IMPORTANT:
Please check the ’Author’s Note’ in this Chapter’s comnt section before reading the Chapter.
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Evaline:
I had barely finished whispering those words - that I had felt Ethan different that night, that maybe, just maybe, it hadn’t been him at all - when Kieran suddenly moved.
His hand lifted, reaching toward mine with a trembling hesitance that struck my chest harder than any pain could. I thought he was about to take my hand, to anchor us both in the chaos unraveling between us. But just before his fingers could brush against mine, he froze.
I watched as his hand curled into a tight fist, every vein straining against the skin as though he was holding himself back from sothing he desperately wanted. And then, he eventually withdrew, pulling the warmth of his touch away before I even had the chance to feel it.
A hollow ache rippled in my chest.
"Kieran..." I whispered, letting go of his ’Professor’ title, but he didn’t et my eyes. Not yet.
He took in a deep breath, his broad shoulders rising and falling heavily. Then, with a steadiness that betrayed the storm behind his eyes, he began speaking.
"Do you still rember," he asked, his voice low but cutting through the silence, " telling you once... about how I developed feelings for soone who wasn’t my mate?"
My heart lurched.
Of course I rembered. That conversation had been etched into my mory, haunting like an echo I could never silence. His words from back then, heavy with guilt, had carved their way into my heart. At the ti, I hadn’t known what to make of them, hadn’t known if I should be hurt or not. But now... now that I knew I could possibly be his mate... those sa words burned like fire in my chest.
The thought of him having feelings for soone else, left a bitter taste in my mouth. A jealousy so sudden and sharp it startled took root inside .
Before I could let that jealousy swallow whole, his next words shattered my every thought.
"You," he said simply, firmly, his gaze finally rising to et mine. His voice shook, but his eyes burned with raw truth. "It was you. You were the one I was talking about. The one I fell for despite having a mate bond sowhere out there. Despite the wall of our student and professor role. It was always you, Evaline."
The air rushed from my lungs.
I wasn’t sure why I was even surprised. It wasn’t like I hadn’t felt the pull between us before. It wasn’t like I hadn’t noticed the softness in his eyes when he looked at , or the way he sotis lingered just a mont too long in my presence.
But I had buried it all, dismissing it as misunderstanding his kindness, twisting his gentleness into sothing it wasn’t because of my own confused heart.
And yet here we were. The truth laid bare between us, undeniable, unshakable.
My lips parted, but no sound ca.
He wasn’t done.
"I was stuck," he continued, his voice heavier now, more broken. "Caught between this stranger of a mate I was destined to find and the feelings that grew in every ti I saw you. I didn’t know what to do with it. I felt... guilty. Guilty for loving soone who wasn’t supposed to be mine. Guilty for wishing things could be different. I hated myself for it, but I couldn’t stop. Not when it was you."
Each word pierced , leaving behind a sting I knew too well.
Because I understood.
I had been there, too. Feeling guilty every ti my heart leaned toward him, hating myself for finding comfort in his presence while bound to his brothers. Our sins had been reflections of each other’s - two souls caught in the sa web of impossible emotions.
When he finally lifted his head fully, his eyes were shimring with unshed tears. My breath caught at the sight of them.
"I’m sure, Evaline," he whispered, his voice cracking but firm at its core. "I’m more than a hundred percent sure now. You are my mate. And I am our pup’s father." His gaze flickered toward the empty cradle next to my bed, and a softness entered his features that nearly broke . "There’s no doubt in anymore."
I opened my mouth, my heart beating so loudly I thought it would echo in the room.
But before I could say anything, he drew in a deep, steadying breath, and added, "Still... for you. For us. For him. I want this truth sealed. I want no lingering questions. So... will you allow to prove it - to do a DNA test? That way, we’ll never have to live with shadows again."
My throat tightened.
Part of wanted to tell him it wasn’t necessary. That I already believed him. That the coincidences - the date, the town, the inn, our mutual attraction and feelings for each other, his bond with our son - they were too much to dismiss as chance.
But another part of , the one still haunted by doubt, still chained by Ethan’s shadow, craved the finality of proof.
I nodded slowly. "Yes," I breathed. My voice trembled, but my words were clear. "Let’s do it."
The way relief spread across his face nearly made cry.
He didn’t waste another second. He stood, squared his shoulders, and called softly for River.
The door opened almost instantly, as though River had been waiting just outside all along. His sharp gaze scanned the room before settling on . His presence was grounding, as always.
Kieran explained, his words steady but his hand trembling faintly at his side. When he finished, River turned his eyes to , waiting for my confirmation.
I gave him a small nod.
The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile - warm, reassuring, the kind of smile that wrapped in a blanket of safety. "It will be alright," he promised softly. And then he was gone again, striding down the hall to find the doctor.
Minutes later, the doctor returned with his team. His eyes were sharp but respectful, aware of the gravity of what we were about to do. He explained the process, his words technical but kind.
Kieran went first. His sample was taken quickly, efficiently. He didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate. His gaze never left .
Then it was my son’s turn. They used a painless, soft swab and rubbed it inside the baby’s cheek to collect the cells.
When it was done, the doctor assured us the samples would be run imdiately. "But," he added, "we’ll need at least ten hours for results."
Ten hours.
It might as well have been ten years.
Kieran exhaled slowly, his eyes closing briefly before he opened them again and looked at with a gaze so intense it pinned to the bed.
"We’ll wait," he said simply.
And for the first ti since this storm had begun, I believed him.
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