Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 195

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Chapter 195 Changes

TESSA

Arden cleared her throat. “It’s only gotten better because Cade and the Alphas of the different factions are controlling it within our borders. But even then, it’s so difficult. We thought it was over, for the past year. but they recently came back, and now they’re harder to control–not only because of their number but because of their traits.”

“Traits?” I asked, frowning.

Arden sighed, her shoulders drooping. “I can’t explain it. It’s like the rogues are… evolving.

I bit my lip, my thoughts immediately running wild. Rogues evolving? That wasn’t something I’d ever heard before, not even in the old books I found in Edith and Winston’s place.

Evolving meant adapting, surviving longer, and becoming more dangerous. I didn’t like the sound of that. I lifted the glass to my lips and drowned another gulp, letting the sweet taste coat my tongue.

Then Arden shook her head, trying to dismiss her own words. “But don’t think too much about it,” she said softly. “If you’re with a pack not from here, then I hope you have it better. You’re welcome here any time, though.”

Her voice dipped at the end, almost sad, and I turned my eyes to her, my chest twisting with guilt.

I pursed my lips. A part of me wanted to tell her that maybe we weren’t as safe as she thought either–that our hunters might already be experiencing those very same rogues. Encounters had been happening more often, whispers shared in the halls of my current pack,

But of course, I couldn’t say that out loud. That would mean admitting we were breaching their forests, trespassing in territories we had no right to enter. And Arden didn’t deserve another betrayal.

I sipped another of my drinks again instead, letting the liquid burn slightly as it went down. Arden looked stressed, the furrow of her brow deepening. She shouldn’t be stressed on her wedding day! My lips parted before I could stop them.

“Do you have any plans to have children?” I asked, trying to change the topic to children because I knew she loved them.

Her face paled instantly.

Oh crap.

I froze. Did I say something wrong? My brain scrambled, heat rushing to my cheeks.

Arden scratched at her arms, gaze/casting downward. “We’ve actually been trying,” she admitted quietly. “But… I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to be working.”

My stomach dropped.

I pursed my lips, guilt hitting me in waves. Why did I ask that? Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut? I made it worse, didn’t I? The one thing she didn’t need tonight was another reminder of what she couldn’t control.

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I reached over instinctively and wrapped my fingers around hers, squeezing gently. “No maner what, Fin here. I whispered, meaning every single word.

I’ll give you my new number. I promise to be here even if I’m not physically here. You’re perfect the way

you are.

Her lips curved into a small smile, and for a second, I thought maybe I had managed to undo at least part of the damage. Still, the guilt wouldn’t let go of me. I should have known better.

I turned back to my glass, desperate for something to do with my hands. That’s when I noticed how many empty ones sat in front of me. One, two, three, four, five, six… my brows rose.

Crap. That explained the slight tipsiness buzzing under my skin, the warmth spreading down to my fingers.

And yet, I still lifted the glass to my lips again.

I couldn’t go home.

That was the simple truth. The sun had already dipped beneath the horizon, and though the moonlight gave our kind some guidance, the idea of trudging back on my own left a sour taste in my mouth.

Winston couldn’t fetch me either–it was already too dark, and I refused to put him at risk. Even with werewolf senses and vision, I couldn’t convince myself it was worth troubling him for.

Luckily, Owen gave me a duplicate of his house keys during his last visit. His nonchalant “Just use it if you need to crash” still rang in my ears.

I’d laughed it off at the time, but right now it was sounding like the most logical option. The alternative was making the journey to the East and swimming through the night.

Doable, sure–but tiring. Frankly, after the amount I’d already had to drink, it wasn’t exactly ideal.

So, going to Owen’s was the best option. I even had clearance from Elias already; the guards would recognize me.

I was fastening my jacket, mentally debating which route I’d take, when the shift in the air prickled at the back of my neck. Another presence. My breath hitched instinctively.

For a heartbeat, I feared it might be Rowan. My pulse quickened, but then I realized there were no sparks. Relief spread through me like water seeping into dry soil. Whoever it was, it wasn’t him.

However, the person behind me right now wasn’t any better.

It was Zaria.

My shoulders stiffened.

“Come with me,” she said flatly, before I could even open my mouth. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist, and she tugged me toward the treeline.

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I should’ve resisted. My instincts screamed that nothing good ever came from following Zaria mnie th shadows. Still, I let her drag me into the woods.

We stopped beneath a rowering tree, where the canopy blocked even the starlight, and she finally whirle

on me.

“What are you doing here?” she snapped.

“I was invited,” I answered coolly.

Zaria bit her lip, and her jaw tightened. “Oh, so just because you’re close with Arden, you think you belong here?”

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