My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 254

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Chapter 25%

My Cheating Mate

Connor pov

Grace had finally fallen asleep.

Really asleep this time-not the fitful, anxious half-sleep she’d been managing for the past week. Actual deep sleep where her breathing evened out and her face relaxed and some of the terrible tension left her body.

I sat beside her on the studio couch, watching. Making sure she stayed asleep. Making sure nothing disturbed the first meal rest she’d gotten since Lord Castellan left.

My phone dinged quietly. I grabbed it fast, silencing it before the sound could wake Grace.

Text from my mother: *How’s Grace doing? Your father said Lord Castellan was found injured. Does she need anything?

I typed back one-handed, careful not to disturb Grace who’d shifted closer in her sleep: “She’s finally sleeping. First real sleep in days. Lord Castellan is injured but alive. Backup team left three hours ago to extract him and eliminate Marcus/Elena

Mom’s response came immediately: *Poor girl. She must be terrified. Connor, does she need company? I can come over Bring food. Whatever helps.*

*She needs Lord Castellan to come home safely. Everything else is just distraction.*

*I know. But sometimes distraction helps when you’re waiting for impossible things.*

Mom was right. She usually was about emotional support stuff. But Grace wasn’t-Grace wasn’t in a place where distraction would help. She’d tried painting, tried eating, tried sleeping. Nothing worked because the only thing she actually needed was Uncle Cas home and safe.

*I’ll let you know if that changes. Right now she just needs to sleep and not think about Chicago for a few hours.* *Okay sweetie. Call if you need anything. Your father and I are here.

I set the phone down, looking at Grace again. She’d curled into my side in her sleep, seeking comfort even unconscious Her hand was fisted in my shirt like she was afraid I’d disappear if she let go.

Seven days.

Seven days of watching my mate slowly fall apart from worry. Seven days of her not eating right, not sleeping it not being

r herself because Uncle Cas-Lord Castellan was hunting extremists and not checking in.

I’d tried to help. Had said all the right things about him being eleven hundred years old and experienced and too stable toilet Had held her when she spiraled. Had stayed beside her through sleepless nights and audiety attacks

But I couldn’t give her what she actually needed. Couldn’t make Lord Castellan sale Couldn’t end the Prezzati Couldn’t do anything except be present while she suffered

It was frustrating Being a mate meant protecting Providing Taking care of needs. ut Stace give her

she needed her uncle. The vampire who’d beim part of her life stree birth, Who’d Laugh her about living room floors during family dinners. Who’d fight terrorists and Costal zamiary zasad, sadega he’d chosen.

was beyond

That vampire was mently jundid trapped in Chicago fighing the last of the yes Fruit ademhip And there absolutely nothing end do about it exrepanthen and watch

My phone buzzed again Diflere mümber me. Algummy

sheep and impe the l

+15 Bunut

Conner, status update. We’re in Chicago. Located Lord Castellan’s position. He’s alive, injured with silver wounds but functional, Currently pinned down by Marcus Dane and Elena Frost in abandoned warehouse. We’re moving in now

My heart rate spiked. The okay? How bad are the injuries?*

*Bad enough. Multiple silver wounds. But Cas is still fighting so not critical. Connor, this is going to be over soon. One way or another. Tell Grace-tell her I’m bringing him home.*

*She’s asleep Finally. First real sleep in days.*

*Good. Let her sleep. She doesn’t need to process this in real-time. When she wakes up, it’ll either be over or

He didn’t finish. Didn’t need to. Either they’d extract Lord Castellan and eliminate Marcus and Elena, or something would go terribly wrong.

*Alpha Jeremy, please. Please bring him back. She needs him.*

*I know. We all do. Castellan isn’t just Grace’s uncle. He’s-he’s family. For all of us. We’re not losing him to extremists Not after everything*

The connection cut. Alpha Jeremy going into combat mode, no time for texts.

I set the phone down carefully. Looked at Grace sleeping peacefully, unaware that right now-this exact moment-her uncle was fighting for his life in Chicago while backup tried to reach him.

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