Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 217

Chapter 217: Chapter 217 Waking in His Arms

Freya’s POV

It was after nine when Luna Victoria finally waved a hand, signaling it was time for everyone to retire upstairs.

I guided Isabella to her bathroom for her evening routine, my movements mechanical as I helped her bathe and blow-dried her hair afterward. The soft hum of the dryer filled the silence between us—silence that had become increasingly common.

As I ran the brush through her damp locks, I caught Isabella watching me through the mirror, her expression thoughtful, almost concerned.

"What is it?" I asked, our eyes meeting in the reflection.

She quickly shook her head. "Nothing."

Perhaps I was imagining things, or maybe she simply noticed my recent quietness. There was a time when bath time meant stories and chatter about her day, questions about mine. When had that stopped? When had I stopped trying?

Once her hair was dry, Isabella rolled across her bed with childish abandon, then looked up at me. "Mom, are you sleeping in here with me tonight?"

I paused, my wolf Selene stirring with maternal instinct. "Would Bella like me to stay with you?"

"I don’t mind either way," she replied with a casual shrug that didn’t quite match her hopeful eyes. "But, you haven’t spent much time with Dad lately. Shouldn’t you be sleeping with him?"

"I’ll head back in a bit," I assured her.

The divorce papers remained unsigned, hidden in my personal files. If Isabella hadn’t invited me to stay and Luna Victoria discovered I’d chosen to sleep separately from Silvano, it would only create more drama. Another lecture about duty and mate bonds I didn’t need.

When I returned to our bedroom, the lights were already on. Silvano sat at the desk, laptop open, fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard. The blue light illuminated the sharp angles of his face, highlighting his strong jaw and those eyes that once looked at me with such intensity.

He glanced up briefly when I entered, but I averted my gaze, heading straight for the walk-in closet to gather my nightclothes before disappearing into the bathroom.

By the time I emerged freshly showered, Silvano remained exactly where I’d left him, still engrossed in whatever held his attention. The steady clicking of keys filled the otherwise silent room.

I settled on my side of the bed—a side that had felt increasingly like my only territory in this relationship—and applied my nighttime skincare products. With sleep still distant, I reached for my book and began reading, trying to lose myself in someone else’s story since my own had become so painful.

We existed like this, two strangers sharing space, neither acknowledging the other’s presence. The silence between us felt heavier than any argument could have been.

Near midnight, fatigue finally won. I set my book aside, switched off my bedside lamp, and slid under the covers. Despite sharing a bed with my mate for the first time in weeks, I didn’t expect to find sleep easily.

A bitter thought crossed my mind—Silvano would probably leave once he finished working. He’d likely slip out to be with Aurora, as he so often seemed to these days.

Yet somehow, lulled by the rhythmic tapping of his keyboard and my own exhaustion, consciousness began slipping away, and I drifted into an unexpectedly deep sleep.

I awoke to warmth—delicious, encompassing warmth that made my wolf purr with contentment. My body felt utterly relaxed, wrapped in security I hadn’t experienced in months. As consciousness gradually returned, I became aware of soft breath tickling my ear and a solid form pressed against me.

I was... in someone’s arms?

My body tensed as realization struck, eyes flying open to confirm what my senses already told me: I was nestled against Silvano’s chest, his arms wrapped possessively around me, our legs tangled together beneath the sheets. There wasn’t an inch of space between us.

The heat of his chest against my back, his large hands splayed across my stomach, the familiar scent of him surrounding me—my traitorous body responded instantly, remembering how it once craved this closeness.

I’d always been a still sleeper, careful to maintain my position even in deepest slumber. Last night, I’d deliberately positioned myself at the edge of my side, ensuring we wouldn’t accidentally touch. There was no way I had gravitated toward him in my sleep.

Which could only mean...

A painful thought crystalized: Silvano must have grown accustomed to holding Aurora this way during our time apart. In his half-conscious state, he’d reached for me thinking I was her.

I shifted carefully, attempting to extract myself from his embrace without waking him.

His arms immediately tightened, drawing me even closer against the solid wall of his chest. "Stay," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. Then, devastatingly, he pressed his lips to my forehead in a tender kiss. "Sleep a little longer."

My breath caught. Those words weren’t meant for me—they were for Aurora. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I stared at his sleeping face, memorizing features I would soon lose the right to claim as belonging to my mate.

After taking a steadying breath, I slowly began creating distance between us, carefully unwinding his arms from my waist. No matter how gently I moved, there was no way to separate completely without disturbing him.

Sure enough, just as I’d managed to sit up and was about to swing my legs over the side of the bed, Silvano’s eyes opened. Our gazes locked.

Recognition and awareness dawned in his expression. He seemed to realize his mistake—that he’d been holding the wrong woman—and immediately released the grip his legs had maintained on mine.

"Go on inside and get ready for bed, sweetheart. Mom has some things to take care of tonight, so I won’t be coming up."

Isabella’s smile faltered immediately. "What? Again?"

She leaned back into the car window, her small brows furrowed with disappointment. "Do you really have to work tonight too, Mom?"

"Yes," I lied smoothly, my face a practiced mask. "Study hard and call me if you need anything."

Her lower lip jutted out slightly, but she nodded. "Okay, I guess."

Silvano frequently worked late or stayed away overnight on pack business, so Isabella easily accepted my similar absences as work-related. She had no reason to suspect I was deliberately avoiding their father—avoiding the pain of being near someone whose love had shifted elsewhere.

Emma emerged to greet us, her expression welcoming.

"Is Dad home?" Isabella asked him hopefully.

Emma smiled. "Yes, he returned earlier."

My expression didn’t change at this news, though my wolf growled softly within me. I turned to Isabella with forced cheerfulness. "Mom’s leaving now, sweetie."

"Oh..." She stepped back reluctantly, making space for me to drive away.

Emma looked confused. "It’s quite late, Freya. Are you certain you need to go out?"

I offered no explanation beyond, "I have matters to attend to."

Then to Isabella, I added, "It’s cold outside. Hurry in."

"I know," she replied, giving me a small wave before following Emma inside.

I watched until the door closed behind them, then turned the car around and drove away from the home that no longer felt like mine, from the mate who no longer wanted me, and from the life I was slowly learning to leave behind.