The Wife Who Rode Her Black Panther Husband Daily Didn’t Know His Child Was A Leopard Chapter 05
The sight stabbed right through my chest.
No cruel comment from the comments section
hurt worse than seeing them so close.
Our eyes locked.
Kael looked over at me, his face cold and
unreadable.
The comments wasted no time piling on:
[Ooh, why’s her hair tangled around him? So hard to guess~]
[This mean girl’s so jealous–she’s definitely gonna hurt the heroine now.]
[This is the big scene. She snaps, slaps the
heroine, and Kael orders his men to break her
hand.]
The comments waited for me to lash out, to watch
me fall apart.
I forced a smile.
Polite. Gracious.
I took the scissors from the stylist and stepped
toward them slowly.
Under everyone’s tense, worried gaze,
I snipped the tangled hair gently.
I glanced at the woman’s pretty, sharp features.
I held the strand of cut hair.
I placed it softly in Kael’s palm, my tone gentle. “Be
careful next time. It hurts when your hair gets pulled like that.”
My spoiled reputation must’ve run deep.
He thought I was being sarcastic.
Kael’s face darkened.
He wrapped his hand around my wrist, squeezing
until it ached.
“I’m done with work. We’re going home.”
“The girls are probably begging the nanny for us by now.”
My chest tightened at the mention of the kids.
Zara wasn’t done with her dye job yet….
Jax stepped forward from behind me.
“I’m bored getting my hair done alone. Lira promised to stay and keep me company.”
Kael’s face went stormy.
He stared at me, his voice low and dangerous.
“You’re staying here with him?”
[Comments: Guess she knows when to back off.
Letting the main couple have time alone.]
[What else can she do? She’s gonna be dumped
and thrown to the Shifter Horde anyway.]
Anger coiled in my throat.
I yanked my wrist free and stepped back.
I moved to stand beside Jax. “Yes.”
“I promised him.”
“Fine, Lira. Real nice.”
Kael’s eyes darkened, flicking between the two of
- us.
He ground his jaw and turned on his heel, walking
away.
The woman glanced at me thoughtfully, then
hurried after him.
They left together, just as they’d arrived.
Jax turned his head.
His expression was a mix of regret and triumph,
unreadable. “Looks like my cousin’s mad at you because of me.”
“Sorry. I just didn’t want you to leave Zara here
alone.”
I didn’t overthink it.
I nodded quickly and gave him a grateful smile.
I stood and headed for the bathroom.
Guilt or something else tangled tight in my chest,
too heavy to name.
I splashed cold water on my face to calm down.
before stepping out.
The hallway was empty.
I checked my phone, and my gaze fell flat.
The last message was from Kael yesterday,
saying he’d be home by seven after hanging out
with friends.
I’d told him to take his time, enjoy himself.
He never replied.
He didn’t come home all night.
He never used to leave me hanging like that.
Ever since that so–called fated heroine showed up,
everything had changed.
I walked back, distracted.
As I passed the supply closet,
the door flew open.
A large hand dragged me inside.
My back slammed against the wall.
I couldn’t even scream.
A hand clamped over my mouth.
In the dim light,
Jax’s face was inches from mine. A familiar, crisp scent wrapped around me.
I couldn’t place where I’d smelled it before.
Those eyes, so much like Kael’s, were gone of their soft, harmless look.
In their place was something dark, suffocating.
“Lira. Zara and Mia are my kids. Aren’t they?”
When I got home with Zara,
Kael had already made a full dinner.
Mia had snuck a big slice of watermelon, and Kael
was wiping her mouth.
When he saw me,
he only glanced at me briefly and looked away.
“Wash up. Mia’s starving.”
He never fought with me in front of the kids.
When he’d found out Zara had shifted, the
unsmiling Alpha had actually lit up.
He’d spoiled her with a pile of trendy dolls.
He didn’t play favorites, either–he promised Mia a
set of remote–control mech toys as a reward.
After dinner,
he shifted back into a black panther and lay on the
rug, playing with the girls.
The kids were nervous at first, peeking at me every
few seconds.
Soon they got carried away, climbing all over his
panther form, yanking his ears like reins.
It was the picture–perfect family.
And I’d ruined it.
I turned and hurried to the bedroom before tears
could fall.
Later that night, Kael came into the bedroom.
I panicked for a second, not knowing how to act.
I sat up quickly. “I–I’m gonna check on the girls…”
“I already got them washed and tucked in.”
He pushed me gently back onto the bed.
I looked up.
And froze.
Kael had shifted his panther ears onto his head,
shirtless, his abs sharp in the lamplight.
He took my hand.
He placed it on his neck.
Around his throat was the leather collar I’d gotten
him.
Black, with a tiny bell.
He’d hated it when I first gave it to him.
But I’d forced him to wear it for me in bed, over
and over.
When I was on top,
one tug,
and the collar would tighten.
His eyes would glaze over, like his whole world
was in my hands.
It felt good.
It was also pathetic.
I knew I couldn’t have his heart, so I clung to these small, cruel thrills.
His panther ears twitched slightly above his head.
Kael knelt at my feet, looking up at me, almost pleading.
“You got bored of my shifter form. What about my human form?”
I stayed silent.
He leaned in closer.
In his low, rough voice, he made a sound:
“Woof.”
