Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 254

Chapter 254 Acceptance

TESSA

The journey to their house was more awkward than I thought it would be. Rowan said he wanted to leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to let him walk away.

Because no matter how much he pretended he didn’t care, I’d seen the look in his eyes when his mother spoke. If there was one thing I’d learned about Rowan, it was that his heart always gave him away even when his mouth said otherwise.

So now, against his protests, we were on our way to his parents‘ house.

When the roof of the house came into view, I caught the scent of food wafting from the The moment the scent filled our nostrils, I felt Rowan slow down his steps.

open windows.

“I made your favorite,” Luna Mila’s voice drifted just as she led us in and closed the door.

Rowan froze mid–step. His jaw tightened, his eyes flicking down to the ground. My heart twisted at the conflict on his face–the longing that flared for half a second before the walls slammed back into place.

I squeezed his hand gently. He didn’t look at me, but his thumb brushed against mine absentmindedly.

Just then, the door burst open and my breath hitched.

Bounding through the doorway with enthusiasm came the one person I never wanted to see again. The one person who had made my life hell in more ways than one–aside from Kyle, of course.

Zaria.

“Rowan!” she cried, her voice sweet and piercing all at once. Before I could even take a breath, she threw herself at him, arms wrapping around his torso. “I heard from Cameron you were here,” she gushed breathlessly. “I missed you. It’s truly been a while.”

Rowan stiffened, and his eyes flew to mine instantly, wide with irritation, before he pried her arms off him firmly and pushed her back.

The first sight made me frown, but the subsequent one caused a laugh to bubble up my throat. It wasn’t really funny, but the look on Zaria’s face when he pushed her away was priceless. I tried to stifle it, but the giggle slipped out anyway.

Her head whipped toward me instantly.

“Oh,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “You’re here.”

I only shrugged, giving her my most polite smile. “You’re here now, I see,” I said.

“You came back for Rowan but not when your pack’s safety was in jeopardy,” I continued to taunt, unable to help myself. “What a good Beta you are.”

I could see from the look in her eyes that my words affected her more than she would have liked. However, as Zaria’s pride was the biggest I had ever encountered, she straightened her posture and immediately went back to normal.

“I was busy,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t have all the time in the world like you, wasting it on things that don’t matter.”

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13:16 Sat, 20 Sept

Chapter 254 Acceptance

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I smiled sweetly in response. “Why are you even here?” she pressed. “I’m sure Alpha Karl and Luna Mila didn’t invite you. So leave.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Rowan frowned, and I could tell he was about to speak; however, someone else broke the silence.

“Leave,” Luna Mila said suddenly.

I bit my lip and turned to Rowan, whose frown deepened even more. Well, when they invited us to have lunch, they didn’t specifically ask me. I knew they weren’t fond of me. So, I sighed and was about to take a step away when Luna Mila spoke again.

“Zaria,” she said, her eyes locking on her.

Zaria froze mid–smirk, her chin still lifted, though I caught the twitch of unease in her lips.

“You should leave,” Mila continued. Her voice left no room for argument. “This is a family matter. We don’t want any intrusions from outsiders.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes widening.

Family matters.

Her words echoed in my ears, louder than Zaria’s insults and the pounding of my heart.

Zaria’s face was priceless. For once, she had no comeback ready on her tongue. Her mouth opened and closed, like she couldn’t quite process what had just happened. “What-” she started, her voice higher than usual, but Luna Mila’s decision was final.

“I need to talk to you about your duties, too, so don’t leave for Elite just yet. Sit still in your house,” Luna Mila added. She had already opened the door, gesturing quietly for her to leave. “Francis is doing even more things than you when you’re supposed to be the Beta.”

At that moment, I could almost hear Zaria’s pride crack. She stood there, stammering half a sound, until Luna Mila’s patience ran out. Mila’s hand pressed against the door, and with a sharp motion, she shut it right in Zaria’s face. The slam echoed in the hallway.

Rowan’s frown had eased as he turned to me. I, too, was more surprised than ever. Meanwhile, Luna Mila turned to us with a bright smile.

“Let’s eat,” she said, as though nothing had happened.

We followed her into the dining room, the four of us settling around a long wooden table.

Right off the bat, I could tell this was going to be awkward.

Still, the food was undeniably good. The moment I took a bite, I almost forgot the tension. Something about it reminded me of my mother, the way she used to cook when she wanted to ease my bad days.

Next to me, Rowan was stiff. He hadn’t relaxed since setting foot in this house. His fork moved mechanically, and his shoulders looked like they were ready to snap from how tense they were. Without thinking, I reached under the table and took his hand, giving it a small squeeze.

He glanced at me, and I offered him a reassuring smile. Slowly, his grip softened. He didn’t let go.

The silence carried on until Luna Mila nudged Alpha Karl lightly with her elbow. It was subtle, but enough

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13:17 Sat, 20 Sept MY

Chapter 254 Acceptance

to get his attention. He sighed, deep and gruff, before setting his fork down.

“I’m still disappointed,” he muttered.

Rowan stopped eating while my hand clenched his instinctively.

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“That’s not what we talked about,” Luna Mila whispered sharply beside him. But Karl only grunted, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

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