Mute

Chapter 23

Caspian’s POV

On my king-sized bed, passion ignited between ms and Ellen as we indulged in a fervent kiss.

Our bodies intertwined, hands roaming eagerly as Ellen attempted to remove my shirt. Yet, despite my efforts to match her energy, an invisible barrier seemed to hinder my fervor.

Sensing the shift in me, Ellen paused from our embrace, her gaze searching my face for answers. “What’s wrong?” she inquired, her voice laced with concern.

My brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?” I responded, my tone filled with uncertainty.

Ellen studied me for a moment before speaking candidly. “You aren’t doing it right,” she confessed, her words soft but firm. “It feels like you’re forcing yourself to kiss me, to make me feel wanted, yet it’s not working.

My heart sank at her words, a pang of guilt eating at me. “How can you say that?” I protested, though a part of me acknowledged the truth in her observation.

Adjusting the strap of her dress, Ellen met my gaze with a bold stare. “Am I not attractive to you anymore? Or do you just not desire me like you used to?” she questioned, her vulnerability laid bare.

Say

My chest tightened at the thought of causing Ellen any pain. “How can you even that?” I countered, my voice filled with nothing but affection. “You’re breathtakingly beautiful, with a body that any man would crave to hold.”

Yet, Ellen’s glare remained, her eyes boring into mine with something like suspicion. “Then why can’t you make me feel that way?” she demanded, her frustration evident. “You don’t kiss or touch me like you once did. It’s almost as if you’re compelled to do so, like you’d rather be anywhere else but here.”

Feeling both guilt and helplessness, I gently cradled Ellen’s face in my hands, my gaze pleading for understanding. “Do not overthink things, I implored, my voice soft yet carnest. “I am doing my best to make you feel desired, as much as I can.”

But Ellen withdrew from my touch, shaking her head with a sigh. “It’s not enough,” she murmured, her voice barelyabove a whisper. “Something is missing.”

As Ellen turned away, a sense of longing filled my heart, a silent acknowledgment of the

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Chapter 23

growing distance between us.

Despite my efforts to reignite the passion we once shared, it seemed that something intangible had shifted irreversibly, leaving both of us yearning for a connection that seemed just out of reach.

As I pulled Ellen in for a long, deep kiss, I hoped to reassure her of my affections. Yet, as our lips met, my mind drifted away from her, consumed by thoughts of Aria. Her lips, full and inviting, lingered in my memory, starkly contrasting with Ellen’s in that moment. I found myself lost in the sensation of kissing Aria, her presence.

overshadowing Ellen’s..

Suddenly, Ellen pushed me away, breaking the kiss abruptly. She rose from the bed, her frustration evident in her every movement. “Enough,” she declared, her voice tinged with disappointment. I can’t handle this anymore.”

Confusion clouded my mind as I tried to comprehend Ellen’s sudden change in demeanor. “Ellen, what’s wrong?” I asked, my voice laced with concern.

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Ellen refused to meet my gaze, her eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. “You’re forcing it,” she accused, her tone accusing. “You can’t hold me like you used to, can’t kiss. me passionately. It’s like you have someone else in your mind, someone you want more than me.”

Her words struck a chord within me, a painful realization dawning upon me. I had been using Ellen as a distraction, trying to bury my feelings for Aria beneath the facade of our relationship. But in doing so, I had only succeeded in hurting Ellen even without the intention.

As I struggled to reassure Ellen and convince her that it was just her, a nagging voice within me grew louder, refusing to be silenced. It was the voice of my wolf, echoing the truth I had been trying to deny that I no longer desired Ellen the way I once did. Each attempt to placate her only served to reinforce the realization that my heart belonged elsewhere.

The matebond between Aria and me persisted, stubbornly refusing to fade despite my attempts to suppress it. Aria had always insisted that our bond was ordained by the moon goddess for a reason, a concept I had dismissed in my blindness. Now, faced with the consequences of my actions, I grappled with the truth that I was still bound to Aria, regardless of my chosen Luna.

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was a bitter pill to swallow, acknowledging that I had rejected my true mate in favor of fulfilling my duties as Alpha. The weight of my mistake bore down on me, a heavy burden that I carried alone. Despite my efforts to convince myself otherwise, the bond with Aria remained unbroken, a constant reminder of the choice I had made.

Chapter 2

Ellen’s tear-filled eyes bore into mine, brimming with an emotion that tore at my heartstrings. Her words, laden with hurt and frustration, hung in the air like a heavy cloud, casting a shadow over our once passionate connection.

“I can’t deal with you right now,” she uttered, her voice trembling with emotion before turning away, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway as she left.

For a fleeting moment, I stood rooted to the spot, torn between the impulse to chase

after her or not.

The weight of our strained relationship, the struggle to reconcile my messed up emotions, had worn me down to the point of exhaustion.

With a heavy sigh, I watched her retreating figure, unable to summon the strength to follow.

As Ellen disappeared from my view, a profound sense of emptiness washed over me.

I knew then, with a clarity that cut through the turmoil within me, that I could no longer continue this charade.

The facade of indifference, the futile attempts to deny the truth of my heart, had become too heavy a burden to bear,

I was tired – tired of fighting against the tide of my own emotions, tired of denying the undeniable pull that drew me elsewhere.

In that moment, I accepted the truth I had been avoiding. The bond with Aria was st

ill strong, reminding me of my choices and their consequences.

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