Lahat ng Kabanata ng Mated To Valentine : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

The drive from the Mansion in the woods to Valentine’s estate is quiet. At least at first. The night stretches endlessly around us, thick with the scent of damp earth and pine. The roads are long, winding, and nearly deserted at this hour, and the moon overhead is little more than a sliver of silver light.We thought to go back to get some more charms from Mara and also get some enchanted weapon accessories while we're at it.Valentine drives, his hands steady on the wheel, his gaze fixed straight ahead. There’s something almost too controlled about him tonight. His expression is unreadable, his body wound tight.Achilles, of course, can’t stand the silence.“I feel like I’m in a vampire edition of a road trip movie,” he says, slouching in the backseat. “Except there’s no music, no snacks, and the driver looks like he’s planning a murder.”Valentine exhales slowly. “I am planning a murder.”Achilles whistles. “Oof. That’s ominous.”I glance at Valentine. “Who are you killing?”He f

Valentine clings to me like I’m the only thing tethering him to this world. His skin is still damp, his breath warm against my neck as his fingers trace lazy patterns down my arm. His body is pressed against mine, the weight of him grounding me. The sheets are tangled around us, but neither of us makes a move to fix them.His lips brush against my ear, his voice hushed and rough. “You know I can’t sleep.”I smile, stretching slightly beneath him. “Of course, you can’t sleep. To you, the sun is up.”He lets out a low chuckle, his fingers tightening on my waist. His mouth finds my collarbone, pressing a slow, lingering kiss there. I shiver.He shifts, resting his chin on my shoulder as we both glance at the clock on the nightstand. 11:56 PM.I sigh. "Almost midnight. We should go into town."His grip on me tightens. “You really think that’s a good idea? With everything going on? The Ascendants, the council, the bounty hunters—”I cut him off. “You think too much.” I turn in his arms,

The silence in the estate is thick and heavy, wrapping around us like a suffocating shroud as we step back inside. Death does these things. I've been around it's claws too much to know what it does. It makes everything darker. It makes everything empty. And Finn...The weight of his death presses down on all of us, but the second the door shuts behind us, Mara’s voice slices through the stillness."You need to turn yourself in, North."My heart lurches. I know she's scared. No one sees death in the face and stares right back. Even if you've lived for hundreds of years, death is still death. It's still scary.Achilles exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Mara—""No." She takes a step forward, her eyes burning with conviction. "You know I’m right. She’s the reason Finn is dead. She’s the reason the Ascendants won’t stop. This won’t end until she surrenders."I flinch, but Achilles moves before I can even process the sting of her words."Drop it already," he snaps, steppi

The dining room feels too big this morning.The long wooden table stretches between us, its polished surface gleaming under the bright chandelier light. The cold air bites at my skin, but I barely notice. My hands curl around the edge of my chair, fingers digging into the wood.I should be eating. I should be focused.But all I can see is Finn.His body in the woods.The Ascendants' mark burned into his flesh.The words they carved into his skin— Fucking weak.My stomach churns.I hear voices, but they feel distant, muffled, like I’m underwater."Okay, I think we can all agree this is a fantastic way to start the day," Achilles drawls, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Gather ‘round, folks, let’s solve the mystery of who sold North out while enjoying a hearty breakfast of—" He pauses, glancing at the untouched plates. "—nothing. Because no one’s eating. Again."I stare blankly at the table."North."A hand touches mine. Warm. Steady. Valentine.I blink, finally meeting his gaze. His eye

The pages of the magazine blur together. I’m staring at them, but I’m not really seeing them. Achilles keeps flipping through, pointing out models, commenting on their outfits, but his voice is distant.It’s been two months.Two months since we lost Finn.I press my fingers against my temple. The ache behind my eyes never really goes away these days."Alright, fine," Achilles says dramatically, snapping the magazine shut. "I give up. You’re officially broken. I mean, you didn’t even blink when I compared this model’s pose to a constipated flamingo."I blink at him. "What?""Exactly my point!" He waves a hand in exasperation. "Normally, you’d at least snort at my genius. But no. Now you’re just staring at the pages like some sad Victorian ghost."I shake my head, a small sigh escaping me. "Achilles, I’m tired.""You’re always tired." He tosses the magazine onto the coffee table. "That’s why I’m taking matters into my own hands."I arch a brow. "What does that mean?"He leans in, eyes