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CHAPTER 50: THE RISE OF AZURE
Huling Na-update:
2025-02-26 14:21:26
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CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 51: DEFIANCE
AZUREThe calmness of Hades' halls contrasted with the storm that was building within me. Selene's death was an unavoidable consequence of her ambitions and insolence, which were ultimately more of a hindrance than a benefit. But now there were additional issues. Black obsidian reflected dimly the flickering light of the surrounding torches as I sat on my throne, their long flames licking dark shadows across the room. Before me, a servant stumbled forward and dropped to his knees. "Master," he said, "the preparations for the next phase are complete." I waved him off, not really paying attention. I had more important things to think about. Subjugation was not enough for my purposes; blind, unflinching fealty was also necessary. And one individual had not yet succumbed. Aaron was the one who had not yet fallen in line. He had been a loose thread for too long. His disobedience was getting on my nerves, and Selene had neglected to monitor him. She was, after all, his birth mother; hence,
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-26CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 52: SHADOWS FROM THE PAST
RYANThe weight on my chest was only reduced by the morning light pouring through the council chamber's tall windows. Hailey sat beside me; she looked little, serene, and reassuring, yet it was clear that she harboured an invisible storm that was just as fierce as mine. An older wolf named Calder sent for us because he had found information regarding Isaiah's history. Although I don't believe rumours, I could tell this one was serious by the time Calder approached us because he looked worried. I said, "Calder, tell us everything," a bit harsher than I intended them to be. The senior gave the nod with him before focussing on me; his gaze flitted to Hailey. "It's about Isaiah… and Selene." Hailey paused her hand on the armrest. Selene? What about her? Calder paused, and for an instant, I feared he might not say anything. Then he inhaled deeply and started. Calder murmured, the realisation weighing heavily on his voice, "Isaiah and Selene were mates." Hailey narrowed her eyes and tensed
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-27CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 53: SHADOWS OF DECEPTION
AARONI was on the edge of the woods, looking into the darkness, and the icy wind was nipping at my skin. Azure was hanging over all of it, trying to rule over all of it, and my dad was alive. All that had occurred in the past couple of days was all relived in my head like a broken record. Isaiah was a human being. My dad. My heart mourned hearing the epiphany. Selene had lied to me all these years, telling tales of a father who had left us and abandoned me to fight in this despicable and unforgiving world alone. But things were much uglier than that: my father withdrew to himself and struggled, no worse than Selene. I curled my fist up, hard as I dug nails into the palms of my hands. His peaceful, half-formed justification stoked the flames within me up the chimney even after speaking to him previously. Azure's plea for duty now towered above me like the weight of these choices. Isaiah had mentioned that he would like to speak with me once more. Part of me longed to shut him out, to
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-27CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 54: DESTINED BY FATE
LYNAAs I emerged from the darkness and entered the fading light of the street lamps, a subtle yet distinct odour of human blood permeated the air. The small human town had always been a very nice hunting area, but I had long ago sworn off hunting for sport. Since I had spent so many years living in self-control and just taking what I needed to survive, no one would ever know what was hiding in the shadows. But tonight I felt restless, like I had an itch I couldn't get rid of. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was changing. My keen senses detected a figure travelling in the other direction as I turned a corner. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and exuded a commanding aura. He was a wolf. His scent was distinct, earthy and sharp, mixed with something darker—something that spoke of power and turmoil. Time seemed to stop for a moment, and I cocked my head to one side, curious. "I might ask you that." He said in a low, gravelly voice as if he weren't used to speaking softl
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-28CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 55: WHISPERS OF THE STORM
HAILEYA flurry of murmur filled the council room as voices were raised in contentious discussion. Around the large round table sat the representatives of the various species, including wolves, vampires, witches, and even fae, their expressions displaying a mixture of bullheadedness and fear. I sat at the top, my status as queen cemented by our tense alliances. "Enough," I yelled, my voice piercing the tense atmosphere like a blade. All eyes turned to me, and suddenly there was silence. "There will never be a solution with this squabbling. We are up against more dangers than we have ever encountered. We shall all fall if we do not stand together. Representative of the Fae leaned forward, his golden eyes gleaming. If I may speak freelý, Your Majesty, given that wolves like Thomas continue to roam free and create division, how can we have faith in these alliances? Unease shook the room as Thomas was brought up. In an attempt to avoid taking the bait and defending my type, I clenched my
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-28CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 56: WISDOM IN THE SHADOWS
HAILEY With the moonlight pouring in through the big windows and casting a gentle, silvery glow over the room, I sat cross-legged in my own space. My attention was focused inward, yet my reflection was caught in the shimmering elaborate mirror on the distant wall. I sought deep inside for Amenia, my wolf, the presence that has been my guiding light, my constant companion, and also my fiercest critic. "Amenia," I close my eyes. "I need you." The air became warmer and more energetic. The image of a great wolf came into clarity in her mind's eye: its impressive rich silver fur and its piercing gold eyes. I have been so stressed out lately with no time to relax or reflect on anything. The air became warmer, throbbing with vitality. The image of a great wolf flashed into focus in her mind's eye: the eyes of piercing gold, the gorgeous fur of deep silver. I feel both light and relieved as Amenia padded forward and appeared as a shadow before me, immediately enveloping me in her presence
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 57: HEALING MOON
LOGANMy mind was anything but calm, even if the moonlight streaming through the treetops overhead was serene. The woodland that loomed at the perimeter of our grounds caught my attention as I stood at the edge of the pack's area. The nocturnal sounds seemed so far as the trees gently swayed and arched in the fresh breeze. Marissa's unpredictable nature, witty remarks, and the fact that she had put everything on the line to save Alexia and the triplets consumed my thoughts. Trying to reconcile the villain I once thought she was with the woman she'd be as my mate. I had been trying to understand her for days. Her gaze was filled with love rather than merely protectiveness towards Alexia. It was full of love. I had never anticipated someone like Marissa to show the kind of affection I had assumed was only for partners or family. She was teaching my young daughter how to weave flowers into crowns when I discovered her in the garden with Alexia that day. Marissa struggled with a particul
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 58: THE CHAINS OF FATE
AARONThere was tension in the evening air as I paced the boundary of the estate. The bitter refrain of Lyna's beautiful rejection resonated in my head, each note driving a knife deeper into my chest. To deny someone who was as much a part of me as my soul was something I was not used to. I was ice, and she was fire; an incomprehensible chemistry that was bound to crash. I was drawn by the soft sound of rustling leaves as I turned to gaze at the house. Years of experience and intuition had sharpened my senses, and I detected the faint presence of something that didn't belong. Vampires. They were royal guards, not vampires. I had not anticipated her kind to react so quickly, but she had warned me that they would not appreciate my tenacity. As I walked into the forest and vanished into the darkness, my heart pounded. With cloaks glimmering like midnight spectres in the moonlight, the guards appeared. They walked with an authoritative stride, their eyes scanning the horizon. He called ou
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-03
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CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 196: INFILTRATION
AUDACUS The moment I stepped through the massive glass doors of Kings Enterprises, the atmosphere shifted. Clean, polished, professional—exactly how humans liked to present their tiny empires. It was nearly funny. The whole building reeked of ambition, desperation, and carefully hidden fear. It smelled like opportunity.I adjusted the mortal guise I was wearing: well-pressed suit, comfortable leather loafers, and a pair of glasses perched low on the bridge of my nose. The perfect image of a struggling investor who'd at last been able to scrounge up sufficient capital to swim with the sharks. Beneath, I smiled. They had no idea.The receptionist greeted me with that rehearsed corporate warmth. "Welcome to Kings Enterprises, Mr.?""Addison," I supplied the alias with ease. "Jon Addison. I'm here to see your investment representative. I'm interested in purchasing direct stock."Her fingers flew across the keyboard, and within a second she nodded. "Right this way, Mr. Addison."It all pr
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 195: LOOMING WAR
RAY The night was mine. The odor of war clung heavy to the atmosphere, and the promise of approaching chaos made my skin crawl, bones moving just below as I stretched through all my shapes. Tonight the game was set, and I, Ray, his most trusted one, had the honor of delivering the king's new scheme. Audacus loomed over us, demonically serene, every inch of him a vision of lethal refinement. That voice, so smooth but colder than winter's cold, was a force no sane man would want to challenge. "Keep them busy," he instructed us, fingers lazily spinning a glass of dark wine as if this plan wasn't going to break the world. "Isolate Hailey and Ryan at all costs. The two of them together are trouble. Alone, they fall apart." A vicious grin crept gradually across my lips. Simple in appearance. Deadly in purpose. "What about the others?" I asked, masking my enthusiasm with polite calmness. Audacus's golden eyes flashed to mine, as cutting as a knife. "The triplets are strong, but unripe. D
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 194: CHAOS
AUDACUS The council chamber stank of old magic and old pride. It clung to the stones, bleeding into the mortar like the blood of all fools who'd ever sat upon high thrones and imagined that they were invulnerable. I was in the center, hands clasped behind my back, the gravity of a century measured in the loose bend of my shoulders. Ten wizard elders stood around me, faces etched with lines made of centuries, eyes filmed over by complacency. The robes flowed over the marble floor as they shifted to stand nearer, as if attitude itself might distort fate in their direction. "Audacus," the oldest, Master Callum, said, his voice husky with a challenge never breached in all his years. "Your arrogance does not belong here. You are not welcome." A smile flared at the edge of my lips. "Arrogance is the right of the already triumphant. You just haven't quite caught up with reality." Whispers circulated around the circle, soft, trembling shivers from tired old gods in mortal flesh. I could
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 193: AUDACUS
AUDACUS Been out again in the mortal world feels so surreal but good, it's been so long, too long really but the night tasted sweet. Sweeter than a vow. More bitter than deceit. I stood beneath the crooked arm of a dying oak, one hand leather-gloved, the other bare, tracing my finger along the cold curve of my ring. The dark stone pulsed softly beneath my fingers, full of the quiet, slow hunger I always kept just beneath my skin. The world was still tonight. Even the wind had enough sense to whisper not when I heard it. I could sense the earth beneath my feet, the shift of shadow as it crawled towards me, drawn like a moth battering itself around its own funeral place. The shifter was late. It was always so with beasts bound by fear and not by love. Still, I was impressed by its cunning. Its guile. The art of slinking in and out of hides like leaves from a book. Finally, the beast emerged out of the woods. A distorted shape, wrapped in the stolen form of a man — the fifth, I thi
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 192: HE'S COMING
LOGAN The air reeked of blood, pungent enough to slice through bone-deep exhaustion. I arrived too late for the battle, but just in time for the cleanup. Marissa stood with her arm raised over the shape-shifter's deformed body, which collapsed at her feet like a crumpled flower. Its body shook as if even death would not claim it cleanly. Her sword dripped with black, noxious ichor. I'd wanted to feel proud — darn it, I was proud — but my wolf howled inside my chest walls, screaming for vengeance. "Are you alright?" I pressed forward, ready to catch her if her legs gave out under her. Marissa cleaned the knife on her hand, jutting chin as if the fighter I knew her to be was finally free of that cage she'd been holding herself in. "It won't be the last." That solitary stark truth weighed between us like a boulder. "Not if I have any say in it," I growled. And I meant every damn word. ISAIAH The scent of smoke still hung in the air, seeping into the stone walls like an unwelcom
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 191: MOTHER'S CHOICES
TURTELA The castle had never been this still, not really. Even at midnight, its old bones vibrated with the thrum of wards and remembrances. But tonight, after the fight, after blood and smoke, the stillness was oppressive as ever. It lay on my chest like a heavy hand, smothering the wolf inside me who trotted in ceaseless circles, anxious and watchful. I should have stayed in my own chambers. Should have soothed myself with a hot bath or the echoing sound of dad's voice up and down the halls. Instead, my own feet led me out, past the marble pillars, to the garden where everything was bathed in moonlight. And she was there. Serenia. Sitting on the stone bench like it was her own, as if she had burst forth from the earth itself, dark hair falling like silk down her back. She was so still that I almost mistook her for another statue, some forgotten relic the old kings had left. I did not sneak up on her. I wanted her to hear me coming. I wanted her to know that I was not afraid.
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 190: A DAUGHTER'S VERDICT
ISAIAH The moment Hailey's call brushed my thoughts, I felt it — the shift in the air. There was no desperation in her tone, no panic, but resolve. And that scared me more than any battlefield ever managed. I arrived in the courtyard as the moon carved silver wounds in the stone. My steps faltered as my gaze met hers. Serenia. The last time I'd ever seen her was under other skies — when I'd lost all hope of having a mate. When fate woke me up, I'd never expected that she would be bound to me again, or in this manner. She was now by Hailey's side. Not as an enemy. Not even as a stranger. Her eyes settled on me, hard and unflickering. "You came," she said. I cleared my throat, finding my balance. "Your mother summoned me." Her lips curled into a semblance of laughter, but there was no warmth behind it. "Oh, naturally she would. Always the Queen, always the commander." I started to open my mouth in defense of Hailey — habit — but Serenia raised a hand, stopping me. Her voice so
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 189: CREDIBLE ALLIANCE?
HAILEY The moon hung low in the heavens, casting a silver glow across the courtyard. The air was thick with anticipation, a silence that reeked of danger waiting to happen. I stood alone, senses heightened, muscles bunched and prepared to move. I was startled by a sudden stir within the shadows. A figure emerged, veiled in the shadows, moving with lethal grace. I recognized her immediately—Serenia, daughter of Lilith. She was a storm, her eyes burning with a mix of rage and grief. She attacked silently, her sword flashing towards me. I parried, the sound of steel on steel ringing out like a thunderclap. Our battle was a dance of fire and ice, each strike a question, each parry an answer. "Why?" I shouted, our blades intertwined. "Why attack me?" Her eyes twitched, agony clouding her features. "Because he wants you," she snarled. "The Serpent King wants you, and I need to know why." Comprehension dawned. This wasn't a straight-up attack—it was a test, a desperate search for inform
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 188: SERENIA
LILITH The mortal realm was a mess of senses—colors too bright, scents too acrid, voices too jarring. And yet I walked through it as if I was born to rule it. Perhaps I was. Smoke wreathed my robes, curling around my ankles like living vines. I let it. Let them look at me. Let them fear. I had but one objective. Serenia. My daughter. Foolish, sentimental kid that she'd been, she'd followed the Serpent King into this world, bound by some romantic fantasy. And now she was lost. Hidden. Maybe in danger. And that. would not do. The trail led me to a crooked little hut that cowered beneath trees that recoiled from me. Magic lingered at its edges—thin, muddled spells that reeked of deceit. I passed through the wards like silk through a blade. She was inside, pale as ashes, a witch not a hundred years old. Her eyes widened. She knew me. "Lilith," she whispered. "I'm looking for my daughter," I said to her calmly. "Her name is Serenia. She passed this way." The witch shook her head.
