Shattered Bonds A Second Chance Mate (by Yui) novel Chapter 264

Chapter 264

Reven’s Pov

Derick turned to face him, and so did I.

I couldn’t look at him straight in the eyes.

My heart began to pound so fast I thought it might leap out of my ches

Alpha Ethan. Even the sound of his name in my head made my stomach twist. I tried to breathe slowly, but my hands were shaking slightly, and I quickly hid them behind me before Derick noticed.

“Alpha Ethan.” Derick said with a smile, reaching to shake his hand. “It’s good to have you here. I didn’t know you were coming.”

Ethan’s deep voice rolled through the air like thunder after rain. “Thanks for inviting me, Alpha Derick,” he said calmly, his tone polite but cold. Then his eyes moved to me, and for a second, time froze.

I felt the pull, the bond, the invisible thread that always connected us, no matter how far apart we were. My wolf howled inside me, her voice filled with longing.

Mate, she whispered, her tone trembling. He’s here. Our mate.

“Shut up,” I hissed under my breath, my voice so low that no one heard. I forced a small smile and looked away, pretending to fix my dress.

Ethan’s eyes softened for a brief second, as if he was trying to remember something, but then he blinked and the look was gone. My chest ached.

“You’ve got yourself a beautiful Luna,” he said to Derick, his lips curving slightly as his eyes flicked to me again.

Derick smiled proudly and reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. “Thank you, Alpha Ethan. I’m lucky. I know.”

His warmth should have made me feel safe, but all I could feel was the weight of Ethan’s gaze. It was heavy, pulling at me. reminding me of the past I had tried so hard to bury.

My wolf wouldn’t stop whispering. He’s ours. He’s here.

No, I said in my mind. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t remember. And he never will.

I smiled tightly at Derick as he turned back to talk to Ethan about the event.

My mind was a storm. Why did the moon goddess have to do this to me? Why bring him back now, when I had finally started to heal?

When I had kids.

When I had a chance to move on.

Ethan’s voice pulled me back. “I actually came for the ceremony, but my jet had some mechanical problems,” he said, his

tone casual.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to spend the night here in your pack. I’ll leave by noon tomorrow once it’s fixed.”

My eyes widened before I could stop myself. “What?” I said out loud, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.

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Chapter 204

Derick turned to me, surprised. “What’s wrong lover

I swallowed, trying to calm my voice. “I just don’t think it’s a good taylor

Derick frowned. “Why not?”

“I just I don’t like him, I said, my voice small. “He makes me unco

Ethan raised a brow but said nothing. He just looked at me, quiet, almer and that made it worse.

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Derick sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. “Babe, he’s a guest. He’ll only cry one night.

And besides, the guest area is far from our rooms. You won’t even see him.

I wanted to argue, to scream that he couldn’t stay here, that everything would fall apart if he did, but what excuse could I give? That he was my second chance mate? That the father of my children was standing right here pretending not to know me?

“Fine,” I said, forcing a small smile. “If you say so.”

Derick turned to a maid passing by. “Please, take Alpha Ethan to one of the guest rooms and make sure he’s comfortable.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the maid said, bowing slightly. She gestured for Ethan to follow her, and as he turned his wheelchair, his eyes met mine,

That one look made me forget to breathe.

The bond tugged painfully in my chest.

My wolf whimpered softly,

He feels it too. He just doesn’t understand it yet.

I tore my gaze away quickly and held Derick’s hand tightly, like an anchor keeping me from drowning. He smiled at me and led me out of the hall.

I didn’t dare look back again, but I could feel Ethan’s eyes following me until the door closed behind us.

The walk to my room felt longer than usual. The silence between Derick and me was heavy. My heart still raced, my mind spinning with a thousand thoughts.

As we reached my door, Derick turned to me. “Let’s rest. It’s been a long day,” he said softly, brushing his fingers over my cheek.

“I think I just need some time alone tonight,” I said quickly.

He frowned. “Why? You’ve been quiet since we left the hall. Did something happen?”

I forced a small laugh. “No, I’m fine. I’m just tired. You know, the party, the guests, everything. I just need to breathe for a

while.”

He studied me for a moment, then sighed and smiled faintly. “Alright, if that’s what you want. But remember, starting tomorrow, you’re moving into my room. You won’t escape me so easily.”

1 smiled weakly. “I know.”

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7:40 pm

Chapter 264

PPP.

He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Goodnight, love.

And if you need me, just call.”

“I will,” I whispered.

He turned and walked away. The moment his footsteps faded, I locked had been holding since the ballroom.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I walked to the bed and sat down slowly

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My body felt heavy, like the weight of everything I’d been running from had finally caught up to me

Ethan was here.

In the same house.

Under the same roof.

The father of my children.

My second–chance mate.

The man who had broken me once.

And he didn’t even know.

I pressed my hands against my chest as if I could stop the ache inside. My wolf paced restlessly in my mind. You can’t hide him from our kids forever, she said softly.

“I have to,” I whispered back. “They can’t know. He can’t know. It’s safer this way.”

Safer? She scoffed. You’re lying to yourself, Raven. You still love him.

I shook my head fiercely. “No. Love doesn’t hurt this much. Love doesn’t leave scars.”

The wolf went quiet, but the ache didn’t. I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Every part of me was trembling, not from fear, but from the pull I was trying so hard to resist.

Images of Ethan filled my mind, the way he hurted me in ways I can’t forget.Now, I had children to protect. A new life to build. I couldn’t let him destroy that.

“I’ll just keep the kids in their room all day tomorrow,” I whispered to myself. “He won’t even know they exist. By the time he leaves, everything will go back to normal.”

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