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NOT JUST A MOTHER
Last Updated:
2025-02-18 23:28:13
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FATED TO A TYRANT GIVING IN
WILLA’S POVGallahan’s words sent a shiver down my spine, while my heart leapt into a whirlwind of emotions.Was I really going to open up and allow Gallahan in, just because Miss Banfey wasn’t actually his chosen mate and the arrangement with Elodie no longer stood?Yes.Yes, I was.Because when Gallahan insisted that I was his only mate and that I deserve to be put on the priority list, I realized that those things were what I wanted too.I wanted…No.I needed to be loved and cared for.And deep down, I wanted Gallahan.I wanted and needed him so bad that it felt visceral and raw and…Gods… I had been deprived of a whole lot all these years. I spent a good chunk of my life dedicating myself to a cause I deeply believed in, then pouring every bit of me into motherhood because the twins needed me.I was also sick and tired of being haunted by the what ifs and of soothing the ache with nothing but imagined fantasies.But here and now? Gallahan was offering me a chance to grab somethin
Last Updated : 2025-02-19FATED TO A TYRANT WOUND UP
GALLAHAN’S POVI couldn’t quite believe my ears when I detected a ring of insecurity in Willa’s voice.Incredulity. Disbelief. Fondness. Upset with myself.All of these emerged, coalesced and tangled into knots in my chest, leaving me speechless.But my silence sent the wrong signal, and I saw how Willa’s shoulders drooped and hunched as the light in her gorgeous green eyes dimmed like stars losing their shine.“Forget it,” she muttered dismissively, leaning forward to capture my mouth into another round of mind-blowing kissing.“Hey, hey,” I said as gently as I could while her lips tried to land on mine. “We have to talk about this.”“I think the humiliation could already last me a lifetime. Let’s just forget I ever said anything.”“No, Willa,” I said as firmly as I could. “I won’t let you stew on this until it eats you from the inside out. I need to set the record straight.”Willa was unwilling to return my gaze. She had set her eyes stubbornly glued on a particular spot on the left
Last Updated : 2025-02-20FATED TO A TYRANT FLEETING PEACE
WILLA’S POVBOTH.We ended up doing both.And bloody hell, it was so damn good.I didn’t think I'd ever felt this sated and blissed out before.And yet, Gallahan was still trying to draw me into another round, as if he hadn’t even had half of his fill.“You’re quite insatiable, aren’t you?” I teased with a sigh as he carried me out of the bathroom after a round of shower sex.“For you? Yeah,” he answered with a smug grin, settling me down on my writing desk with nothing but my robe keeping me decently covered.Meanwhile, Gallahan only had a white towel wrapped around his waist.“You’re just too… tempting. Too… addicting,” he said softly, nosing along the line of my jaw while his hands danced dangerously along the tie of my robe.“Seriously, you need to stop,” I said, bubbling a little with laughter and pushing him away from me. “It’s already pretty late in the night. We just stepped out of the bath, and we have to eat dinner.”But Gallahan was nothing if not stubborn. So he didn’t bud
Last Updated : 2025-02-21FATED TO A TYRANT TEMPER
GALLAHAN’S POVI wasn’t an empty-headed man. I was well-educated, and I held a good degree of self-awareness. But I was long aware of the fact that I had a very short temper and that I had a very abysmal control over my emotions.Heck, I had a long list of instances where I lost grip on rationality, snapped, and acted purely on rage.So really, it wasn’t so out of character for me to immediately scowl upon seeing the sight of William setting down a sleeping Gillian on the couch when I got to the bottom landing of the staircase.And it surely wasn’t atypical of me to be immediately rankled when William adjusted his stance, standing in an angle that shielded my daughter out of my view, as soon as he realized it was me.So, almost on instinct, a low rumbling sound, reminiscent of a warning growl, reverberated out of my mouth.It set off William, his pale green eyes taking on a deeper and more vibrant shade. He returned the sound I made in kind, baring his teeth as he did so.“Take a step
Last Updated : 2025-02-22FATED TO A TYRANT DOWN THE DRAIN
WILLA'S POVTight.My chest just felt so tight with anger.Yet I could feel my heart roar like a tempest in my ears.The hunger pang that had troubled me since earlier? It disappeared in a blink of an eye, replaced by an uneasy coiling in my stomach.Tension pulled every muscle of my body taut, and I could barely find it in me to focus on Gillian when my fury was overwhelming me like an unforgiving tsunami wave splashing down on me.“Shut it,” I snapped at Gallahan.Fucking hell.Even though Gallahan and William were in a horrifyingly concerning state, I still didn’t have a lick of compassion to give them at the moment.They had brought this to themselves with no care for the child in their midst.“Leave,” I hissed at them.“Willa,” William said softly, his voice sounding a little odd, likely because of his broken nose.“I said leave. Both of you. If you have any shred of decency left in you after traumatizing my daughter, leave. You know the way out. So leave. Now.”In my arms, Gilli
Last Updated : 2025-02-23FATED TO A TYRANT THREE DAYS LATER
GALLAHAN’S POVIt had been three days since my altercation with William, and I was back again in Willa’s home, hoping that enough time had passed for her anger to abate and for Gillian’s fear to disappear completely.So here I was, standing in the middle of the living room where the damn fisticuff transpired, Willa and Gillian nowhere to be seen.Perhaps I had come too early. After all, it was still the early hours of the morning. So they might still be sleeping upstairs.I didn’t want to disrupt their slumber, though, not wanting to receive more of Willa’s ire.Feeling resigned, I sighed. I found it a tad bit silly over how I, a big man whose reputation could scare anyone in this continent, had my tail tucked between my legs all because of my mate.“Guess I’ll come back later,” I muttered to myself in defeat.Then, out of nowhere, Calisto’s voice reverberated within the walls of the living room as he called out, “Daddy!”His happiness and excitement were evident, and they did wonders
Last Updated : 2025-02-24FATED TO A TYRANT APOLOGIES
GALLAHAN’S POVWilla herded Gillian into the adjoined kitchen and dining area without waiting for a response from anyone. I trailed behind them, shifting Calisto in my arms so he could settle against my hip comfortably.Wordlessly, Gillian clambered onto a chair by herself, and once she was properly seated, she made it a point to burn holes on the dining table table with her intense little stare. “Any particular request?” Willa asked, heading straight to the kitchen and opening up the fridge and her humble pantry for something to feed us all.But as I was about to put down Calisto on the chair next to his sister, he began to whine, “But I already ate with Memaw and Pepaw! I just want to play now. Can I? Please? With Daddy?”Willa and I exchanged glances, and I shot her a furtive nod as if to say ‘I’ll handle it.’She seemed to understand this, so she gave me a nod before returning to her task of preparing a quick but healthy breakfast for us.“Daddy,” Calisto said, tugging at the fro
Last Updated : 2025-02-25FATED TO A TYRANT THE WAR
WILLA’S POVThe way Gallahan’s face fell upon hearing Gillian’s answer would’ve been comical if not for the way his eyes clearly dimmed as if life had been sucked out of him in a blink of an eye.In the next heartbeat, though, his body was taut as a bowstring, his anger visible in the lines of his frame. His bluish gray eyes were stormy with thinly veiled emotions.Knowing how he didn’t have the best command over his own emotions, I felt somewhat proud how he hadn’t snapped and raged about how William had slung mud onto his image and name to Gillian.I had half expected him to immediately bombard Gillian with questions, demanding to know what William had said about the matter exactly. The other half thought that he would defensively deny and call William a liar and all other colorful names he could probably think of in a fit of fury.But he did neither.Perhaps he had learned a valuable lesson of restraint after making Gillian cry the last time. It soothed my lingering upset and anger
Last Updated : 2025-02-26
Latest chapter
FATED TO A TYRANT TRIVIAL THINGS
GALLAHAN’S POVExcitement rang clearly in Calisto’s voice, and when my gaze flickered to his direction, I saw how his round eyes glimmered with eagerness and hope.The ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips was quite endearing, and I couldn’t help but mirror it.Even then, I said as gently as I could, “I don’t know, bud. I think you better ask your Mommy. She’s the boss.”Calisto quickly diverted his attention to Willa. “Mommy, we’re going, right? Right? We have to go on a run tonight. Please?”Willa huffed, closing her book and tossing it aside. But there was fondness in the way she regarded our son, sending a warm buzz beneath my skin.She was a good mother to our twins, and every time I saw things that proved it, no matter how little or trivial it might seem to others, I would always end up feeling so full of affection for her that I often felt that I might just combust on the spot.“We’re going. After all, the full moon is the opportunity for you and Gillian to shift
FATED TO A TYRANT HUMAN MERIT
GALLAHAN’S POVI didn’t mean to be so cutting with my words.But regardless of intention, I still did anyway.Fortunately for me, the two balls of sweetness and energy were enough as a buffer between Willa and I, saving us from being trapped in suffocating air the following day.Gradually, though, the frigidity between us wore off, and by late afternoon, we found ourselves out in the back garden, having a picnic with the twins. A large red picnic blanket was laid out, and a few charcuterie boards of finger food sat in the middle.It was a good day. Crisp and cold breeze blowing by, ruffling leaves and making them rustle quite audibly. It made a relaxing background noise. Meanwhile, puffy clouds littered the sky, shielding us from the sun that was bound to dip beyond the horizon in less than an hour.If we were in Moonshire, we would’ve been locked indoors as harsh frost took a claim of the territory. Unless, the twins would appreciate a snowball fight while wrapped in multiple layers
FATED TO A TYRANT BREWING
WILLA’S POVElodie didn’t walk.She glided, waltzing into the room and towards us like a graceful swan moving on water. The sight of her vividly reminded me of Miss Banfey, and I couldn’t help but think that they were likely cut from the same cloth.“So pretty,” Gillian whispered in uncontained awe.‘She is,’ my mind supplied in agreement while my gaze remained firmly trained on Elodie.She was really quite the sight. Her beautiful hair was pinned on one side, cascading down in soft curls and contrasting strikingly against the fabric of her castleton green dress. Her perfectly shaped face, which boasted beautifully sculpted features, wore a barely-there smile that could only be read as genial and coy.And Gallahan?Gallahan couldn’t take his unblinking eyes off of Elodie.I bit my lower lip as my stare flickered to and fro between him and Elodie, who was fast approaching with my brother.Did Gallahan regret it? Letting go of such a wonderful woman?Did seeing her holding another man’s
FATED TO A TYRANT DINNER AFFAIR
GALLAHAN’S POV“Can you stop fussing?” Willa asked as she herded us to the great dining hall of the Alfiero Manor. “You’ll ruin my hard work.”“I’m sorry to break it to you, sweetheart,” I drawled playfully, “but my dashing appearance is not your hard work. It’s my parents’ hard work.”“What does that mean?” Calisto wondered, tugging me by the hand I was holding him with. “I don’t get it, Daddy.”Willa shot me an irate look, slapping my other hand that had been tugging at the collar of my regalia for tonight’s dinner affair.While I had my official garbs as the heir of the Alpha King, which boasted the colors of midnight blue and gold and had a long side cape for the right shoulder, Willa had clad me in dark green and black with accents of silvery gray for this Alfiero family dinner.“Daddy meant nothing about what he said,” Willa explained to Calisto with a tight smile. Then she shot me a glare when she noticed me fussing with the fancy silk jabot she had chosen for me. “I said stop
FATED TO A TYRANT MIND LINK
WILLA’S POVDays passed in a blur, and before I knew it, days had turned into weeks, and the weeks bled into months.In fact, three months had gone by, and I barely even felt it.Perhaps it was due to the infectious bliss of the twins that had only doubled since the particular family talk that happened in the dining area. Or maybe it was because it just felt so ridiculously right to have Gallahan around that it got me a little spellbound.In fact, it was terrifyingly fast and easy for him to meld himself into our home and into our lives. It was as if there had been a Gallahan-shaped void that existed all this time without our knowledge, and now he had reclaimed that void, rightfully slotting himself into place.He had even unofficially moved into my home, his clothes and other personal belongings taking space here and there. He rarely went to Moonshire now, only leaving the house when he deemed it was truly necessary.And while this setup was not what we had agreed on at first, I didn
FATED TO A TYRANT PRIORITIES
GALLAHAN’S POVThe tension left me as soon as Willa’s words registered and sank in my mind, and I nearly slumped like a ragdoll on my chair from the sheer relief they brought.A light feeling I could only call joy swarmed my core and enveloped my chest tightly.It felt great.And honestly? I haven’t had a taste of such pure and adulterated happiness since Gillian first called me Daddy.So, as I moved based on nothing but my emotions like I usually did, I drew Willa into a kiss with a hand holding her jaw. But I couldn’t contain the smile that stretched on my lips, which only grew bigger when Calisto loudly cheered.“Yay! Yay!”I broke the kiss, affectionately bumping my nose against Willa’s before completely pulling away.A hint of uncertainty laid beneath the apparent fond softness that lined Willa’s face. It was like a quiet plea, asking me to prove to her that her decision was right, to never make her regret it.She didn’t have to ask for it, though.There wasn’t a chance I would a
FATED TO A TYRANT RIGHT CALL
WILLA’S POVThere had been times when my children’s questions had left me speechless. There had also been times when I simply didn’t know the answer.This time, it was both, and it seemed like I had lost my voice as soon as Gillian threw her question.But even if I could speak, I still wouldn’t know what to say anyway. Words were quickly slipping out of my mind, and those I could grasp didn’t weave into a coherent answer.Because really… How did one explain something so complicated and so difficult to a pair of young children without confusing them or hurting them?But I knew I had to give Gillian an answer, so I cleared my throat, hoping it would remind me how to make my voice box work again. Then, I spoke, regardless of the fact that my mind was still floundering for the right words to say.“I think,” I started, but I ended up pausing, my tongue flicking out to wet my lips. “I think everything your Daddy has done to humans is very bad and… and difficult to forgive or look past.”An
FATED TO A TYRANT GLOSSING OVER
GALLAHAN’S POVI had never once doubted, much less regretted, all my choices and actions when it came to the war that erupted from my path of vengeance against humans. Not even when I met Willa.I had stood firm back then. I hadn’t even faltered about my stance even after I met her again. Sure, I had put an end to it to have a chance to be together, but I had made sure that my cause remained intact. That the conditions agreed during the parley were still completely aligned with my convictions.But now…Staring back at Calisto’s innocent eyes that reflected his pure, untainted soul… It made me uncomfortable. Like my skin was no longer my own. Like my rib cage had shrunken into a size that could no longer house my lungs. Like my heart was alarmingly slowing down while my blood rushed like an angry river in my veins.It was… odd, and I hated it.The discomfort even left an acrid taste in my mouth, but it didn’t really hinder me from answering Calisto’s question.“Because… I was hurt, Cal
FATED TO A TYRANT THE WAR
WILLA’S POVThe way Gallahan’s face fell upon hearing Gillian’s answer would’ve been comical if not for the way his eyes clearly dimmed as if life had been sucked out of him in a blink of an eye.In the next heartbeat, though, his body was taut as a bowstring, his anger visible in the lines of his frame. His bluish gray eyes were stormy with thinly veiled emotions.Knowing how he didn’t have the best command over his own emotions, I felt somewhat proud how he hadn’t snapped and raged about how William had slung mud onto his image and name to Gillian.I had half expected him to immediately bombard Gillian with questions, demanding to know what William had said about the matter exactly. The other half thought that he would defensively deny and call William a liar and all other colorful names he could probably think of in a fit of fury.But he did neither.Perhaps he had learned a valuable lesson of restraint after making Gillian cry the last time. It soothed my lingering upset and anger
