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7.04 PM do.
EPISODE 16N
I froze.
My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I thought my heart had stopped beating. There, just a few steps ahead, standing under the twisted canopy of moondew trees with shadows dripping from his shoulders like a cloak, was Ronan.
His eyes found me instantly.
They burned, wild and furious, like a storm barely contained behind dark clouds. His lips peeled back into a snarl, just enough to reveal the sharp hint of fangs, and every inch of his body was tight with aggression. He looked like he was ready to pounce.
Before I could take a step back, Valor moved in front of me, shielding me with his body in one smooth, practiced motion. His presence was solid, immovable, as if he were carved from the very mountains that surrounded the border. My hands instinctively found my belly, the slight curve now impossible to hide.
And Ronan saw it.
He stopped walking. His expression, already harsh, twisted into something far more dangerous. He was shocked at first, became confused, then furious. His gaze dropped to my stomach, lingered there, and then snapped back to my face. Accusation poured from him before he even spoke a word.
“You’re pregnant?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the night air like a knife. Valor scoffed, clearly mocking Ronan.N
What gave it away?” he said, voice laced with contempt. “The way she’s holding her stomach? Or the very obvious bump?“N
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Ronan growled, turning his glare on Valor.
“I don’t care,” Valor replied coldly, never stepping aside. “You’re not getting near her.“N
“What the hell are you doing at the border, Ronan?” he added, voice steady and low. “This is our territory. You don’t get to come and go as you please.”
“You gave me permission to see her,” Ronan snapped. “Or did you forget? Or maybe you’re using your Council status now to bend the rules and keep me away?”
“I said you could see her. And you’ve seen her,” Valor said with a shrug. “Now you can leave.“N
“That’s ridiculous,” Ronan said, his voice rising. “You’re deliberately keeping me from her. She’s my wife. My mate. I have every right to see her-”
“There is no marked bond between you and her. If you forgot that, we could do another check,” Valor interrupted, his tone like ice.N
“That’s impossible!” Ronan barked, taking a step forward, but Valor didn’t flinch. “Something must have happened to her! A marked bond doesn’t just vanish unless someone tampers with it! I can bring the pack elders here right now. They all witnessed our mating ceremony. You can’t just pretend it never happened!”
His words made my skin crawl. I couldn’t remember that ceremony. I couldn’t remember him. I looked at Ronan, and while his features were familiar in the way that old photographs were familiar, there was no warmth, no connection.
I swallowed hard. “I… I don’t remember any of that.“N
Ronan’s face twisted. He sneered at me, his voice turned cruel.N
“Of course, you don’t. How convenient for you. I was gone for a few months, Bella, and now you’re pregnant with another man’s child?“@ His words felt like a slap.
“You really couldn’t wait, could you?” he continued, venom in every syllable. “Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you’re just the type of woman who spreads her legs the moment her mate’s back is turned-“]
“Watch your mouth, Valor warned, his tone dark and dangerous.
Ronan ignored him.”
“You’re not even denying it. What kind of woman is that? It hasn’t even been that long, and you’ve already gotten yourself knocked up.“N I could barely breathe. And Valor feel more so. But he wasn’t the type to show it openly. Instead, he smiled. It was the kind of smile that made my skin prickle. It was sharp, full of smugness, and clearly mocking.N
“Well,” he said slowly, “if she was your bonded mate, and if you two never had a child after years of being together, then maybe the problem wasn’t her. Maybe the problem was you.“}
Ronan’s eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists. “Are you saying I’m incompetent?“N
Valor tilted his head. “I didn’t say that. You did.“}}
I looked between them, heart pounding in my chest, unsure who was winning but fully aware that I was the prize in this silent, brutal war.R “And another thing,” Valor added. “If you cared so much about her, why did it take you two months to come looking? It takes three days to travel here at a normal pace. Five if you’re slow. And yet… Here you are, after two months. Doesn’t sound like a man desperate to find his so–called wife
Ronan looked like he wanted to rip Valor apart. But he couldn’t deny it. He opened his mouth, then closed it. His jaw clenched tight as he struggled to find a response. He never got the chance.#
A soft, feminine voice floated through the trees.
Ronan, wait for me! You know I can’t walk fast with my condition…
I turned my head sharply.
704 PM & & .
The voice was sweet. Delicate. And clearly pregnant.
Seconds later, Mara emerged from the shadows, her steps slow and deliberate, one hand on her lower back as the other cradled her rounded belly. She looked almost serene, glowing as if she’d stepped out of a painting.
Her pregnancy bump was nearly the same size as mine. Beside her, Flora trudged along, scowling and clearly annoyed./
“I told you this was a bad idea,” Flora muttered, supporting Mara by the elbow. “Why are we even here? She’s barren, remember? The bond is gone. Ronan’s mate is gone. Why waste time with her?”
She made no effort to lower her voice N
“I told you, Flora,” Mara said gently, offering me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I just wanted to make sure Bella’s okay. She is, after all, the lawfully wedded wife, no matter what happened to the bond.”
Then Mara’s gaze found mine. She stared for a moment, her eyes drifting down to my belly. And then, as if on cue, her expression shifted. She was indeed very surprised, but somehow there was a glint of mocking in her masked face.”
“Oh,” she said loudly. “Bella, you’re pregnant too?”
7:05 PM
