Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 361

Chapter 361 Known Curse

Chapter 361 Known Curse

ABEL

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“Well, fuck, man,” Rowan muttered, dragging his hand through his hair and leaning back against the couch.

“The children are asleep,” he added softly, nodding toward the stairs. “Let’s have a drink. Your problem is… quite big.”

Cade shot him a flat look. “Quite big?”

Rowan shrugged. “What? You want me to say catastrophic? Tragic? Fine. Your problem is fucking tragic, Abel.” He stood, already heading toward the cabinet in the corner. “And I’m not dealing with that kind of emotional damage without whiskey.”

Cade sighed, but didn’t stop him. “You really think drinking will help him?”

Rowan poured himself a glass and turned around. “No, but it’ll help me process what the hell I just heard.” He walked back and handed me a glass too, though I didn’t take it. “Listen,” he said. “My biggest villain back then was Montrose. Those bastards took years of my life, my peace, and almost my family. But if I think about it now…” He paused, his thumb tracing the rim of his glass. “The biggest loss would’ve been losing Tessa. Not my title, not my pride–just her.”

His voice wavered slightly at the end, and he shook his head as if trying to chase away the thought. “I can’t even imagine losing her like that, man. That’s the scariest thing ever.” He sighed, downing a sip of whiskey before looking back at me. “So, let’s drink. Because if I keep thinking about curses and death, I’ll probably start praying, and that’s worse.”

I stood and shook my head, “I can’t.”

Rowan arched a brow. “Why not? This is the best way to forget about things for a bit.”

“I promised her I’d go back tomorrow morning,” I said quietly.

“Already a whipped man,” Rowan said, clinking his glass against Cade’s. “Welcome to the club.”

Cade smiled faintly, though his gaze stayed on me. I could tell he was thinking deeply, probably already connecting dots I hadn’t even spoken out loud. Rowan gestured with his drink. “Just live life day by day, man. You don’t have to solve everything tonight. You’ve got people here who’ll help you carry the load.”

I gave a humorless laugh. “The best thing I can do right now is stop this madness altogether.”

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12:35 Tue, Nov 4

Chapter 361 Known Curse

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Rowan pursed his lips, groaning softly. “Now I know the predicament you’re in,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “So, what now? You’re going to leave everything to Jaxon? That’s your plan?”

“It’s not much of a plan,” I admitted. “It’s the only way to keep her, though.”

Cade’s jaw tightened. “At what cost?”

I didn’t answer.

Finally, I pushed off from the couch. “I’ll see you later,” I said. “Thanks… for listening.”

“Anytime,” Cade said simply. Rowan raised his glass in a silent toast, eyes softer than usual.

I walked toward the door. Talking to them hadn’t solved anything, but it had lightened something in me. Maybe because saying the words out loud meant I wasn’t carrying them alone anymore. Maybe because, for the first time, I’d admitted to myself what I’d been denying all along.

I was in love. Irrevocably, foolishly, dangerously in love.

Before I could step outside, Cade’s voice called after me. “Abel.”

I stopped at the steps and turned around. He stood near the doorway, the light from the living room casting half his face in shadow.

“I don’t think Jaxon only has it out for you,” he said quietly.

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

He exhaled, running his fingers through his hair. “I’ve been hearing things. He’s been collecting information–names, records, anything that ties back to our alliances. It’s not just about you anymore. He might be after us, too.” He paused.

“So, this is my battle, too,” he finished. “Tell me everything.”

I stood there for a moment, meeting his gaze.

I pursed my lips and nodded slowly. “I already knew that,” I said quietly.

***

JAXON

I sat at the dining table, staring blankly at the plate in front of me. The food was steaming hot

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Chapter 361 Known Curse

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and freshly cooked. It used to be my favorite dish. However, it didn’t taste the same anymore. Nothing did.

Not being able to go to Cade’s house to get as much as a glimpse of that little human made my mood worse, too. There were guards there. It seemed he’d truly made allies when I was away. The thought made my jaw clench.

I wanted to see the little human. To taunt her, of course–nothing else.

“Is no one pregnant yet?” my mom suddenly asked, setting a plate of roasted meat and herbs in front of me. “You’ve had a lot of girls come over lately. Surely, one of them must’ve been good enough to—”

I flipped over the dish before she could finish, the porcelain cracking against the wood. The sauce bled across the table like spilled blood.

She froze, lips parting slightly, and then forced a smile. “I’ll get some more,” she said quietly.

I leaned back in my chair and sighed. “Don’t bother.”

Her footsteps faded into the kitchen. I stared at the overturned food and felt strangely annoyed. They didn’t even come to visit me when I was in prison. And now that I was free, suddenly I was the family’s pride again–their golden son, the one who’d carry their name forward.

My father cleared his throat at the far end of the table. “You should eat, Jaxon,” he said. “You’ve lost weight. People will talk.”

“I don’t care what people say,” I muttered, massaging the bridge of my nose.

That was a lie. I was a people pleaser by heart.

Damon, my cousin, snorted from across the table. He’d been invited tonight, probably to make the dining room look full. “If you become Alpha,” he said casually, swirling his wine, “grant me the permit to run my business again. Abel is too much of a killjoy. I wasted so much money on building it, and I need it to make me rich.”

I didn’t even look at him. “You’re already rich.”

“Not as rich as I used to be.”

I sighed and shook my head. I knew what this dinner was all about. It wasn’t about family. It was never about that. They were all vultures, circling a crown that hadn’t even settled on my head yet. I could feel my mother’s gaze as she returned from the kitchen, placing another plate in front of me.

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Chapter 361 Known Curse

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“Of course, Damon,” she responded for me. “My son will become the Alpha. And when he does, he’ll reward loyalty. Isn’t that right, Jaxon?”

I didn’t respond.

“Of course it is,” she went on while beaming. “No one will want to be with Abel anyway. Especially if he inherited his father’s curse.”

That made me look up. “Curse?” I repeated.

“Well,” my father began, clearing his throat, “it’s a well–known fact. Your uncle–Abel’s father— he was half–Lycan because of his mother. His bloodline carries complications. The women who bear his children don’t live long.” He hesitated, then added, “His mate died after giving birth to Abel. That’s how it usually goes for them.”

Mother nodded quickly, lowering her voice. “It’s tragic, really. A curse passed through generations. The one who bears his child gives her last breath doing so. No woman would want to live with that kind of doom hanging over her head. That’s why no one wanted to align with Abel’s line in the first place.”

My fork stilled against the table.

So that was it. That was why Abel always avoided commitment. Why he never stayed long enough to keep anyone close. Why he’d look at others with that same haunted expression. He was cursed.

The realization didn’t make me pity him. It thrilled me.

A slow grin crept across my lips. I leaned back in my chair, the tension bleeding out of my body. “Is that so?” I murmured, amused.

12:35 Tue, Nov 4

Chapter 362 You’re Not Pure