Chapter 206\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next morning was gray and still, the kind of morning where the fog clung low over the packhouse and the world felt muted \u2013 as if holding its breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood near the window of the guest room I used at the Moonstone packhouse, a mug of tea cooling in my hands. The events of the previous day replayed over and over in my mind \u2013 Kieran\u2019s sharp words, the flash of restrained anger in his eyes, and Nolan\u2019s quiet, watchful presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The contrast between them had left me dizzy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had always thought I knew who they were \u2013 Kieran, the charming and composed ally; Nolan, the unpredictable and volatile mate. But lately, everything had started to blur around the edges, and the certainties I\u2019d clung to for months were unraveling one by one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When a knock came at the door, I half expected it to be Rae or Cassian. Instead, Nolan\u2019s low voice came through the wood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie? Do you have a minute?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted, but I opened the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood in the hall, hands shoved into the pockets of his black jacket. He looked tired \u2013 shadows under his eyes, stubble rough along his jaw \u2013 but there was something steady about him, too. Grounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to apologize,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cFor yesterday.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to,\u201d I said. \u201cKieran was the one who-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shook his head. \u201cI could\u2019ve handled it better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitated, then stepped back to let him in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The small room felt even smaller with him inside it. The faint scent of pine and smoke clung to him grounding, achingly bittersweet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
familiar,\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat on the edge of the bed while he stood near the window his shoulders tense. For a long moment, neither of us spoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, the silence was too much for me and I said, \u201cI asked Kieran what happened between you two. When you were young.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan\u2019s gaze flicked to me, then away. \u201cOf course you did.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me you hurt him. During training. That you went too far.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He exhaled slowly, the sound heavy. \u201cThat\u2019s one way to tell it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I set my mug aside, heart pounding. \u201cThen tell me your way.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned fully toward me then, his expression unreadable not angry, not cold, just tired. \u201cWe were sixteen. Both of us were training with the other young Alphas before the trials. It was supposed to be about learning cooperation between packs, but it was really a competition everyone knew it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, listening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was vaguely aware of how the alpha training worked. All of the alpha sons of a certain age trained together to prepare to take over their packs. It was a test of physical prowess, intellect, and diplomacy. At least, in theory. It wasn\u2019t uncommon for the packs to treat it as some kind of a display of power.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 208\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could only imagine what the pressure was like. My heart sank at the thought of August and Ian being subjected to it someday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKieran was talented,\u201d Nolan continued. \u201cStrong. But reckless. He hated being told what to do. One day, the instructors set a test tracking and pursuit in the norther wilds. Everyone was supposed to stay in pairs for safety.\u201d He paused, a faint muscle ticking in his jaw. \u201cKieran didn\u2019t. He went off alone. When I found him, he\u2019d wandered near a cliff edge. I told him to turn back, but he ignored me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated, his gaze distant now, as if he were seeing it play out again. \u201cHe tried to prove a point. Said I wasn\u2019t his Alpha. He lunged \u2013 not to hurt me, just to prove he could get past me \u2013 but he slipped. I grabbed his arm to stop him from falling, and my claws-\u201d He stopped, shaking his head slightly. \u201cI was shifting too fast. I didn\u2019t mean to. I lost my temper and it just started to happen. The cut was deep. He still has the scar.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie swallowed hard. \u201cHe thinks you did it on purpose.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell him the truth?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d Nolan\u2019s voice was soft now, resigned. \u201cHe just didn\u2019t want to hear it. He went back to camp and told everyone I\u2019d attacked him. I didn\u2019t defend myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned. \u201cWhy not?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His lips pressed together for a moment before he answered \u201cBecause if I\u2019d tried, it would\u2019ve turned into a public feud between packs. My father was already furious that the Silver Fang heir had been sent to train with others \u2014 he said it made us look weak. If he\u2019d known I\u2019d hurt another Alpha\u2019s son, even by accident\u2026\u201d He shook his head. \u201d He would\u2019ve made it worse. So I kept quiet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 206 Chapter 206\u00a0 Ellie POV\u00a0 The next morning was gray and still, the kind […]<\/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-23775","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\/23775","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=23775"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23775\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}