Chapter 23 Tension

Chapter 23 Tension
Aurora’s POV

Christian’s eyes did not leave my stomach.

Not even for a second.

The room had gone so silent that I could hear my own heartbeat pounding loudly inside my ears.

Slow.

Heavy.

Terrified.

His golden eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to understand something that refused to make sense in his mind. His gaze slowly moved over me again, taking in every detail carefully.

My loose dress.

My tired face.

The way my hands had unconsciously moved protectively toward my stomach.

And then his eyes lifted to meet mine.

I forgot how to breathe.

The mate bond pulsed violently between us.

I could feel his confusion.

His shock.

His growing realization.

“Aurora…” he said quietly.

Just my name.

But the way he said it made my chest ache painfully.

His voice was rough.

Broken.

Dangerously calm.

I instinctively took a small step backward.

The moment I did that, something inside Christian’s expression shattered.

Pain flashed through his eyes.

He thought I was afraid of him.

And maybe… maybe I still was.

Not because I believed he would hurt me physically.

But because I knew how much power he had over my heart.

One harsh word from him could destroy me completely.

Drake looked between us nervously before suddenly blurting out, “Okay! Nobody panic. Nobody faint. Nobody kill anyone. Let’s all act normal—”

“Drake,” Nicholas said flatly.

“I’m just trying to help.”

“You are not helping.”

Drake sighed dramatically and muttered under his breath, “This family seriously has communication issues.”

Under any other circumstance, I would have laughed.

But right now my throat felt too tight.

Christian still hadn’t moved.

His eyes remained fixed on me.

On my stomach.

On the truth standing right in front of him.

I saw his jaw tighten.

Saw his fists clench slowly beside him.

Then suddenly… I felt it.

Through the mate bond.

A sharp wave of emotion crashed into me.

Fear.

Not mine.

His.

It stunned me.

Christian Edward Black—the Alpha King feared by the entire paranormal world—was afraid.

His gaze slowly dropped again.

And I knew.

He knew.

Not logically.

Instinctively.

The wolf inside him had already recognized it.

My babies.

Our babies.

The air in the room became unbearably heavy.

Fiona quietly exchanged a glance with Nicholas while Drake suddenly looked like he wanted to disappear from existence entirely.

Christian finally took one slow step toward me.

Then another.

I remained frozen in place.

His eyes never left mine this time.

“Aurora…” he whispered again, his voice cracking slightly.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

My lips parted but no words came out.

How could I answer him?

What was I even supposed to say?

No, Christian. You’re not wrong. I ran away carrying your children because I was terrified you would hate me.

Tears burned my eyes instantly.

My hands trembled.

And unconsciously… protectively… my palm rested over my stomach.

Christian inhaled sharply.

That one small movement was enough.

The entire room seemed to freeze.

His eyes widened slowly.

Disbelief.

Shock.

Possessiveness.

Wonder.

Every emotion imaginable flashed across his face.

The mate bond exploded painfully between us.

“Oh my God,” Drake whispered.

Nicholas closed his eyes briefly as if already developing a massive headache.

Fiona looked emotional.

And Christian…

Christian looked completely undone.

He stared at me like his entire world had just tilted beneath his feet.

“You…” he whispered hoarsely.

I lowered my gaze immediately.

I could not bear looking at him right now.

Not when my emotions were already hanging by a thread.

Not when I had spent weeks crying myself to sleep thinking he hated me.

The room remained silent for several long moments before Nicholas finally stepped forward.

“She needs rest,” he said firmly.

Christian’s head snapped toward him instantly.

A low growl vibrated from his chest.

“That’s my child.”

The sheer possessiveness in his voice made everyone go still again.

Even me.

My breath hitched softly.

Christian looked furious now.

Not at me.

At the situation.

At himself.

At fate.

At everything.

“You knew,” he said suddenly, glaring at Nicholas.

The Dragon King crossed his arms calmly. “We found out recently.”

“And none of you thought to tell me?”

“You were trying to hunt her down across kingdoms,” Nicholas replied coldly. “Forgive me if informing an emotionally unstable Alpha was not our first priority.”

Christian’s eyes flashed dangerously golden.

“I searched for her because she disappeared!”

“She disappeared because she thought you would kill her.”

The words sliced through the room brutally.

Silence followed instantly.

Christian froze.

My eyes widened toward Nicholas Uncle.

Fiona sighed softly.

Drake looked deeply uncomfortable.

And Christian…

He slowly turned toward me again.

Pain filled his face.

Real pain.

Not anger.

Not rage.

Pain.

“You thought that?” he asked quietly.

His voice sounded wrecked.

My chest tightened painfully.

I looked away from him because I could no longer hold back my tears.

“What was I supposed to think?” I whispered shakily.

“You hate witches.”

The words came out softer than intended.

But in the deadly silent room, everyone heard them clearly.

Christian stared at me speechlessly.

I laughed bitterly through my tears.

“You hate them so much that even hearing the word witch makes you angry. Your parents died because of witches. The entire wolf kingdom hates witches. What was I supposed to believe, Christian?”

My breathing became uneven.

Weeks of fear and heartbreak came crashing out at once.

“I loved you so much,” I whispered brokenly. “And every single day I kept thinking… what will happen when he finds out? Will he hate me? Will he reject me? Will he kill me himself?”

“Aurora,” he said immediately.

But I shook my head.

“No… let me finish.”

Tears slipped continuously down my cheeks now.

“I knew that night would come eventually. I knew your birthday would expose everything. And I…” My voice broke completely. “I was terrified.”

Christian looked shattered.

Actually shattered.

The mate bond throbbed painfully between us.

I could feel his emotions spilling everywhere now.

Guilt.

Love.

Rage.

Heartbreak.

Possessiveness.

“I didn’t leave because I didn’t love you,” I whispered. “I left because I loved you too much.”

Christian closed his eyes.

His breathing became rough.

One of his hands dragged harshly through his hair before he suddenly turned away from everyone.

The room remained silent.

Nobody interrupted him.

Nobody moved.

When he finally spoke again, his voice sounded dangerously raw.

“I would never hurt you.”

I laughed weakly.

“You wanted to break the mate bond.”

His body went rigid instantly.

I felt his shock through the bond.

He slowly looked back at me.

“You felt that?”

I nodded silently.

His face darkened.

Of course.

The mate bond.

I had felt everything.

His anger.

His obsession.

His pain.

His loneliness.

Everything.

Christian suddenly looked horrified.

“You felt all of it?” he asked roughly.

I wiped my tears weakly.

“Yes.”

The room fell silent again.

Drake quietly looked away awkwardly while Fiona gently rubbed Nicholas’ arm.

Christian stared at me for a long time.

Then finally he spoke.

His voice was low.

Broken.

“I was angry,” he admitted. “I was furious at the world… at the Moon Goddess… at fate.” His jaw tightened painfully. “But never at you.”

I looked up at him slowly.

“I tried to hate you,” he continued bitterly. “God knows I tried. But every night…” He laughed hollowly. “Every damn night I missed you so much that I thought I was losing my mind.”

The mate bond pulsed warmly.

Painfully.

Honestly.

“I hated that you were a witch,” he admitted softly. “But I hated your absence more.”

My heart broke completely hearing that.

Christian took another step toward me carefully.

Slowly.

As if approaching something fragile.

“You ran away carrying my child,” he whispered.

I immediately corrected softly through tears.

“Children.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Christian blinked once.

Then twice.

Drake choked violently behind him.

Fiona slapped a hand over her mouth.

Nicholas muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse.

Christian simply stared at me.

“You…” he said faintly.

I sniffled weakly.

“Twins.”

For a full ten seconds nobody spoke.

Then Drake suddenly sat down heavily on the nearby chair.

“Nope,” he declared. “I’m done. This is too much drama for one lifetime.”

Fiona actually laughed through her emotional tears while Nicholas looked like he was reconsidering every life choice he had ever made.

But Christian…

Christian looked completely stunned.

His gaze slowly dropped toward my stomach again.

This time his expression softened completely.

Wonder filled his eyes.

Pure wonder.

Very slowly, hesitantly, he stepped closer.

Close enough for me to feel his warmth again.

Close enough for my breathing to become uneven.

Then carefully…

As if afraid I would stop him…

He lifted his hand toward my stomach.

I froze.

His eyes met mine silently asking permission.

And despite everything…

Despite the pain.

Despite the fear.

Despite the heartbreak.

I nodded.

The moment his palm touched my stomach, the mate bond exploded with warmth.

Christian inhaled sharply.

His entire body went still.

A strange emotion crossed his face.

Something deep.

Primal.

Protective.

Possessive.

His wolf.

I saw moisture gather in his eyes before he quickly looked away.

That sight alone nearly destroyed me.

“My babies,” he whispered so softly that only I heard him.

And somehow…

Those two simple words healed something broken inside my heart.