Beth Writesの小説

Elara’s POVI woke up and my stomach felt empty. I opened my eyes and looked around. The room was quiet. There was no sign of Kael. No sign of my baby. I tried to sit up, but the emptiness pressed on me. I called his name, my voice shaking. “Kael…?” I whispered. “Baby…?”Nothing.I swallowed hard and tried again, louder this time. “Kael!” My voice cracked, and I felt tears sting my eyes. No one answered. Panic began to rise. I remembered the doctor’s words, the warning I had heard vaguely in my sleep. They could only save me. I could only survive if I let go of the baby. My hands went to my stomach and I felt the emptiness again. I cried.I didn’t want to lose my baby. I couldn’t.The door pushed open suddenly and I froze. Kael stepped in, holding Eren’s hand. My chest tightened. He wasn’t alone.In his other arm, I saw her. A tiny little bundle, wrapped in white. A baby girl. My baby girl. I couldn’t believe it. My lips trembled, and I started to cry again, but this time they were te

Kael’s POVEverything had returned to normal. The pack was rebuilt, stronger than before. Wolves moved through the territory, training, hunting, and guarding, but there was a sense of calm I hadn’t felt in months. I walked beside Elara, holding her hand lightly, feeling the warmth of her presence. She was my Luna now, my partner, and soon, a mother. Eren ran ahead of us, full of energy, practicing the techniques I had taught him. He was already training to harness his powers, and Elara stayed close, guiding him, correcting him, making sure he did not overextend himself.I smiled at her. “I’m proud of you,” I said, my voice quiet. “You’ve done so much, and you never gave up.”Elara shook her head, smiling softly. “I couldn’t have done any of it without you,” she said, her hand resting on her stomach.I looked down at her belly and touched it gently. “You’re doing great in there too,” I said, speaking to the child. “Come soon. Everyone is waiting for you.”She laughed, a soft sound that

Kael’s POVI froze as I stepped into the hall, my stomach tightening. The dark fog that had surrounded everything was gone, and the silence was heavy. I looked around, and my eyes widened. Selene, her mother, and the entire army were lying on the floor, lifeless. The fight was over. The hall smelled of smoke and magic, but it was quiet now, still, final.Elara was kneeling by Eren, checking him over. Relief hit me like a punch, and I ran to them without thinking. “Eren!” I shouted.He looked up and smiled when he saw me. “Papa!” He jumped into my arms, and I hugged him tightly, holding him like I never wanted to let go. My voice trembled. “I was so worried about you.”“I was worried about you too,” Elara said softly, standing beside us. She looked tired, her hands still glowing faintly from the magic. “Eren helped. He tapped into the magic and fought Selene. He was brave.”I turned to Eren, pride swelling in my chest. “You did this? You fought Selene?” I hugged him again, tighter this

Kael’s POVThe cell was silent, too silent, and I had no idea how long I had been sitting there. I couldn’t reach Elara, no matter how hard I tried, and the emptiness of it made me restless. My hands clenched into fists. I didn’t know what was happening outside, I didn’t know if she was alive or in trouble, and the longer I stayed still, the more panic built inside me.The door slammed open, and two guards grabbed me, jerking me to my feet. I struggled, kicking and pulling, but they were strong. My stomach dropped when I realized they were taking me out of the cell, dragging me down the corridors, and I knew exactly where this was going. The execution grounds. I tried one last time to reach Elara, but the connection between us was gone. The dark magic she had warned me about was still blocking our link, and I cursed under my breath. My heart pounded.We reached the massive doors to the coronation hall, and I got a glimpse inside. The air shimmered with a dark fog of magic. My stomach

Elara’s POVI barely managed to pull Eren back before he burned Magnus alive, but in that instant, my focus wavered, and Selene seized her chance. She broke free from my mind hold and lunged at me. Her hand struck my shoulder and pain shot through my body, knocking me to the ground. I gasped and tried to push myself up, but she was already moving toward Eren.“Stop her!” I shouted, my voice tight, but the dark magic in the air made it hard to focus. My connection to my powers felt thick and sluggish, every thought like wading through mud.Selene grinned, cruel and sharp. She lifted Eren by the air around him, suspending him effortlessly. His small body floated there, still and terrified, and she laughed.“You’ll pay for this, Elara,” she said, her voice low and full of rage, “I’ll make sure you watch him suffer first.”I crawled closer, holding my hands out toward him, trying to reach him, and my words trembled with fear. “Please, Selene, let him go, he’s done nothing to you.”She ign

Elara’s POVSelene ordered the guards to seize me and they rushed toward me, grabbing my arms and pulling me back, and I let them because I wanted her to believe she was still in control, but I didn’t stop talking.“You’re full of bullshit,” I said, keeping my voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “you stand here and pretend you care about this pack when the only thing you want is a crown that isn’t yours.”Selene’s face twisted and she stepped closer. “Shut your mouth.”“No,” I said, “you lie because you need them blind, and you think you can scare me into silence.”She slapped me so hard my head snapped to the side, and the guards tightened their grip, and a few gasps rose from the crowd. My mouth filled with blood and I spat it right on her face, and she jerked back with a sharp breath.“Touch me again,” I said quietly, “and see what happens.”Selene moved to strike me again but I didn’t give her the chance. I lifted my leg and kicked her away from me, and the guards tried to pul

CHAPTER 53KATHERINEThe car slowed as we approached the academy, and my eyes were already scanning the grounds. I looked for Alex without making it obvious, checking the walkway, the entrance, the side road where students sometimes cut through. I didn’t see him, and that didn’t relax me the way it should have.I stepped out and adjusted my bag, keeping my posture easy, my face neutral. I’d been careful in the palace, quiet, subdued, letting them think the backlash had broken me. Stephen needed to believe that. Everyone did. If they thought I was done planning, they’d stop watching so closely.The truth was, I’d done more thinking in the last day than I had in weeks.The rebels weren’t the way forward.I’d wanted them to be, because they were loud and angry and visible, and it felt good to imagine Stephen losing everything the same way I had. But even if they succeeded one day, it wouldn’t be because of me. I’d just be another name on the list of people they used and discarded, and th

STEPHENI sat alone in my office long after she left.The room was quiet, but my head wasn’t. I kept replaying her face when I scolded her, the way her jaw tightened, the way she tried not to react, and it had affected my wolf more than I wanted to admit. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like the distance, didn’t like the disappointment, didn’t like that I had pushed her away when she was standing right in front of me.But it had to be done.She crossed a line. She ignored orders, exposed herself, exposed the throne, and I couldn’t forgive that easily, not when the kingdom was watching, not when weakness invited chaos.I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my face, my jaw tight.A knock came, firm and familiar.“Come in,” I said.Alaric entered with a tablet in his hand, his expression serious, calculated, controlled like always.“We have reports from the south,” he said, stepping closer. “Confirmed casualties.”He placed the tablet on my desk and turned it toward me.I read the numbers on

KATHERINEThe door opened without a knock.I didn’t need to look up to know it was Stephen. I felt him the moment he walked in, the air shifting, my wolf reacting, my heart picking up speed even before he said a word.He shut the door behind him and stood there, arms crossed, jaw tight, eyes cold.“Where were you,” he asked.I swallowed and lifted my chin. “You already know.”His eyes darkened. He took a step forward. “Don’t play with me, Katherine.”My heart started racing harder. He wasn’t shouting, and that scared me more than if he was. His voice was calm, controlled, the kind that meant he was already angry and deciding how far he was willing to go.“What were you doing there,” he asked.I shrugged lightly, pretending I wasn’t nervous. “Looking.”His hand was around my neck before I could react.Not tight, not choking, but firm enough that I froze instantly. His thumb pressed under my jaw, forcing my head up so I had no choice but to look at him.“Enough,” he said quietly, and th

KATHERINEI drove my car and parked a little far from the place. I didn’t want anyone to see me. My heart was beating really fast. Like, really really fast. I was so scared but I had to do this. I looked through the windshield. The delivery bus was already gone. I groaned. “Ugh, why now?” I muttered. I hated being late.I got out anyway. My feet made soft noises on the ground. Everything was quiet. The streets were empty. No one was around. I kept walking slowly, looking at the shops and stalls. I felt like someone was watching me. I pulled my hood over my head more. I didn’t want anyone to see me.Then I bumped into someone. I almost fell. “Ah!” I squeaked. I looked up. It was Rowan. “Rowan!” I whispered. “Where were you? I thought I was gonna die or something!”He didn’t answer. He just pointed ahead. “Look. Two men. Loading boxes. Into a van. But it’s not registered.”I squinted. Oh yeah. I could see them. Two men, sweating, lifting boxes. Big boxes. Heavy ones. They looked scare

STEPHENI was standing in the big private room with Lord Payne and some of the elders, talking about boring stuff like duties and responsibilities. Lord Payne was trying really hard to sound important, making jokes about how hard it would be to manage all the other high lords. I forced a smile, but honestly, my mind wasn’t even on the conversation. My thoughts kept drifting to Katherine.Then, we got to talking about my mate, the Lady of my house, which obviously meant Katherine. Everyone started laughing, joking about how hard it would be to control their mates. Some elders whispered things under their breath, smirking. I didn’t laugh. I didn’t even smile. My chest felt tight, like someone was squeezing it.And then, out of nowhere, one of my guards barged in. Not properly, just like, leaning in and whispering. “Um, Lord Stephen… there’s something online. A video.”I frowned. “A video? About what?” I asked, trying to keep calm.He hesitated, whispering even quieter. “It’s… about… Kat

KATHERINEMy heart was pounding so hard I thought it would explode. I could hear it in my ears, like thump-thump-thump, and I kept taking deep breaths, but it wasn’t helping. Rowan was standing there, fist raised, ready to hit Alex. I froze for a second. My brain didn’t work. I didn’t know what to do.“No! Stop!” I yelled. My voice was loud and shaky.Rowan froze mid-motion. His eyes flicked to me, confused. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. “Katherine…?” he started, his voice low, warning-like.“I said stop!” I shouted again, my chest heaving. “You’re not hitting him. I’ll handle it. Go get the car ready, now!”Rowan frowned. His jaw tightened. I could see the anger in his eyes, but also the hesitation. Finally, after a long pause, he muttered, “Be careful.”I nodded quickly and turned to Alex. He was sitting there, looking terrified, hair messy, eyes wide. He was muttering nonsense, words I couldn’t even understand. It was frustrating. “Come on,” I whispered,

LyraKael didn’t move when I leaned closer to him. His hands stayed at my waist, firm but careful, like he was holding himself back on purpose. I could feel it in his body, the restraint, the hesitation, the way his breathing changed even though he was trying to stay calm.“Lyra,” he said quietly, “think about this.”I didn’t answer him with words. I shifted my position and climbed onto his lap, straddling him slowly, deliberately. His hands tightened instantly, instinct taking over before he could stop himself.“I have thought about it,” I said. “Enough times.”He looked up at me, his jaw tense, his eyes dark. “You’re angry. You’re reacting. I don’t want you doing something you’ll regret.”“I won’t,” I said. “I know exactly what I want.”I moved against him, slow at first, just enough to feel the reaction I knew I’d get. His breath caught, his head falling back slightly as a low sound left his throat before he could stop it.“Lyra,” he warned.I leaned down, my hands braced on his ch

Chapter 53KaelI didn’t know how long I sat there after she left.The room felt too small, the walls too close, my chest tight like something was sitting on it. My wolf paced inside me, restless, angry, confused. I kept seeing her face, the way she looked at me like I meant nothing, the way she smiled for him.I stood up suddenly, my chair scraping against the floor. My hands were shaking. I grabbed the nearest thing on the table, a ceramic vase, heavy and smooth, and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall, pieces exploding everywhere.“Damn it!” I shouted.My breathing was uneven. I dragged my hands through my hair and turned away, trying to calm myself, trying not to lose it completely. That was when the door opened.I spun around fast, my anger flaring again, ready to scream at whoever thought it was a good idea to come in now.Lyra stood in the doorway.My chest burned.“Get out,” I snapped, my voice rough. “I’m not in the mood for this. If you came to laugh at

LYRAKael froze, staring at me. I was on Lucian’s lap. I was kissing him. Right there. Right in front of him. His chest tightened, his hands trembling. He couldn’t breathe properly.“Lyra!” he yelled, stepping forward, voice shaking, almost breaking, “Get off him, now!”I turned my head slowly and looked at him like he wasn’t even there. I leaned back into Lucian and kissed him again, smiling softly, like it was nothing.Kael’s face went red. He looked like he was about to explode. “Lyra! Stop this! You… you can’t… you can’t just—”I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Can’t what, Kael? Can’t like him? Can’t choose him? Are you serious?”Lucian chuckled, his hand moving over my back, holding me tighter. “She likes it, Kael,” he said, his tone calm, almost teasing. “She’s mine.”Kael gritted his teeth, his fists curling. “No, she’s… she’s not! Lyra, say something. Please, just—”I finally slid off Lucian’s lap, facing Kael. I looked him straight in the eyes. “I’m done,” I said, voice flat, ca

KAELI couldn’t believe what just happened. My hand was still tingling from her slap. My face burned. My ears were ringing. Lyra… she just slapped me. Hard. And she didn’t even look sorry. Not even a tiny bit. She just… looked at me with those big eyes and said, “Stop acting like you’re my boss.”My brain froze. I blinked a couple of times, trying to understand. Wait… what? “What just happened?” I muttered to myself. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. She wasn’t apologetic. She wasn’t shy. She wasn’t even scared. She just… walked away. Walked away with Lucian.I felt my stomach drop. My heart twisted. My hands went to my face, and I rubbed my temples. How could this happen? How could she…? She despises Lucian. She hates him. She’s always hated him. She never wanted him anywhere near her. And she loves me. She loves me.And now… now she’s walking away with him. Smiling. Laughing. I could feel it, in my gut. Something happened. Something Lucian did. Some spell,

LYRAI didn’t let Kael go. Not even for a moment.I stayed glued to him like if I loosened my grip, everything would fall apart. My arms were wrapped around him as he moved around the room, and I followed him everywhere like a shadow. If he stopped, I stopped. If he turned, I turned with him.Kael noticed, of course. “You know you’re attached to me like a pup, right?” he said softly, glancing down at me.“I don’t care,” I replied without hesitation. “Don’t tell me to let go.”He didn’t. That was the strange part.He only smiled and continued whatever he was doing, like having me stuck to him was the most natural thing in the world. And somehow, that made my chest feel warm.We ended up in the training room not long after. The place was quiet, empty, and smelled faintly of sweat and iron. The air felt thick, but safe. Kael rolled his shoulders like he was preparing himself.I tightened my hold around his waist.“You’re really not leaving me today, huh?” he asked.“No,” I said simply.S

LYRAMy heart raced. I waited, anticipation killing me. He dropped his glass and released a sigh. I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath all this while until Kael put his hands on mine. My chest heaved slowly. My breath slowly comes back to normal. He continued, “I didn't expect this. But it came all of a sudden and I feel so happy to share this good news with all of you.”He smiled, his gaze not leaving mine. I didn't know why but there was something weird about how he looked at me. It was only for a split second— but I noticed.The way his lips curled, reaching his eyes and smile widened with each word that slipped out of his mouth. “Many of you are aware of the things circulating around in the pack and I'd like to address them.”I rolled my eyes hard. This was going nowhere and I didn't care for the announcement he had to say. The only thing that went through my head was getting out of here as soon as possible. But I couldn't until this banquet was over. Until he had said

LIAMThe argument was already ugly when the rogue leader stopped talking.One second he was shouting about payment, the next he went still, then he bowed, slow and deliberate, his head lowered toward us like the matter had suddenly resolved itself. It made no sense and it put me on edge immediately.Before I could demand an explanation, he straightened and turned his gaze to Ronan.“You allowed this,” the rogue said calmly, “you stood there and let your brother insult us.”I followed his look and felt my temper spike. Ronan’s expression was closed, unreadable, the same look he wore whenever he decided to hide something.“What are you doing,” I snapped, turning on him, “why are you siding with them.”“I’m not,” Ronan said, his tone sharp now, “I was trying to keep things from escalating.”“They were threatening us,” I shot back, “and you stood there like it was nothing.”Ronan stepped closer. “You don’t understand how these people work.”“No,” I said, “what I don’t understand is why yo

Chapter 72CORAFor a long moment, nothing happened.The carriage stayed still, the air heavy, and my heart thudded so loudly I was sure Cade could hear it even in his state. I held my breath, waiting for shouting, for hands to tear the door open, for the worst thing I could imagine to finally happen.Then I leaned forward and looked out.The fortress stood in the distance.It wasn’t close enough to touch, but it was there, solid and real, its dark outline cutting through the trees. Relief rushed through me so fast my knees almost gave out.Liam’s voice carried from outside. “You can leave now.”I pushed the door open and climbed down before anyone could stop me. The ground felt unsteady under my feet, but I straightened and faced the rogues.“Thank you,” I said, forcing the words out clearly, “you helped us when we needed it.”The rogue leader tilted his head. “That help wasn’t free.”Liam stepped forward at once. “You were given an honor,” he said, his tone cold, “assisting Alphas i

CORAI wiped Cade’s forehead with the wet linen and pressed it gently to his skin again, he was burning up, the heat seeping into my palms no matter how often I rinsed the cloth. His breathing stayed shallow but steady, and every rise of his chest eased something tight inside me.I smiled despite myself, thinking back to how he’d woken up on the road, or how we thought we’d woken him. I still didn’t know if it was the holding of hands or the things we said about him, or if his body had simply decided to fight its way back, but part of me wanted to believe the words mattered. I wanted to believe he heard us.Ronan sat across from me, close enough that our knees nearly touched, but he might as well have been somewhere else. He didn’t look at Cade, didn’t look at me, his attention fixed on the open side of the carriage, his shoulders tense like he was waiting for something to go wrong.The wheels creaked as we moved, the path uneven, the night thick around us.“Liam,” I called, leaning f

CORACade still wasn’t breathing.I sat on the floor of the second carriage with his head in my lap, my hands pressed uselessly against his chest, waiting for movement that didn’t come. The carriage rattled as the horses pushed hard down the forest path, every jolt making his body shift slightly, every second stretching too long.Liam rode close, one hand gripping the side of the carriage, the other steadying Cade’s shoulder whenever the wheels hit uneven ground. Ronan rode ahead, silent, his posture stiff, eyes fixed forward like none of this concerned him.“He’ll breathe,” Liam said, his voice low but firm, “when the curse forces a shift like that, their hearts stop for a short time.”I shook my head. “This is longer.”Liam didn’t answer immediately.I looked up at him and saw it then, the tightness around his eyes, the way his jaw stayed locked even as he spoke, he was afraid too, he just wouldn’t say it.Ronan shifted in his seat, reins snapping lightly. “We’re wasting time,” he s

CORAI came back to myself with pain first, sharp and everywhere at once, my head rang and my shoulder burned when I tried to move, the smell of splintered wood and blood filled my nose, and when I opened my eyes, all I saw was wreckage.The carriage lay on its side a few feet away, one wheel torn clean off, the roof crushed inward, the horses were gone, the road torn up like something heavy had dragged itself across it.“Cora,” Liam’s voice cut through the noise in my head.He was already beside me, kneeling, his hands careful as he checked my arms and legs. “Can you move.”“I think so,” I said, even though my vision swam when I tried to sit up.He helped me slowly, his jaw tight, his eyes scanning the trees every few seconds. My ankle screamed when I put weight on it, and I grabbed his arm to steady myself.“I’m fine,” I said quickly, even though it was a lie.A scream ripped through the air before he could argue.I turned toward the sound just as a massive wolf burst from the trees

CORAThe bond pulled me down the west corridor, then deeper into the older part of the castle where fewer people passed through, it tightened the closer I got, steady and insistent, until it stopped me in front of a door guarded by a man I didn’t recognize.“You can’t go in there,” he said, stepping in front of me.“I need to,” I replied, keeping my voice even.He shook his head. “Private quarters.”Before I could argue, another guard appeared at the far end of the hall and called his name, urgently. The man hesitated, glanced back at me once, then turned and jogged away.I didn’t wait.I slipped inside and closed the door quietly behind me.The room looked like a guest chamber at first, neat, unused, a bed made too perfectly, a desk without dust, nothing personal, and then the bond tugged again, not forward but sideways.I followed it to the wall.One bookshelf sat slightly apart from the rest, the edge scraped, the floor beneath it marked from repeated movement. I pushed, and it shi