Chapter 113\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
The meeting was called to order before I had the chance to question Ellie about Kieran. The alphas took their places around the table, facing the elders. Ellie stood by my side, her presence offering some comfort as the weight of the kingdom\u2019s judgement was leveled at us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One by one, each alpha was called to speak. They each offered their vision for the future of the kingdom. It was a formality that felt outdated to me, but it was unavoidable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many of the alphas gathered here had no chance of getting on the ballot. It was simply a chance for them to put in face time with the elders and offer an account of their victories and accomplishments to the other alphas present.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There were only five or six of us who actually stood a serious chance of being included.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When my name was called, I lifted my head and gave my prepared statement. My vision for the kingdom was to streamline trade between the packs to ensure economic stability. I had made great strides on that front in Silver Fang.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I also spoke on the need to secure the border with the roguelands. There was no avoiding mentioning the attack on Ellie, so I addressed the topic indirectly. We needed greater communication between the packs. Strengthening our alliances could only make us all stronger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I made sure to give Moonstone credit for their assistance in handling the situation with the traitors we\u2019d discovered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time I had stopped talking, the chamber had grown restless. The elders\u2019 murmurs, usually dignified and restrained, rose in volume as my name lingered in the air longer than the others.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood tall before them, but inside my wolf paced restlessly sensing the weight of what was coming. It was too soon after everything had gone wrong in Silver Fang for me to be in this position.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then Elder Rowan pushed himself to his feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The old man\u2019s voice cracked like thunder against the stone walls. \u201cNolan of Silver Fang,\u201d he said, his eyes burning holes into me, \u201cyou dare stand here and ask for the kingdom\u2019s trust, when you could not even protect your own blood?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words landed like blows, and I felt the room shift. Whispers spread like wildfire, heads turning, eyes narrowing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan didn\u2019t stop there. \u201cYour wife attacked while standing beside you, your heirs lost, your own parents slaughtered because of your actions. You have failed repeatedly. You failed your pack as an heir. You bring with you nothing but death, betrayal, and misfortune. You are cursed, boy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fists curled at my sides. I\u2019d heard these words before-spoken in drunken corners of taverns, whispered behind doors I walked past as a teenager. But never like this Never publicly, with the full weight of the elders pressing down on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ground my teeth and forced my voice level. \u201cI was fifteen years old when my parents were killed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA cursed child,\u201d Rowan spat back. \u201cDon\u2019t you dare excuse yourself. The Goddess turned her face from your family long ago. And now you expect us to bless you as a candidate for king?\u201d His gaze swept the room, his voice rising. \u201cI say no. I say if you are to be permitted to run, you must prove you are not abandoned by the Goddess. Prove her blessing rests upon you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A stunned silence followed his words. The elders exchanged uneasy glances. Some nodded, others frowned, but no one immediately objected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chopter na\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
My wolf snarled, furious, but beneath the anger was something colder. Fear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t believe in the Goddess. Not the way Rowan did. Not the way most of them did. I\u2019d rejected all of that a long time ago. I only followed religious practices at all for the sake of tradition and keeping the pack happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And yet, the thought of submitting to her so-called test\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
What if Rowan was right? What if she had turned her face from me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
What if I failed?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood rooted to the spot, my breath heavy, my throat tight The air felt too thin, like the walls of the chamber were closing in on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you hesitate?\u201d Rowan sneered, seizing the moment. \u201cOf course you do. Because deep down, you know. You know you carry death in your shadow. You know no divine favor rests on you. You are unworthy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words echoed through me, dragging me back into memories I didn\u2019t want-blood on the dirt, my father\u2019s body at my feet, the crushing silence that followed. The shame of surviving.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The shame of being left behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I opened my mouth, but no words came.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then Ellie stepped forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice was steady, sharp enough to slice through the tension like a blade. \u201cThat\u2019s enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every head in the chamber turned. Even Rowan faltered, his mouth hanging open as though he hadn\u2019t expected anyone to oppose him, least of all my wife.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s chin lifted, her eyes blazing as she met Rowan\u2019s glare without flinching. \u201cYou speak of curses and shadows, but you forget who you\u2019re talking to. Nolan is my mate. Chosen by the Goddess herself. Do you dare call her choice a curse?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A ripple moved through the chamber-murmurs, nods, a few gasps. Rowan\u2019s face darkened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie pressed on, her voice unwavering. \u201cThe Goddess does not make mistakes. If Nolan were truly forsaken, then explain why she bound us together. Why she returned me to him. Why she continues to give him strength when every trial should have broken him. He is no curse. He is proof of her will.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her words struck something in me I hadn\u2019t expected-heat rising in my chest, loosening the icy grip that had taken hold of me. She believed, even if I didn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t know what to feel. We didn\u2019t talk about religion. Didn\u2019t talk about anything deep, really. She knew my beliefs, but I had never asked about hers. To hear her speak how, it was either proof that she\u2019s a skilled liar or that her faith burned brighter than I could have guessed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan\u2019s hands curled into fists. \u201cYou think the mate bond excuses him from divine judgment?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think,\u201d Ellie said, her voice low but firm. \u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The silence that followed was heavy, but it was no longer turned against me. The elders shifted uneasily, some nodding in reluctant agreement. Rowan\u2019s stance weakened though his glare remained locked on me with venom. Ellie stepped closer, her hand brushing mine for the briefest second. The electric jolt of the bond shocked me out of my frozen state fully. Her presence steadied me, anchoring me when I\u2019d nearly drowned in doubt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I finally found my voice. \u201cIf the elders demand a test, I won\u2019t refuse it,\u201d I said, my tone hardening, no longer wavering. \u201cBut don\u2019t mistake my silence for guilt, Rowan. don\u2019t answer to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s words had bought me time, steadied the ground benath my feet. But inside, I was still conflicted. The fear lingered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because as much as I hated Rowan, as much as I despised his accusations\u2026 part of me wondered if he was right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It did seem like every person who was close to me was destined to suffer. Even if I wasn\u2019t directly responsible, I was still the common denominator.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What if the Goddess really had abandoned me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 113 Chapter 113\u00a0 Nolan POV\u00a0 The meeting was called to order before I had […]<\/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-23682","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\/23682","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=23682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23682\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}