The Lost Alphas Daughter의 모든 챕터: 챕터 161 - 챕터 170

This is the best sleep I’ve ever had. I’ve spent countless nights beside Claudia, but this one feels different. Holding her, kissing her—it feels right, like something I’ve been waiting for without even realizing it. I wake up with a smile tugging at my lips, her body wrapped around me like a cobra. The warmth of her curves pressed against me stirs something primal, and I’ve got a hard-on that has nothing to do with the morning and everything to do with the woman lying in my bed.Claudia, however, is out cold, her soft breaths brushing against my chest as she nestles closer. A part of me knows we’ll seal our bond eventually, but I don’t want to rush it. Not until Claudia knows—and accepts that I’m her mate.Today is going to be hard for her. I can feel it in my gut. There are truths that need to come out, revelations I’ve kept at bay, and I’m not sure how she’ll handle them. It’s been months since I found her, and layer by layer, the secrets have unraveled. But this is the final stone

“Claudia, please know I’ve never told anyone this. My mother told me never to speak of it. I don’t know how he knows, but please, it’s not what you think,” Gaia pleads, her wide eyes flickering between Claudia and me. I feel a pang of guilt for her. She truly has no idea what I’m about to reveal. My gut tells me to stop treating her like a suspect and start seeing her as a victim because, despite my reservations, she very well might be.Claudia turns her jewel-blue eyes to me, anguish written in every line of her beautiful face, and it breaks my heart. “Asher, what is she talking about?”I drag a hand down my face, steadying myself. If Gaia truly doesn’t know where I’m going with this, then she isn’t complicit. Which means Braden didn’t just abuse his wife—he abused his mate, too. “Love, do you remember that story I told you the other night when we were up on the hillside, drinking hot chocolate?” I ask gently, softening my tone, pulling back the force of my aura.Claudia’s brows kni

*** Trigger Warning reference to rape and manipulation ***Gaia blinks, her focus snapping back to the room now that both Asher and I are standing, staring at her.“Take off her restraints,” I demand, because honestly, I have no idea what to do with her. I want to believe Asher is right, but at the same time, I really don’t. I don’t want Gaia to have suffered more than this. Part of me rather that she did just betray me. But deep down, a sinking feeling tells me that with Braden, there are no lines that can’t be crossed. There is only his insatiable drive for power.Asher steps forward and easily snaps the restraints off her wrists as if they’re made of paper, not even leaving a mark. I have to admit, it’s impressive. It makes him even hotter than he was before. Especially since Gaia has been struggling against them for the past half hour.“What’s going on? Why are you looking at me like that?” Gaia asks, her voice tight with unease.I press my lips together. I shouldn’t be the one to

I don’t sleep well. I spend most of the night tossing and turning, my mind tangled in shadows, only to wake in the middle of the night and find Asher awake too. He doesn’t want me sleeping alone, convinced that learning more of Braden’s secrets will unsettle me further.Knowing that the man I once believed I loved more than anyone has been cheating on me should hurt. And maybe it would—if I didn’t already know the full extent of his betrayal. Now I'm numb to it. “What’s wrong?” I mumble, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sit up. I’m wearing Asher’s t-shirt again, the fabric oversized and warm against my skin. He looks at me, his jaw tightening before he drags a hand through his hair—a habit of his when he’s deep in thought. From the tousled state of it, he’s been doing it for a while. I don't think he has gone to sleep yet. “I’ve just been thinking about today,” he says, voice low and edged with something unreadable. “While Braden would have a portion of Gaia's magic, I think she

Goddess, Asher looks handsome today. I don’t know if it’s the way his clothes cling to him like a second skin, the deep connection of our bond, or if it’s simply that, after speaking with Gaia, I no longer want to be trapped in the past. I refuse to let my thoughts linger on what Braden did, how he controlled and manipulated me. Perhaps erasing my memories was his only kindness—because now, it feels more like something I’ve read about rather than something I endured. The pain of his control should be enough to haunt me, but I don’t want to live in the shadow of what I’ve lost. For the first time, I want to embrace what is good in my life.“I’ve been thinking about this for some time now, and I want to accept the bond between us. I don’t need time to process it—all I need is you.”My heart pounds as Asher’s eyes blaze red, like molten rubies ignited by an unseen fire. His throat bobs as he swallows, his gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine. For once