapter 100\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, my babies,\u201d I cooed, rocking the twins in my arms. \u201cMommy has missed you more than you could possibly know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you even hold them both at the same time like that?\u201d Lance asked, amused. He was standing against the wall near the door, watching my little reunion with a fond smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of practice,\u201d I replied. \u201cSay hi to your uncle Lance, boys.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pushed away from the wall and came to stand beside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at their little faces,\u201d he said softly. \u201cI\u2019ll never get over how tiny they are.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they\u2019ve grown so much since you visited last,\u201d I pointed out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re still tiny,\u201d he said, reaching to touch their chubby cheeks. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not. I hate being away from them,\u201d I said. I couldn\u2019t hide the quiver in my voice, so I didn\u2019t try.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d He put his arm around me\u00a0<\/p>\n
y.\u201dYou don\u2019t have to do this for Nolan\u2019s sake. You can stay here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not for his sake,\u201d I replied. \u201cIt\u2019s for the packs. Silver Fang and Moonstone. If I cause drama between them right now-\u00a0<\/p>\n
>>\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know. Things are fragile politically. But that\u2019s not your responsibility, Ellie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is, because I have the ability to help. To make things more stable for everyone. I owe to these two to make sure they have a peaceful world to live in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance sighed and tightened his grip on me. \u201cYou\u2019re too good to others and not nearly as selfish as you should be,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was a teasing tone to his voice, but it was undercut by the serious expression on his face. I couldn\u2019t help but smile at him. He knew how hard this was for me, and the fact that he had arranged this short visit so that I could hold my boys meant more than he could possibly know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance and Cassian were keeping me sane through this. Without them, I wouldn\u2019t have the strength to deal with everything that needed to be done back in Silver Fang.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been very good at being selfish.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can teach you, if you want.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
The council chamber had emptied almost as quickly as it had filled, leaving only the lingering echo of arguments and tension in the air. My wolf was restless, pacing behind my ribs, heart hammering with thoughts I couldn\u2019t quite shake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I should have been relieved. The alliance with Moonstone had survived, at least outwardly. And yet\u2026 there was something gnawing at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric remained behind, arms folded, watching me with an unreadable expression. \u201cYou realize,\u201d he said slowly, that there are consequences to actions taken in secrecy. We all make mistakes, Nolan. That doesn\u2019t mean we aren\u2019t bound to repair them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
44\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 100\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
I crossed my arms, jaw tight. \u201cI get that. But I still don\u2019t understand why you, or your son, would care so much about Ellie. She isn\u2019t one of your people, as far as I know. Why go to such lengths?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s eyes flickered, just the slightest shift, like he was weighing how much to reveal. \u201cSome bonds are older than the ones you see. Sometimes\u2026 family matters more than circumstance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tensed. \u201cFamily? What does that mean?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned back, deliberately evasive. \u201cIt\u2019s not for me to say, Nolan. Some things are meant to remain private. Trust that our interest in her-well, it is genuine, and protective, nothing more.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Protective. Genuine. The words didn\u2019t sit right. My wolf bristled, instinct screaming caution, warning me that something in Alaric\u2019s tone was layered, something I couldn\u2019t see.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to press further. \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 vague. Are you saying she\u2019s connected to your family somehow?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A memory came to me suddenly. There were rumors that Alaric\u2019s daughter, believed to have died in childhood, was alive somewhere. Could it be possible that Ellie was that long lost daughter?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought stole my breath for a moment. Was she an alpha\u2019s daughter all this time? It would explain their immediate affinity for her and their odd behavior during their time in Silver Fang.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s lips twitched, just the faintest edge of a smile. \u201cI\u2019m saying nothing further. The rest\u2026 will reveal itself in time, if it needs to. My advice is to focus on the here and now, Nolan. Your wife is back. That\u2019s what matters most.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed, irritation flaring. \u201cFocus on her? That\u2019s easy to say when I haven\u2019t even seen her in\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words caught in my throat. The door was open, giving me a clear view down the corridor. I could see Ellie and Lance making their way back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest constricted at the sight: Ellie slipping quietly down the corridor, Lance by her side, his arm steadying her. His hand rested on her lower back, guiding her, comforting her, like she was the most precious thing he\u2019d ever held.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw the way she leaned into him slightly, not out of obligation, but the kind of trust that came from years of relying on someone to keep you safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted. I denied the implications immediately. Lance? Falling for her? No. That was impossible. Not my brother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was too wild, too unrestrained to want anything steady. He didn\u2019t do relationships with labels; he didn\u2019t do long-term. He wouldn\u2019t want\u2026 whatever this would mean. My mind scrambled, rationalizing, inventing excuses for what I\u2019d just seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie had been through enough. She needed care, support, and someone to stand by her while she figured out her next steps. Lance was simply\u2026 dependable. That\u2019s all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And yet, even as I tried to convince myself, the edge of jealousy refused to dissipate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s voice pulled me from the thought spiral. \u201cYou see, even you, Nolan, can be\u2026 blind to the obvious. You worry about outcomes, and you assume intentions. Sometimes, it\u2019s not about desire-it\u2019s about duty. Do not misread loyalty for affection where none is intended.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gritted my teeth. \u201cDuty, sure. But what if it\u2019s more than that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t answer, only gave me a measured look, an almost amused patience that made my blood boil. \u201cYou\u2019ll know when you need to know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 100\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to press him harder, demand answers, pry into every secret they were holding about Ellie. But the council room, the open space, the shadowed corners-none of it was a private place to interrogate an alpha like\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And more than that\u2026 I couldn\u2019t risk scaring Ellie. Not now, not ever again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sight of her with Lance-soft, quiet, trusting-was making my heart race. It shouldn\u2019t have affected me. Not after everything. And yet it did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced myself to take a deep breath, running my hands down my face. \u201cFine,\u201d I muttered. \u201cWe\u2019ll deal with it later. Focus on keeping the alliance intact.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric inclined his head, satisfied. \u201cWise choice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lingered a moment longer before walking into the corridor towards Lance and Ellie. They didn\u2019t change their position, didn\u2019t act like there was anything to hide. That should have comforted me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But my wolf\u2026 my instincts\u2026 they were screaming that this was only the beginning. And whatever games or secrets were swirling around her, I would uncover them. One way or another.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because no matter what, Ellie was mine. My mate. And no power in Moonstone-or in my own pack-would convince me otherwise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 100 Chapter 100\u00a0 Ellie POV\u00a0 \u201cHello, my babies,\u201d I cooed, rocking the twins in […]<\/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-23669","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\/23669","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=23669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23669\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}