Free Web NovelChapter 192: Chapter 192
Riley’s POV
The silence between us stretched, heavy and thick and I could still see the conflict on Carian’s face as my words settled into her.
For a second, I thought she was going to say something.
For a second, I thought she might actually listen.
But instead, she turned away from me.
Her shoulders dropped slightly, like the weight of everything finally caught up to her, and she shut her eyes tightly like she was trying to block everything out.
"Summer," she called softly.
The name barely left her lips before everything shifted again.
I felt it before I saw anything.
A strong force hit me suddenly, pushing hard against my body, and I didn’t have time to react or brace myself. It wrapped around me and dragged me back with a speed that made my head spin.
Everything blurred.
The ground, the air, the space around me, everything twisted and shifted, and I couldn’t hold onto anything.
Then just as quickly as it started, it stopped.
I stumbled forward slightly as my feet hit solid ground again, my breath uneven as I tried to steady myself.
"Welcome back."
The voice came from in front of me.
I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust, and when my vision finally cleared, I realized I was back in the room.
And standing right in front of me was Summer.
She was smiling brightly, like nothing had happened, like everything was completely normal.
"Summer..." I called, my voice still a little unsteady.
But the words got stuck in my throat.
Because I wasn’t alone with her.
There was someone else in the room.
My eyes shifted slightly to the side.
And then I saw him.
Cane.
He was awake.
He was sitting up on the bed, looking directly at me.
For a second, my brain couldn’t even process it properly.
He was awake. He was finally awake.
It worked.
Oh my God.
It actually worked.
"Riley," he called, his voice calm and steady like he hadn’t just been unconscious.
Something inside me moved immediately.
I wanted to run to him.
I wanted to close the distance and pull him into a hug and make sure he was real and okay.
But I didn’t move.
I forced myself to stay where I was.
I held it in.
And just like that, I watched him swing his legs off the bed and stand up slowly.
Every step he took toward me felt deliberate.
My heart started beating faster, and I didn’t even understand why.
Summer suddenly spoke again in her small voice.
"I’ll be back," she said, flashing me a quick smile. "I need to get something."
Before I could respond, she turned and rushed out of the room.
The door closed behind her.
And just like that, it was just the two of us.
Cane kept walking toward me.
I didn’t even realize I was stepping back until my back hit the wall behind me.
I had nowhere else to go.
He stopped right in front of me.
Too close. Way too close.
He smiled slightly, and there was something in his expression that made me stiffen.
He lifted his hand slowly.
I froze.
His fingers brushed lightly against my lips, and I swallowed hard, my body going completely still at the contact.
"You look worked up," he said quietly.
His eyes stayed on mine.
"Which of my brothers did that to you?" he asked.
My breathing became uneven.
I didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, I looked at him carefully, trying to read him, trying to understand what I was seeing.
"Are you going to be any different if I told you?" I asked finally.
The question came out before I could stop it.
He smiled again.
But this time, it was different.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, his gaze dropped slightly to my neck all of a sudden.
I frowned slightly."What are you looking at?" I asked.
He didn’t respond.
His eyes stayed there, focused, like he was studying something.
And then he said something that made no sense at all.
"Don’t worry," he said softly. "I’ll protect you from my bully brothers."
I stared at him.
What?
That didn’t make any sense.
My hand moved instinctively to my neck.
The moment my fingers touched my skin, everything clicked.
There was something there.
Something that hadn’t been there before.
My breath caught in my throat.
My fingers pressed slightly harder against the spot, and I felt it clearly now.
A mark.
My eyes widened instantly.
Shock hit me so hard that I felt it through my entire body.
I pulled my hand away quickly like I had just burned myself and looked at him in disbelief.
"What did you do to me?" I asked, my voice sharp and filled with confusion.
He didn’t look surprised.
If anything, he looked calm.
"I kept you safe," he said simply.
"That’s not what I asked," I snapped, my heart racing now. "What did you do to me?"
He tilted his head slightly, watching me closely.
"You were in danger," he said. "I made sure no one else could touch you."
My stomach dropped."What does that mean?" I demanded.
He took a small step closer.
I didn’t move this time, but my entire body tensed.
"It means," he said slowly, "you’re under my protection now."
I shook my head immediately.
"No," I said. "No, that’s not what this is."
My hand went back to my neck again.
My fingers traced over the spot carefully, and the realization hit me harder this time.
"No way," I whispered.
He didn’t say anything.
He just watched me.
"You didn’t..." I started, my voice shaking slightly now. "You didn’t do what I think you did."
His silence made it worse.
My chest rose and fell quickly as I tried to process it.
"When?" I asked suddenly, looking back at him. "When did you even do this?"
"You don’t remember?" he asked.
"No," I said immediately. "I don’t remember anything like that."
His expression didn’t change.
"You were unconscious earlier, didn’t go to meet your sister?" he asked.
That made my stomach twist.
"So you just decided to do something like that without even asking me? Without my fucking consent?" I demanded.
"I thought—," he replied calmly.
"You thought what?! No a fucking excuse Cane!," I shot back. "You don’t just make a decision like that for me." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"I did what was necessary," he said.
"For who?" I asked. "For me or for you? Or for your selfish brothers?"
His eyes darkened slightly at that.
"For all of us," he answered.
"You’re mad Cane, and insane," I cajole "It’s because of you I’m in this fucking mess, because I wanted to save you"
I let out a frustrated breath, shaking my head again."I’m sorry, but I’m going to reject this bond, I don’t want it, I don’t need it, you and your brothers already made my life a living hell ever since I came here, I’m not a fucking tool" I said and then paused and stared hard at him.
"If you and your brothers truly and really want me, you’ll come for me" I let out a long breath " I reject you Cane Dravenmoor as a mate and denounce whatever shitty bond that binds us"
