Chapter 130
The living room felt alive again,
Mother practically glowed sitting beside Emily on the couch, her eyes softer than I’d seen them since Emily lisappeared. Poppy and Jessie wouldn’t stop talking.
“Oh my Moon Goddess, when you feel better we’re doing a girls‘ night immediately.”
“No, first we’re taking her shopping because rogue fashion is criminal.”
“And then a spa day.”
“And then-”
“Can she breathe first?” Liam interrupted dryly.
Emily actually laughed quietly. The sound reached deep into my chest. Damn it, I had missed that sound.
Across the room, Marcus and Liam were already comparing rogue teeth and claws they’d apparently ripped out luring the fight.
“This one was huge.”
“That’s because you almost got your ass killed taking it.”
“Worth it.”
I stared at them for a long second before looking away. Honestly? Sometimes I truly didn’t understand guys.
Blake stood near the fireplace with crossed arms, watching the witch the entire time. Same as me. Neither of us rusted her. Not after everything.
Emily sat wrapped in one of my hoodies while the silver collar still rested tightly around her throat. And the entire time, she kept touching it nervously. Her fingers trembled every single time.
I finally crouched beside her. “Hey.”
She looked at me slowly.
“It’s okay,” I said quietly. “We control the witch now.”
Emily swallowed hard. “You sure?”
“Her mate is Alpha Darius,” I explained calmly. “After he wounded the rogue king, he’s barely alive. The witch won’t risk losing him.”
The witch standing across the room glared at me hatefully. Good. There was no forgiveness for her not after what she’d done. We were never going to be friends, and that was the least of her problems.
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Emily still looked terrified. At first, I saw she was scared the collar removal would hurt.
She wasn’t afraid of the collar. She was afraid of what happened after it came off.
“Do it,” I ordered coldly to the witch.
The room slowly quieted down. Even Marcus stopped joking around.
The witch limped closer, holding a small silver key in her wrinkled fingers. Emily went completely rigid.
“No sudden movements,” the witch muttered. “Blood magic reacts unpredictably.”
I moved closer instantly. “I’m right here.”
Emily nodded weakly, but she still wouldn’t fully look at me.
The witch inserted the key slowly. A sharp metallic click echoed through the room.
The collar clattered to the floor.
Silence ripped through the room, sudden and suffocating. No one moved. No one even breathed.
Then, they all saw it.
The black mark stood out against the pale skin of her throat like a brand. It wasn’t my mark. It wasn’t the bond :hat was supposed to tether her to me. It was his.
Declan’s.
My mother’s face went ghost–white. Poppy clamped both hands over her mouth, a strangled sound escaping her. Even Jessie let out a shaky, “Oh no…”
Marcus hissed a curse, and Liam recoiled, looking at her like she was suddenly made of glass.
In my mind, Asher went feral. A black, blind rage shattered my control.
“NOT OURS,” he roared, his voice vibrating through my bones. “KILL HIM.”
A heavy chill settled over me. That twisted, wrong feeling inside our bond–the poison I’d been sensing for weeks -made sense now. I wasn’t crazy. I had felt Declan’s presence there, I just hadn’t wanted to believe it.
The witch sighed heavily.
“I warned you,” she muttered bitterly. “She wouldn’t come back the way you wanted.”
Something inside me snapped.
Before anyone could react, I slammed my hand around the witch’s throat. The entire living room erupted.
“Nathan!”
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“Alpha!”
I shoved the witch hard against the wall, the wood cracking behind her.
“Shut your mouth,” snarled, pure murder dripping from my voice. “You helped them take her from me.”
The witch clawed weakly at my wrist “I–I warned-”
“One more word.” My grip tightened. “One more f*cking word and I’ll kill you.”
Blake moved in instantly beside me. “Nathan.”
“Take her,” I snarled, never breaking eye contact with the witch. “Before I rip her apart.”
Blake grabbed the witch quickly and dragged her out of my house.
The room went completely still after that. And through all of it, Emily still wouldn’t look at me.
That hurt worse than the mark itself. Because now I understood. That was why she’d been terrified. Not because of the magic, and not because of the pain. She was afraid of me. She was afraid of my reaction.
Damn it. She really thought I’d look at her differently now.
I stared at the mark again. Another male’s claim, burned into my mate’s skin. Asher raged inside my skull.
And the worst part? I was so damn happy she was alive. I should have only felt relief. But every time I looked at hat mark, all I could think about was Declan touching what belonged to me.
“Nathan…” Mother’s hand touched my shoulder carefully.
I pulled away immediately. I couldn’t handle anyone touching me right now, not when I felt like I was tearing apart from the inside.
Emily finally shifted slightly on the couch, like she wanted to say something. Apologize, maybe.
That thought nearly destroyed me, because none of this was her fault. But my chest still felrincredibly tight just
ooking at that mark.
Without another word, I turned and walked toward the front door.
“Nathan…” Emily’s voice cracked softly behind me.
I stopped for a split second, my grip tightening on the doorway. But I still couldn’t force myself to turn around. Because I knew I couldn’t look at her right now.
It wasn’t about her–logically, I knew none of this was her fault. It was that damn witch’s love potion and f*cking
Declan.
I needed to clear my head.
I walked outside into the cold air and barely made it down the front steps before someone slammed straight into
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my chest.
Nathan!”
Beatrice. Tears streamed down her face as she grabbed my shirt desperately.
“Where’s Ryan?” Her voice broke completely. “Please tell me you got him out too.”