Chapter 131 All In The Past
Chapter 131 All In The Past
ARDEN
Dominic and Lorelei turned to each other. I could see the silent exchange in their eyes, the unspoken question, “Do we tell her?” and the equally unspoken answer, “We have no choice.”
Dominic’s lips parted, but Lorelei beat him to it.
“Dominic is not my mate,” sho
My frown deepened. It was something I’d always felt in the way they acted, but hearing it out loud still jarred me. I always thought they simply lacked love for each other. It never hit me that they weren’t even bound in the way wolves were meant to be.
“My mate’s name is Patrick Elsher,” Lorelei continued.
The name hit me like a jolt. My breath caught in my throat.–
Patrick.
My dad?
“He was from the North,” Lorelei said wistfully. “He came to the West to volunteer when there was a famine. He was a farmer… a simple man. A volunteer.”
I didn’t need her to spell out the next part. My real parents had probably loved each other in a way Lorelei and Dominic couldn’t comprehend.
“My parents didn’t want that,” Lorelei went on. “They wanted me to be with Dominic. And it was the best decision I made,” she said, turning to him with a small, polite smile.
Dominic inclined his head, appearing triumphant. My stomach churned.
I already knew I didn’t like where this was going.
“The Breaking was happening,” Lorelei explained, “and I needed someone strong. Dominic provided that.”
I cut in before I could stop myself. “Where am I in this story?”
Dominic finally spoke. “When the Breaking bd, and the grand war began… Bethany Spirit led it.
She was the best warrior back then. Only a few knew she had just given birth.”
I stiffened.
“She was strong,” Dominic continued. “No one noticed her weakness. But in the long war, her e began to search for it. They wanted her to surrender and give up everything.”
nies
His eyes
s met mine, not with guilt, but with the faintest hint of justification. “They discovered Patrick was her weakness. So he came to our family for protection.”
“He did?” I whispered.
- 14.
Chapter 131 All In The Past
“Of course he did,” Lorelei said smoothly. “We were an influential family back then. He was desperate
“But,” she added, “we didn’t want that danger in our home. We had our own sons to think about. So instead…” She waved her hand vaguely, “We brought you in. Only you.”
I stared at her.
“Patrick was happy about it,” she added quickly. “He wanted you to be safe. He knew the other factions wouldn’t protect you the way we could.”
Her next words came casually, “But he was killed the next day.”
My throat burned, and I blinked rapidly to stop the sting in my eyes. My voice cracked when I asked, “And you didn’t give me back?”
Lorelei tilted her head, her expression Besides, we always wanted a daughter.”
oft but entirely lacking remorse. “You were better off with us.
Dominic added, “And Lorelei wasn’t fertile anymore. You were a blessing, Arden.”
A blessing. That was what they called it. Keeping me from the people who actually loved me.
I covered my face with both hands for a moment, trying to breathe past the tightness in my chest. My parents had struggled through war, famine, and the political hellscape of Fenra… and these two had treated me like a convenient replacement child.
Lorelei reached across the table, her voice dipping into that falsely sweet tone. “We gave you a good life, Arden. You owe us that much.”
I dropped my hands and stared at her. “Owe you?”
“Yes,” Dominic said firmly. “We kept you fed, clothed, and educated. We gave you a home. We treated you as our own. Surely you can find it in yourself to show some gratitude.”
“Exactly,” Lorelei chimed in, her words tumbling over his. “We’ve given so much, and now you’re in a position to give back. This is your chance to repay us.”
“Repay you?” My voice rose with each repetition. “For stealing me? For lying to me?”
Lorelei sighed like I was being unreasonable. “For raising you. You wouldn’t be where you are if it weren’t for us.”
Dominic’s brow furrowed. “We are your family, whether you like it or not. Lucian and Kieran are your blood. They’re your brothers. And they need you.”
914
Chapter 131 All In The Past
I stared at them in disbelief. They still thought this conversation was about them.
Lorelei spread her hands. “We’ve all made sacrifices, Arden. We’ve all done things we wish we hadn’t. But- family–real family–sticks together in the end.”
From that story, all I knew was that they only ever cared about themselves. Not me. Not the others they’d stepped on to protect their own reputations. Just themselves and their precious sons. And now, after everything, they wanted to use me because I had power. Because they finally saw worth in me when I could give them something.
Verify captcha to read the content
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine