Free Web NovelChapter 131: Chapter 131
Even before I turned, my wolf reacted. That voice always did this to me, no matter how hard I tried to shut him out.
It was Nathan.
Sophia perked up instantly, her fear spiking. Her eyes immediately went wide and glossy with tears she definitely knew how to weaponize.
“Nathan!” she wailed, her voice trembling, casting him the most pitiful look she could muster.
Her panic hit my senses like sour smoke, irritating my wolf. Rowland obviously could see how fake she was, he was here earlier and saw how everything played out. But Nathan just arrived, what would he believe?
To my surprise, Nathan didn’t rush to her. He didn’t even flinch. He just stood there, tall and unreadable, his gaze shifting... straight to me.
The midday sun poured over him, outlining the hard lines of his face. He looked cold and distant like carved stone. His aura rippled out, making the small crowd that had gathered go silent one by one.
I refused to let his presence crack me open again.
My hand remained clamped around Sophia’s jaw, my claws itching beneath my human nails. I didn’t loosen my grip until her tears slid down and hit the back of my hand...those warm, pathetic droplets meant for show.
“Nathan, save me!” Sophia cried, her voice trembling perfectly. “I only came to ask about my grandmother’s inheritance and Aria hit me!”
Lies. She left that part out, the part where she insulted my grandmother and tried to provoke my wolf.
Nathan’s eyes, cold as winter, flickered.
There was barely a change, but I caught it.
He stepped forward, his Alpha presence pressing against my senses as he stopped in front of us.
“What happened?” he asked.
His voice was deep, magnetic... a voice that used to make my wolf roll over in contentment.
Now it only made my skin crawl.
He wasn’t speaking like a man defending a damsel.
He sounded like a mate, a mate questioning why his luna was bothered.
I hated that my heart reacted.
I hated that my wolf perked up like an idiot.
I jerked my hand away from Sophia and took three whole steps back, putting a distance between me and Nathan.
The moment his eyes followed me, a chill burst down my spine.
He noticed.
Of course he noticed.
Rowland did too. His gaze flicked between us, confusion and suspicion swirling together. Then he stepped forward, muscles tense, blocking my path like a shield. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Nathan’s POV
My gaze snapped to Rowland the moment he stepped between us, blocking Aria from view. My nephew...gods, he’d grown broad shoulders, steady stance, posture screaming protective instinct.
And right now, that instinct was aimed at my mate.
My wolf bristled instantly, hackles rising beneath my skin.
Rowland tilted her head slightly at Aria, and asked in a polite but firm tone.
“Do you know Uncle Nathan?”
Uncle...Right.
Aria didn’t know that little detail.
And from the stunned look on her face, it hit her like a blow.
Her scent spiked with confusion. She stared between us as if trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.
She doesn’t know Rowland is family.
And Rowland...
He has no idea he’s guarding the woman fate tied to me.
A sharp, irrational surge of annoyance tightened my jaw. My wolf snarled inside me, pacing.
Great. Exactly what I needed.
I rubbed my temples, trying to rein in my temper before the Alpha aura spilled. “It’s crowded out here. I’ll have Collins book a nearby coffee shop. We’ll talk there.”
None of them moved.
Instead, their eyes shifted between one another like they’d forgotten the rest of the world existed.
Including Sophia.
I’d almost forgotten she was still there, curled in the corner like a wilted flower, staring at us with disbelief written all over her face.
My gaze slid over Rowland and landed on Aria, my Aria, standing just behind him. Rowland spread his damn arms, blocking her from any potential threat.
As if I was the threat.
My wolf growled loudly.
Sophia’s lips trembled. Being ignored must’ve cut deep because she suddenly stepped between us, forcing herself into the center like some desperate heroine.
All three of us turned to her at once.
She froze. Everyone else watching froze too.
Her face flushed crimson. It was too late to run now.
She plastered on a smile. “Nathan, didn’t you say you were going back to the office to review documents? This is just a small unnecasssary misunderstanding. Nothing worth explaining.”
She reached for my arm in a slow but hesitant manner.
I didn’t even growl, but the cold rolling off me was enough.
Her hand jerked back instantly.
Before I could respond, Rowland spoke, brushing stray hair from his forehead like this was a casual afternoon stroll.
“Is it unnecessary?” His voice held that lazy confidence that always annoyed elders and amused me.
He eyed Sophia like she was a bug he wasn’t sure he wanted to flick.
“I know you. Sophia, right? The legal backbone of Uncle Nathan’s company?”
Sophia blinked.Then she preened.
She straightened, coyly tucking hair behind her ear, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
“Yes... it’s me.”
Rowland’s expression changed. It became sharp and unreadable.
“I’ve heard Ms. Sophia Darvin is becoming quite the well-known lawyer in Asterfell.”
“Oh, I’m not that good,” she said, laughing shyly.
Rowland didn’t let her bask in it for long.
“So,” he continued with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “when it comes to public insults, assault, and spreading rumors... if the victim insists on pursuing legal action, what happens to the offender?”
