Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 289

Chapter 289 Before Everything Else

Chapter 289 Before Everything Else

ROWAN

民區

45 Free Coins

Today was the day I was finally going to attain what I had been wanting for my entire life–the official Alpha title of the South. However, on this monumental day, all I could think about was

Tessa.

I was inside my room, getting dressed by myself. Tessa wasn’t with me because she was busy greeting the endless wave of guests pouring in not only from Fenra but also from Ylarc and Montrose. She belonged to everyone at this moment. But earlier, just before the sun rose high in the sky, I had caught a glimpse of her in a pale dress. Her shoulder was bare, and her hair was like silk tumbling down her back.

God, she was beautiful.

I… I wanted to ruin the dress. I wanted to tear it off, scatter the careful braids, and mark her again and again until there wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind that she was mine.

It actually felt pretty weird. I wasn’t even this horny when I was younger. Yet, Tessa seems to bring out this side of me.

A knock came, breaking my thoughts. Then the door creaked open.

My parents stepped in, making me purse my lips.

We had been speaking more casually for the last couple of weeks, and it was still a pretty surreal feeling for me. It definitely feels lighter with them now. However, I couldn’t lie and say

presence. I was fully comfortable with their

They froze at the sight of me, already dressed in the ceremonial uniform that was only worn every crowning of a True Alpha. For a moment, none of us moved. With that, I did the only thing that felt right.

I bowed.

I lowered

my head in acknowledgment before greeting them. “Mom. Dad.”

When I straightened, I expected their usual expressions. But instead, my mother’s eyes glistened and my father’s shoulders softened.

“Rowan,” my mom whispered. Her voice somehow touched me more than I expected. She stepped closer, hesitating like she was afraid I’d push her away.

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Chapter 289 Before Everything Else

And maybe, on any other day, I would have. But not today.

A

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She lifted her hand, trembling, and brushed her fingers against my jaw. “You look… grown and so strong. You look like the man that you would be proud of.”

My throat burned. I hadn’t prepared for this moment.

My dad cleared his throat, his voice uncertain. “We’ve made mistakes,” he started off.

Each word seemed dragged from the deepest part of his heart. “So many mistakes with you, son. For that, we are sorry.”

I felt breathless. My dad was actually apologizing? This man didn’t admit weakness; yet he was doing it so effortlessly in front of me.

I wanted to be angry. To remind them of every wound, every lonely night, every time I had begged for their approval and received only silence. But my chest cracked wide open, and all that spilled out was the boy who had once wanted nothing more than this.

My mom stepped in then, her voice breaking. “We are proud of you, Rowan. Do you hear me? Proud. Of course, it isn’t because of the title, or this day, or the power you currently hold. We’re proud of you. Thank you for surviving us and becoming someone better than we ever were.”

I clenched my jaw, fists tight at my sides. I wouldn’t cry–I swear that I wouldn’t. But when she opened her arms, awkward, hesitant, I didn’t think. I just moved.

I folded into her embrace. My father hesitated only for a second before his arms came around

us, too.

“I’ll do better,” I rasped. “I swear I’ll become better than the man I’ve been–better than what you made me.”

My mom pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, her own shining. “Rowan, don’t you see? You already are. You’re already the best of us.”

I realized I’d been waiting my whole life to hear those words.

And now, standing here, wrapped in the arms of the two people who had failed me the most, I realized that forgiveness wasn’t about forgetting. It was about finally letting go of what had kept me chained for the longest time.

***

Golden light spilled through the tall windows of the South’s Great Chamber. Arden and Cade

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Chapter 289 Before Everything Else

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were in the front row with Jared. Calla was right next to them, and it seemed she was telling Jared stories; although, as a two–month–old, he definitely didn’t understand her just yet. Owen was in the row behind them, wearing a scowl. However, I caught him wiping the corner of his eye once, so I knew this day meant more to him than he’d admit.

And Tessa–my Tessa–stood among them.

The moment my eyes found her, I nearly forgot the crowd and the crown waiting to be placed on my head.

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