Chapter 221\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s brow furrowed, but his voice stayed gentle. \u201cAnd Nolan?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was waiting for them. In wolf form. He didn\u2019t look angly or threatening, but\u2026\u201d I hesitated, searching for words. \u201cIt felt final somehow. Like if they reached him, I\u2019d lose them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned back slightly, studying me with that calm, thoughtful patience that had become second nature to him.\u201d Tell me, Ellie-what do you think the goddess was showing you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I admitted. \u201cMaybe that he\u2019s going to take them from me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOr,\u201d he said softly, \u201cthat he\u2019s meant to protect them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up sharply. \u201cI can protect them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric nodded. \u201cI know you can. But maybe not alone. The goddess rarely sends the same vision twice unless the meaning has changed. Perhaps she\u2019s showing you not what you fear-but what must happen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed. \u201cYou think she wants me to trust him?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think she wants you to trust yourself,\u201d he replied. \u201cYou already know how you feel about Nolan, and about the boys. The goddess doesn\u2019t make mistakes, Ellie. Neither did you when you followed your instincts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sank back in my chair, staring out the window where the sunlight was spilling over the courtyard. \u201cMy instincts are at war with each other, Alaric. Half of me wants to keep the boys here, where it\u2019s safe. The other half\u2026\u201d I trailed off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other half misses him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded silently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood and came around the desk, resting a hand on my shoulder. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to make any decisions yet. You and the boys will always have a home here in Moonstone. But don\u2019t let fear decide for you. Fear clouds the goddess\u2019s voice faster than anything else.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His warmth steadied me. I took a deep breath, letting the words settle. \u201cThank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways,\u201d he said simply. \u201cYou\u2019re my daughter. I failed you once when I lost you-I won\u2019t fail you again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat tightened. \u201cYou didn\u2019t fail me. The goddess brought me back when it was time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smiled faintly. \u201cAnd perhaps she\u2019s doing the same for Nolan now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to believe that. Truly. But the image of the boys running into the fog wouldn\u2019t leave me. Every instinct screamed that something was coming-something I couldn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A knock at the open door pulled me from my thoughts. Cassan stepped inside, already dressed for travel. His usually neat hair was slightly mussed, his jaw tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMorning,\u201d he said quickly. \u201cSorry to interrupt.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re heading out?\u201d Alaric asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian nodded. \u201cI\u2019ve got a meeting scheduled.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned. \u201cWith who?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated just long enough for me to notice. \u201cNolan. We\u2019re going over some reports about rogue activity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything all right?\u201d I asked, studying him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 221\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d he said too easily. \u201cJust routine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric\u2019s gaze lingered on him, but he didn\u2019t press. \u201cBe careful on the roads.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways.\u201d Cassian gave a brief nod to us both and turned to go. I caught the faint stiffness in his shoulders, the clipped rhythm of his stride. He was trying to look casual, but tension radiated from him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCassian,\u201d I called softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused in the doorway, half-turned toward me. \u201cYeah?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sure everything\u2019s fine?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a heartbeat, I thought he might actually tell me. His expression softened-brotherly, apologetic-but then he forced a smile. \u201cDon\u2019t worry so much, Laney. I\u2019ll see you for dinner.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then he was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared after him, the unease settling deeper in my stomach. The air in the study suddenly felt heavier, the morning light too bright.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric watched silently for a moment before speaking. \u201cHe\u2019s working too hard. The uptick in rogue activity near the border has him rattled.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded. \u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen trust him to tell you when he can,\u201d Alaric said gently \u201cCassian\u2019s like me in that way-he carries burdens alone until he\u2019s sure he won\u2019t drop them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced a small smile. \u201cThat\u2019s not comforting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he agreed, \u201cbut it\u2019s true.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rose, crossing to the window again. Outside, the courtyard was filling with pack members, laughter rising as the day began. Everything looked peaceful. Ordinary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And yet, for the first time in months, I couldn\u2019t shake the sense that peace was only the surface of something deeper-something shifting beneath our feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed a hand to the glass, eyes unfocused on the morning light.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goddess doesn\u2019t make mistakes,\u201d Alaric had said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe not.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But sometimes, I thought, the goddess\u2019s lessons hurt far more than the uncertainty did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clogs 227\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 221 Chapter 221\u00a0 Alaric\u2019s brow furrowed, but his voice stayed gentle. \u201cAnd Nolan?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cHe […]<\/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-23790","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\/23790","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=23790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23790\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}