Chapter 282
Chapter 282:
He was sitting in a chair pulled uncomfortably close to the bed, his hand engulfing mine. He looked like a god of war taking a momentary rest — his shirt was torn, revealing the hard planes of his chest, and dried blood still stained his knuckles. But his eyes, usually storms of black fury, were currently pools of endless, terrifying tenderness.
“You’re safe,” he murmured, bringing my hand to his lips. The sparks that erupted from the contact were immediate, a soothing balm to my frayed nerves.
Before I could speak, the heavy oak door swung open. The air in the room instantly shifted. The temperature dropped as Dallas stiffened, a low, menacing growl building in his chest like a revving engine.
Braydon Hyde stood in the doorway. He looked wrecked — his hair disheveled, his eyes rimmed with red. But when he saw Dallas holding my hand, his expression hardened into something ugly.
“Get away from her, Marshall,” Braydon spat, stepping into the room. “She doesn’t need a monster looming over her while she recovers p>
Dallas didn’t even stand up. He didn’t have to. The sheer weight of his aura filled the room, suffocating the air. “She is with her Mate. The only one out of place here, pup, is you p>
𝖩𝗈𝘪𝗻 t𝗁𝘰𝘶sа𝗇𝗱𝗌 𝘰𝘧 f𝘢𝗻𝘴 о𝘯
“I’ve known her since we were children!” Braydon argued, his voice cracking with desperation. He looked at me, his eyes pleading. “Adella, tell him. Tell him I’m the one who protected you when no one else would. I’m the one who kept you safe from your family p>
Dallas stood then, unfolding his massive frame to block Braydon’s view of me completely. “You kept her like a prized wolfless — a charity case to soothe your pathetic ego,” he said, his voice ice-cold and deadly sharp. “You liked her weak because it made you feel strong. I made her my Luna p>
“You bought her!” Braydon shouted, pointing a shaking finger at Dallas. “Don’t act like this is fate. You paid her debts. It’s a transaction p>
The accusation hung in the air, heavy and poisonous. I felt a spike of shame, the old wound of being sold tearing open. But then I looked at Dallas’s back — broad, unyielding, a wall between me and the world. And I felt the bond hum between us, a golden thread of absolute truth that no money could buy.
I squeezed Dallas’s hand. He froze, his head tilting slightly toward me.
“Dallas,” I whispered. My throat was dry, but my voice was steady. “Let me see him p>
Dallas hesitated, his muscles coiled tight, but he slowly stepped aside. He didn’t let go of my hand, though.
I looked at Braydon. The boy I had once thought I loved. The man who had watched me get sold and done nothing until it was too late.
“It’s over, Braydon,” I said softly.
Braydon flinched as if I’d slapped him. “Adella, you’re confused. The trauma p>
“I’m not confused,” I interrupted, my gaze locking onto his. “For the first time in my life, I see everything clearly. You didn’t want a partner, Braydon. You wanted a pet. But I’m not a pet.” I tightened my grip on Dallas’s hand, feeling the strength flow from him to me. “I choose my Mate p>