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The Prisoner

Penulis: Bella Moondragon
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-01 22:08:52

Kael

Raw gems make the obsidian walls glitter all around the meek, pale, mentally exhausted young woman loosely chained to a bed in the normally empty infirmary. A dragon shifter–a female–in a tidy black uniform and creamy white cloak moves around her, swiping another layer of thick, scentless salve made of crushed diamonds on Annabel’s arms and legs, healing the injuries she sustained in battle against the vines.

I hadn’t noticed her injuries before. Not her hands, which were so raw they’re now bright red as fresh, new skin develops. Not the lacerations and blisters along her calves that are healing in real time.

She’d fought, but for what? Her own life? The life of her princess, which she hasn’t said a word about in the hour she’s spent in Ryker’s company? That’s what he just told me in the hallway, his normally stern, unfazed disposition wore thin, like he’d just been through battle.

I pull up a chair beside the bed and stare at the girl who refuses to meet my eyes. Ryker leans
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  • Beauty and the Alpha Beast   The Friends in the Village

    *Roxy*The trees thin just as the sky begins to blush with morning light. I blink against the golden haze spilling through the forest, and then suddenly, it’s there.Moon River Village.Nestled between two hills, it’s the most peaceful, beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Neat rows of cottages with moss-covered roofs and flower boxes line the winding paths. Smoke puffs lazily from the stone chimneys, and a gentle stream winds through the heart of it all, sparkling in the dawn.Everything about it feels right, like I’ve been waiting for this place my whole life.I slow without realizing it, taking in the scene. It’s nothing like the cold stone tower I came from. The village feels warm and alive. Quilts hang from open windows, chickens peck along a garden path, and somewhere nearby, someone is singing.The three wolves who escorted us, sleek and graceful, each of them beautiful in their own wild way, pad a few steps ahead of me and Leo. Their fur glows gold in the morning sun as they come t

  • Beauty and the Alpha Beast   The Magic in the Hair

    *Leo*I limp back toward the campfire, one paw dragging slightly with each step. Blood drips from my shoulder, hot and sticky against my fur. The clearing smells like blood—mine and theirs.Behind me, Roxy’s footsteps crunch softly through the underbrush. I stop near our satchels and glance over my shoulder. She’s watching me, her lips parted, worry painted across her face.“Roxy,” I say through the mind-link, pushing the words gently in her direction. “Turn around so I can shift.”I don’t know if it’ll work. She’s not from my pack. But still, without hesitation, she turns. She heard me, but it shouldn’t be possible. The connection shouldn’t be there, unless….I don’t let myself follow the thought. Not now.I shift.Bones snap. The pain in my shoulder intensifies for one white-hot second, and then I’m kneeling in the grass, naked, blood running freely down my arm. My body hums with exhaustion and adrenaline. My hands shake as I reach for my clothes. Behind me, Roxy doesn’t move. Doe

  • Beauty and the Alpha Beast   The Baby in the Legend

    *Roxy*The fire casts soft amber light on Leo’s face. We sit shoulder to shoulder in the clearing, the stars like scattered silver dust overhead. Everything smells like trees, smoke, and earth, and it feels peaceful. I hug my knees to my chest and tip my head back to stare at the sky. “Today really was the best day of my life.”Leo glances at me, his brow lifted slightly, amused. “Is that so? It started off a little rough.” I laugh. “Other than how I woke you up, of course. I ran barefoot through a meadow with a beautiful wolf, ate trail jerky in the moonlight, and got to see the whole, big sky.” I smile softly. “For someone who’s spent her entire life behind stone walls, that’s… magical.”He chuckles, low and warm. “Well, I’m honored to have spent it with you. And I suppose… it wasn’t too terrible for me either.”I nudge him with my elbow, and he grins. But the laughter fades from my lips as a heavier thought returns—the one that’s been sitting in the back of my mind all day. “Leo

  • Beauty and the Alpha Beast   The Meadow in the Woods

    *Leo*The scream cuts through my sleep like a blade.I jolt upright on the floor, my heart pounding, my muscles coiled before I’m even fully awake. For a split second, I don’t know where I am, but then I hear her again.“Roxy!”She’s on the bed, thrashing beneath the blanket, her hands clenched into fists, and her face contorted in pain. Her nightgown is damp with sweat, her hair plastered to her forehead. Her eyes are open but unfocused, wild with terror.Another scream tears from her throat, high and raw.I scramble to my feet, but I don’t rush her. If I move too fast, I’ll scare her even more, and I can’t have anyone in this inn thinking I’m the cause of her screaming.“Roxy,” I say gently, keeping my voice low and calm. “You’re all right. I’m here.”She doesn’t hear me. She’s panting, gripping the sheets like they’re the only thing keeping her tethered to the earth. She kicks her legs sharply, and for a moment her eyes flash golden, bright and burning.Her wolf is surfacing.It’s

  • Beauty and the Alpha Beast   The Room in the Inn

    *Roxy*The stone walls press in colder than usual tonight, though the fire crackles in the hearth, and the candles still burn steady and bright. I stand at the window, my eyes fixed on the treeline, willing Leo to return like he said he would. Moonlight spills across the woods, painting everything in silver, and I search the shadows, my heart tight with hope.He said he’d come back tonight. He promised, like it was something sacred. And part of me, against all reason, believes him.But the other part? The one that’s lived in this tower for nearly twenty-one years? That part keeps whispering that I’ll never see him again. That he’s like every other dream I’ve dared to have: beautiful, and yet, always impossible.He said I was a wolf. A shifter, like him.The word still sits strange on my tongue. It sounds like a story, something from Mother’s bedtime tales, not something real. Could it be true? Could I really be one of them? It doesn’t feel true. I’ve never shifted. Never even felt a

  • Beauty and the Alpha Beast   The Pup in the Legend

    *Leo*The forest rushes past in shades of green, the sunlight cutting through the canopy in slivers. My paws drum the ground in a steady rhythm, swift, sure, and quiet. Every inch of me hums with strength and purpose, but my thoughts drift, caught somewhere between instincts and wonder.Roxy.Her name tugs at me like a thorn caught in my fur. I didn’t expect to meet her. Not in a place like that, and not tucked away in some forgotten tower like a magic spell gone sideways. I sure as hell didn’t expect to care, but I do.I slow my pace near a small hollow, circling once, then drop to the ground and roll deep in the grass, twisting until the scent of earth and moss clings to my coat. I leave it thick, pungent—mine. A breadcrumb trail of crushed grass, scent, fur, and wild magic. I don’t want to forget how to get back. I can’t forget.Her scent is still in my nose—lavender, woodsmoke, fear, and something else. Something old and unclaimed. The kind of scent that changes when a young shift

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