Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 264

Chapter 264 The Truth

TESSA

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I knew that Ingrid’s words would change a lot about my life. However, I set it aside for a moment because we were surrounded by warriors gasping for air, their veins glowing with poison.

What mattered now was saving as many lives as possible.

So I shook off the tremor in my chest and met Ingrid’s desperate eyes with a nod. “Let’s move.”

She was startled by how easily I’d agreed, but she didn’t waste another second. Together, we spread out, moving between rows of warriors. I didn’t think. I just acted. My hands hovered over the first man’s chest, and I pulled deep from within me, letting the familiar feeling of my gift flow through my fingertips.

The warrior sucked in a clean breath, his eyes fluttering open with relief.

“Thank you, doctor,” he rasped, mistaking me for one of their own.

I smiled softly, brushing his shoulder before moving to the next. “You’re welcome.”

Ingrid was across from me, her brow slick with sweat as she worked on another soldier. Every so often, she glanced at me, but I didn’t let it distract me from my mission.

One by one, the poison receded. One by one, warriors who had been pale and fading came back to life. I didn’t notice time passing; I only noticed the constant rhythm of inhaling and releasing–drawing out the sickness and breathing life back in.

Somewhere beyond these walls, I knew Rowan and Elias were talking in the conference room. Francis had already left to handle the South, deciding he was more needed there than here.

When I finally pulled my hands back from the last warrior, I staggered slightly, catching myself against the edge of his bed. My limbs felt weak. Doing this still drained me, but it was definitely easier now.

I looked around the room and felt relieved. The warriors now sat up in their beds. I let myself breathe it in, my shoulders loosening for the first time since I’d arrived.

I felt a hand on my elbow and turned to see a young man looking at me through weary eyes. “Thank you, doctor,” he said.

My lips curved into a smile. “Rest now. You’ll need your strength.”

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15:08 Wed, Sep 24

Chapter 264 The Truth

“Is that the last one?” a deep voice asked.

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I turned. Dr. Ben stood at the far end of the row, his tired face scanning the room. His white coat was smudged, his sleeves rolled.

I nodded once and dipped my head in respect. “Yes.”

For a moment, his features softened. Then he exhaled and glanced at Ingrid, who had just straightened from her own patient, her shoulders heaving from the effort.

“Then we should go,” he said finally.

My eyes darted to him, and he nodded in confirmation. “Let’s join the two Alphas in the conference room.”

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

***

We were all gathered in the conference room, and the silence was heavy. Rowan sat beside me, his thumb brushing slow circles over the back of my hand. Across the table, Elias sat stiff, his sharp eyes watching everything.

My gaze, on the other hand, was fixed on Ingrid.

She avoided looking at me at first. Her face was pale from exhaustion, and yet it went back to her usual intense expression the moment our eyes met.

Doctor Ben cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “Allow us to introduce ourselves properly,” he said, directed at Rowan. “We’ve met before, but not… substantially.”

Rowan gave a curt nod, his free hand resting on the table.

“I am Dr. Ben,” the man continued, placing a hand lightly over his chest before gesturing to the woman beside him. “And this is my wife, Dr. Ingrid.”

Rowan inclined his head in respect. “Thank you for your help today.”

But my patience had already run thin. My voice cut through before anyone else could speak. “What did you mean by power?”

I didn’t care if I sounded demanding. I couldn’t waste any more time dancing around it.

Ingrid and Ben exchanged looks. For a moment, I wondered if they’d go back on their word. Then Ingrid exhaled, her shoulders slumping as though she’d finally lost a fight with herself.

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15:08 Wed, Sep 24

Chapter 264 The Truth

She turned–not to me, but to Elias.

:..

“Alpha,” she said softly, her voice colored with apology. “I am sorry for keeping this information from you. But don’t stake me for this.”

Elias’s eyes narrowed. “Go on.”

A

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Ingrid’s lips pressed into a thin line before she whispered the words that made my breath freeze.

“I am from Montrose.”

I barely held back a gasp. My fingers curled against Rowan’s palm, gripping him tightly, and he gripped back.

Both Alphas frowned deeply, suspicion and caution clouding their faces.

Rowan leaned forward slightly. “Explain.”

Ingrid nodded slowly, her eyes growing distant. “I was born there,” she began. “But my father was a werewolf from Fenra. He had strayed into Montrose years before, captured, never able to leave. My mother… she was from there. I grew up under the rule of the Rose family.”

Her lips grimaced bitterly around that name.

“Montrose is a cage ruled by the Rose family, and has been for centuries. Their grip has never loosened. Their control never faltered.”

Elias leaned back slowly, folding his arms.

“Montrose banks on magic,” Ingrid continued. “That’s what everyone knows. But what they don’t know is how limited it truly is. Our resources are dwindling. The lands are barren. Their magic and their way of sustaining it are failing. In recent years, I heard it’s gotten worse. And when a kingdom with nothing left to feed its people still demands loyalty, still demands praise to its rulers, what do you think happens?”

Her eyes hardened. “It turns cruel.”

I swallowed hard.

“It felt like a communist reign,” she muttered bitterly. “Every mouth praised the Rose family while our own families starved. And why? Because they had the power. Because they were born with the ability to wield dark magic effortlessly. That was their crown.”

Rowan stiffened beside me. “Dark magic?”

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Chapter 264 The Truth

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“Yes.” Ingrid’s voice wavered but did not falter. “The Moon Goddess made us equal by giving us all the chance to wield the magic of light–the gift to bring goodness into this world. But the Rose family bent it until it became a weapon. They learned to wield it darkly. And for that, they crushed every rebellion and every cry for freedom. That is how they’ve stayed in power for generations.”

Her eyes grew glassy. “My mother saw it. She saw the destruction. She knew the end would eventually come, and she didn’t want me trapped in it. So, when I was a teenager, she let me escape. She risked everything to get me across the borders… even her own life.”

Her breath hitched. “It brought me here. It brought me to meet Ben.”

Dr. Ben reached out and placed his hand over hers.

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