Attachment 219_Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine

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 Chapter 219 I Quit

 Chapter 219 I Quit

 ROWAN

 I pinched the bridge of my nose and groaned.

 “Will you stop kissing on my couch?” I eximed.

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 Cade and Arden broke apart instantly after aggressively rubbing their rtionship in my face while sitting on my damn furniture.

 After Arden had been discharged from the clinic, they decided to stay here for a few days before leaving this afternoon. A favor, Cade had called it.

 However, it was more like torture. The entire time they’d been here, they alternated between being disgustingly affectionate and arguing about the stupidest things.

 I swear, Arden’s pregnancy had turned her into a walking contradiction. She wanted Cade for one blissful hour in the day, and then spent the other twenty- three despising him. Unfortunately, that one hour of affection was enough of a hell for me to sit through.

 I folded my arms and leaned against the wall, ring at them. “Don’t you two have anywhere else to do that? I even prepared the guest room for you.”

 “Ew,” Arden said, wrinkling her nose. She shoved Cade away with more force than necessary. “That’s enough. I’m going to shower.”

 “Okay, baby,” Cade replied smoothly, waving her off like a doting husband.

 Arden rolled her eyes and disappeared down the hallway, muttering under her breath about how annoying he was.

 I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling slowly. As soon as she was gone, I moved to sit on my couch, but halfway there, I froze.

 I didn’t even know what they did on this couch when I wasn’t around. With that, I changed course and dropped onto the floor instead.

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 Cade smirked at me, leaning back casually, arms crossed in triumph.

 “Why do you have to stay here, anyway?” I grumbled.

 He tilted his head. “Why? Jealous?”

 I scoffed. “Of you? No fucking way.”

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 He chuckled, throwing his head back. For a second, I was struck by how different he looked nowpared to the Cade I first knew. Back then, he was more like me, just controlled. Now, it appeared like he had the world on his shoulders, but it was light. He appeared bnced, like he’d found something I hadn’t.

 It hit me harder than I wanted to admit.

 He really had progressed while I… hadn’t.

 Again and again, Cade had beaten me in ways that weren’t just about strength or skill. He’d beaten me in the ways that mattered most. I knew, deep down, that wasn’t his fault. So, I couldn’t hate him for it. Instead, I only had myself to

 “You have a long way to go before you can have what I have,” he suddenly said.

 I turned toward him with a re. “Don’t rub it in my face, Cade.”

 “But it’s not impossible,” he added softly after a few moments of silence.

 I frowned, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. “Did you eat something weird?” He smirked, humor shing across his features. “Yeah. Arden.”

 My eyes widened before Iunched a cushion at him in disgust. “Fuck off, Cade!”

 He caught it easily, tossing it aside, but when his gaze met mine again, there was no teasing left.

 “I know how much you’ve been hurt, Rowan,” he said. “We both know that of each other.”

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 For a second, my defenses wavered. I tried to mask it with a scowl, but Cade didn’t falter.

 “And I know, in turn, that made you into someone you couldn’t recognize. Someone even you hated. But I’ve seen you change, Rowan. A lot. For the better.” 

 I looked away, clenching my jaw.

 “You still have a long way to go,” Cade continued. “But I know you can have what I have–and look at me without feeling like you don’t deserve it.”

 I shut my eyes, willing myself not to let his words sink too deep.

 Cade leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. His tone softened further, the smirk gone, leaving only quiet conviction.

 “In fact, you already have so much more than you know. You just need to figure out what matters the most to you right now. And when you do… you’ll see it. You’ll realize it’s been there all along.”

 ***

 After sending Cade and Arden off, the silence of the house felt both like relief and emptiness. I stood in the doorway for a while, staring out into the trees, before finally deciding to do what I always did when I didn’t want to think—work.

 There was still more to be done. Men to screen, warriors to test, weaknesses to catch before they became mistakes. So I headed to the clearing, expecting only the usual sound of sparring and grunts of effort.

 However, when I got there, I realized quickly this wasn’t just a warrior’s drill.

 The clearing was filled not only with the fighters but with elders, and a few pack members too. Zaria stood near the front, while Wilder leaned against a post like he owned the ce. My mother was standing quietly to the side, while my father was at the center, talking with some of the elders with a slight smile that made me

 uneasy.

 “Alpha Karl,” Elder Harren eximed.“You made a good decision. This will be good 

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 Chapter 219 I Quit

 for the pack.”

 I froze mid–step, brows pulling together. A good decision? About what? 

 Then, as though sensing me, they all turned their heads.

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 “What are they talking about now?” I muttered under my breath, stepping closer.

 “There you are,” my father said, his voice carrying too much satisfaction for my liking.

 Sure enough, when I nced to the side, Wilder’s lips were also curved into a smirk that made my skin crawl. He was enjoying this already, whatever this was. Meanwhile, Francis, who usually couldn’t resist poking fun at me or throwing some half–witted jab, stood stiffly. His face was so tight it looked like he was constipated, and for once, there wasn’t a single joke in his eyes.

 That’s when I knew.

 This wasn’t going to be good.

 I stepped forward, squaring my shoulders. “What’s going on?”

 The tension stretched before Elder Harren spoke with no hesitation.

 “You should marry Zaria.”

 The words rang in my ears, sinking in slowly like poison.

 “What?” I asked.

 “I already talked with the Fens,” my father added smoothly.

 “What are you talking about?” My fists clenched at my sides.

 He chuckled. “It’s long overdue. At the meeting, I realized my faults. I didn’t trust you enough. Maybe that’s why you’ve been cking off. So now, I’m giving you this proposal.”

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 “Proposal?” I spat the word out.

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 “I’ve been telling you this for a long time, but I’m telling you again. You need a Luna,” my father went on, ignoring my tone. “Zaria is great. We’ll go with Cameron as the Beta with this n, and Francis and Emma as our Delta.”

 I stared at him, heat climbing my throat.

 “You’ve already decided for me?” I asked in disbelief.

 “Well, yes,” my father answered without hesitation.

 I nced at my mother. She didn’t meet my eyes. She was staring at the ground, shoulders slightly hunched.

 “Otherwise,” my father added, “we’d have to postpone it again. You don’t want that, do you? Rather, do you want your other cousins to take over the role? Wilder is more than a good candidate, and he’s willing to marry just for the title.”

 His wordsnded like a hammer. The threat was subtle, but it was clear in my ea All around me, the silence pressed in. I could feel every gaze fixed on me, waiting for my decision. I knew, deep inside, they all wanted a single decision, and it was the decision I didn’t want.

 Zaria’s chin lifted ever so slightly. Wilder’s smirk deepened, probably knowing I wouldn’t win any other way. If I chose to marry Zaria, I wouldn’t be happy. And if I chose not to, then I would lose everything I’ve been trying to prove for the past years. 

 I swallowed, every instinct in me rebelling, every muscle tense with the urge to fight.

 “Fine,” I said tly after a while.

 They stayed silent, probably wondering what decision I was agreeing with. My next words set everything in stone.

 “Give it to Wilder if you want. I don’t need to be the Alpha.”

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Attachment 219