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CHAPTER 80: VISIONS AND SACRIFICES
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2025-03-10 13:27:04
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CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 81: THE BIRTH OF TURTELA
HAILEYThe storm had been brewing all day. The prospect of rain weighed down the dark clouds that swept across the sky. In the distance, thunder roared, a low, menacing warning that made my skin crawl. As the first fat drops of rain splashed against the glass, I watched from the window of our packhouse chamber. I couldn't tell if the strain in the air was due to the storm or the child I was carrying. All day, I had been experiencing an uneasy stomach discomfort that came and went, hinting at something more serious. I tried to calm the restless energy inside my tummy by placing a hand on my very advanced pregnancy. Ryan came in. With a worried and frustrated look on his face, Ryan walked into the room. He said, "You should be lying down, Hailey," in a strong yet worried tone. A tiny smile tugged at my lips as I turned to face him. "I'm all right, Ryan. It's only a storm. As a result, the baby is restless. We had decided to be surprised at birth hence we never had a scan or let our wolv
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-11CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 82: END OF THOMAS
LOGANThe smell of pine and damp earth filled the forest, but underneath it was a more delectable aromaโThomas. It pulled me deeper into the woods and was subtle but distinct, a mixture of rotting leaves and bitter smoke. My chest constricted with each step, anger seething just beneath the surface. Thomas had gone too far. His cowardice knew no bounds when he attacked Marissa, helpless and battered. This was a matter of justice, not vengeance. My wolf snarled in anger in my head in a gravelly voice. We'll get him to pay. Slowly. When I considered what Thomas had done to Marissa, my claws extended reflexively. She did have strength, but even strength could only go so far.Tonight, I would allow my anger to blaze like a wild fire.As the smell became more potent, I slowed, my senses becoming more acute. The moonlight struggled to penetrate the thick canopy overhead, casting shadows that crept across the forest floor. The stillness made me edgy, and it was very still. And that was when I
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-11CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 83: BOND UNVEILED
ADRIANThe forest around the packhouse was golden with tendrils of sunset light warming the trees. My mind swirled as did the mist rolling off the earth when I stood on the edge of the meadow. Hailey called me to tell me that tensions with Azure were growing. Despite so much fear all over, tonight's looming fight did not disturb me in any way. Turtela was the kid. Something impossibly awakened inside of me the second I laid eyes on her. I'd attributed it at first to my own instinct of caring for Hailey and her family. This was not, however, like the others. This was a pang, a tug, a connection that had nothing to do with reason. I shook my head and muttered to myself softly, "She's just a child." My footsteps clacked against the gleaming oak floors as I entered the packhouse. With a weary smile, Hailey welcomed me, her hand instinctively resting on her vast belly. "Adrian," she said warmly. "I'm glad you came." I nodded, maintaining a neutral face. "My queen, always. What's new?"The
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-12CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 84: SHADOWS OF FURY
AZURELike living beings, the shadows coiled around me, their whispers a never-ending symphony of promises and mayhem. I was standing in my fortress's great hall, a place built out of gloom and hopelessness. The flames lining the walls flickered with an unearthly green flame, and the air was thick with the stink of death. I had established my dominion here, a stronghold of power and terror. I was dreaded by both my allies and my adversaries. That was the situation. But I couldn't ignore the whispering in the shadows today. The chamber's doors flew open, and a person staggered in, his face and body shaking profusely and a pallid face. It was a wolf, one of my lower-level lieutenants, whose allegiance I had never doubted until now. He smelt of failure and panic, two things I hated. He knelt down and said, "My lord," his voice trembling. "I bring news." With icy, dark light shining in my eyes, I remained motionless on my throne. "Speak," I said, my voice piercing the atmosphere like a ra
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-12CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 85: LYNA'S RESILIENCE
LYNANerves frazzled, I paced back and forth in our little clearing while the sunshine seeped through the forest's dense canopy. Even the beauty of nature couldn't calm the storm that was building inside of me, even though the air was filled with the fresh smell of earth and pine. Hours had passed since Aaron left, and even though I trusted his judgement and strength, my chest constricted with anxiety. Aurora, our baby, was curled up in my arms, her small face a serene counterpoint to my own chaos. Being a vampire, I had thought I was immune to the dread of this magnitude, but motherhood had changed me. I was transformed by Aurora. I had never had a relationship like the one I had with her; it was stronger than blood and went beyond the immortal. "Why do you always pace when you're anxious?" My thoughts were interrupted by Aaron's words, and I looked back to see him enter the clearing with his dark hair blown slightly. I hurried over to him, feeling a wave of relief. I said, "You took
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-13CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 86: ISAIAH'S VISION
ISAIAH There was a heavy quiet to the night, the kind that filled your lungs with uneasiness and pressed against your chest. I was standing in the tiny space I had made my own in the packhouse, with the walls covered in antiquated manuscripts and artefacts I had brought with me throughout my many years of wandering. Though it was always there, the weight of my history felt particularly heavy tonight. Each vision had been more urgent than the last, and they had begun occurring more regularly. The flashes of a future so unclear that it felt like attempting to capture smoke with bare hands were pieces. The air was different tonight, though. I sensed that it was building like a storm that was about to hit. As I concentrated on my breathing, I sat cross-legged on the floor with my hands on my knees. Except for the slight crackle of the fire on the hearth, the room was quiet. I let my eyes close and allowed the earth's energies to ground me. It was like a tidal surge of vision. The planet
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-13CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 87: PAST SHADOWS
AZURE The torches' unsteady flames caused the shadows in my chamber to dance, creating lengthy, menacing figures on the stone walls. The smell of ancient power and burning sage filled the air, a mixture that lived on treachery and secrets. A smirk tugged at the edges of my lips as I sat on my obsidian throne. Everything was coming together, and the mayhem I wanted to unleash will soon blossom into reality. As usual, my adversaries had misjudged me, but this time, I was armed with a weapon that was far more lethal than any army: the truth. "Bring him in," I said, my voice cutting like a razor through the quiet. Two of my shadow guards dragged a body into the room as the huge iron doors cracked open. In a pitiful attempt at bravado, the man held his chin high despite his pale complexion and big, terrified eyes. "Ah, Xavier," I said, bending forward to welcome him. "Youโve served your purpose well, havenโt you?" My source, a renegade wolf named Xavier, shuddered. "Please, my lord, Iโ" I
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-14CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 88: COUNCIL'S ULTIMATUM
HAILEY The council hall was thick with tension. I stood at the room's center, which seemed to press in on me with its high-stone walls and carvings of old wolves. The councilors sat in a half-circle, their eyes sharp and merciless. Amenia's roar echoed soundlessly inside my head as my fingers danced at my sides. Do they have the nerve to call us thus? I grumbled under my breath, "I don't like it either." My gaze ran over the faces before me: elders who spoke for packs from all over the realm, all of them said to be impartial and clever. But their impartiality seemed questionable at best today. Elder Aldric began to speak, "Queen Hailey," his voice as cold and smooth as a diamond. "You have been summoned to discuss the future of our people. The present dispute with Azure must remain unresolved. I retained my composure by crossing my arms. "If this concerns challenging my decisions or actionsโ" I was interrupted when Elder Mirabel held out her hand. "Your Majesty, this is not a trial.
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2025-03-14
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CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 188: SERENIA
LILITHThe mortal realm was a mess of sensesโcolors 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 edgesโthin, 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. "I cannot
CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 187: QUEEN'S COMMAND
HAILEYThe throne room still smoldered with the ashes of war, the walls whispering with the ghosts of screams and fire. Ash streaked across my cheeks like war paint, my breath calm but flavored with fury. I stood at the room's centerโqueen, mother, warriorโwith blood on my blade and power thrumming beneath my skin."To me," I bellowed, voice ripping through the quiet like thunder. I didn't need to say it twice. Every soul in the castle would hear me. And they would come.Because something else had passed beyond the veil. Something worse.The air reeked. Burnt sugar and spoiled wine. The veil had been pulled taut in our last battle, but now it was torn apartโand something was bleeding through.They came in burstsโRyan first, low and tense, growling, Jaden on his flank. Aaron came in laughing and cautious, half, with Isaiah trailing behind him, haunted. The others came in after meโTurtela shining with moonlight in her eyes, Jackson still fixing his collar like they hadn't just battled a
CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 186: LILITH
ISAIAH The battlefield was chaos wrapped in fire.Ash rained from the skies like the skies themselves wept at what was happening within our sacred halls. The moment the shadow tore itself free from the ceiling, all went awry. Screams, growls, magicโfire erupted across the throne room, fighting jagged ice and howling streams of wind. The wards had held, barely.And yet, above it all, I could hear her.Hailey.Unyielding, authoritative, force of nature. Even when three of the dark minions charged her, she wheeled with dignity tempered by steel and blood. Her swords whirled. One, twoโdown they went.I fought with Ryan and Jaden, our movements choreographed as if fate itself had set us up for this moment. Kael changed in mid-air, scales flashing and wings brushing against the enchanted chandeliers as he dove."Behind you!" Turtela screamed, a beam of moonlight slicing across me.I spun and bisected a snarling shifter, its twisted form coughing up black smoke instead of blood.We were gai
CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 185: SNEAK ATTACK
HAILEYThey believed I wouldn't feel it. That shiver in the wards, a breath taken too soon. A brush against the back of my neck that wasn't mine.They were mistaken.I was at the entrance of the grand palace, the sun filtering through the pillars veined with gold. I'd just returned from a hurried meeting with the village council, hoping to fetch some tea and perhaps berate Ryan for failing to inform me of Isaiah's latest doomsday riddles.And thenโA crack.A ripple.Magic stuttered.I froze.Every one of my instincts screaming to life. I didn't breathe. Didn't blink.The wards had been breached. At the gates.Show yourself," I whispered.A low snarl answered.And then the wind assaulted me.A blurโtoo fast to be an ordinary wolf, too quiet to be a vampire, too frenzied to be anything natural. I dodged just in time as a clawed hand tore through the air where my neck had been. Dust exploded around me as I rolled, my palm slapping against the stone, glyphs searing into the floor.Not t
CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 184: SHIFTER ATTACK
TURTELA The lavender perfume lingered in the halls as I made my way to my room, my bare feet silent on marble floors. Tonight, something felt wrong. The air was too still, the moon too bright, silver light accusingly streaming through each of the high arched windows. My wolf stirred inside me, tense, alert."Turtela."I turned around. Rina, one of the younger maids, stood with a folded bunch of silks clutched in her handsโmy favorite nightgown amongst them. Her smile was too wide, her eyes too wide. Something inside me tightened."Thanks," I said, taking the silks from her. Her fingers brushed against mine. Cold. Too cold.I did not let my unease show. "You okay, Rina?"She blinked. Too late."Of course, my lady. I just. I did not sleep well.""Try tea," I breathed. "Chamomile works wonders."I went into my quarters and closed the door softly. But I did not go in any farther. I listened. Waited. I felt her outside. Breathing. Not leaving.I spun, yanked open the door. She was there.
CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 183: LEAVING
KAELThe air in the Dragon Realm was always a different scentโolder, deeper. It carried the weight of years, of history etched into each passing wind that rushed over the summits. Standing before the Council of Elders, the vast obsidian hall thrummed with energy, the fire pits casting shadows that crawled up old stone."You were born to rule, Kael," Elder Vyrrin stated, her golden eyes piercing me. "You cannot wait any longer."I did not blink. "I did not abandon my people. But I cannot abandon my heart either.""Then take your heart too," Elder Sarthor snarled. "Take her. Let her stand beside you."Their meaning was clear. Aurora.I nodded once. Not to them, but to the journey I knew had been heading towards me.That evening, I stood outside of her quarters within the palace. The moon's light etched her figure as she stared into the heavens, not realizing that I'd crept inside. Gods, how did one like me acquire someone like her?"You're so quiet tonight," she spoke quietly, still sta
CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 182: NEW THREATS
ISAIAH The moment I closed my eyes, the world fell away.Darkness flowed out like ink, covering every edge of my vision until I was left standing in the empty vastness of my own mind. The silence stretched out, unnatural, an empty breath that caused my spine to tremble.Then the vision took hold of me.A shiver ran down my spine as the vision unfolded before me. I saw the gates of our pack thrown open, night wrapping around the entrance like a predator licking its lips. A figure stepped out, wearing the skin of a good friend, but underneath that faceโsomething else. A shifter. One who glided between forms like a whisper between lies.The false skin rippled, tightening over something appalling before smoothing once more, the illusion perfect. He flowed into the pack with ease, weaving through our people, his presence unfelt, his intent hidden.A spy.I tried to stir, to warn them, but the vision drew me deeper. My breath hitched as I was dragged across miles in an instant, drawn into
CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 181: REINFORCEMENT 2
ISAIAHMagic never whispers.Even in the darkness that descends, and the castle settles into restless quiet and the world beyond sleeps, I hear it.A beat that is below my own. A noise that is never silent.Tonight, it screams.I stand among the ashes of what was once Hailey's room, my fingers twitching with stored strength. Shadows curl against the walls, uncoiling like snakes before they disperse into nothingness. The stench of burning lingers, thick and bitter, but there are no flames to consume it.Nothing but ashes.David's ashes.Ryan hugs Hailey tight, his arm firm but not hard. The Queenโour Queenโdoes not fight. She is still, impossibly still, as if the war she fought against herself was ever so much greater than the one that ended in fire and death.I should speak. Speak. Admit what has happened, what has been done. But my lips are dry, and words areโฆ not needed. Everyone present knows. There is no sorrow to be mourned for a man who lived in the shadows, scheming, obsessed,
CLAIMING HAILEY ย ย ย CHAPTER 180: REINFORCEMENT
JERMAINEThere was something about the struggle that lingered in the air long after the final enemy fell. A weight, a thrum of residual power that clung to the soul like an ethereal resonance of the dead.Though Thomas's dying breath was swallowed by silence, I could sense him.Or his shadow.His anger.His desperation.His defeat.I leaned against the broken trellis, chest heaving, heart still racing from the battle. The garden rested in shamblesโblossoms shattered beneath heavy heel marks, the smoldering scorch scars of Isaiah's and Kael's fury staining the once spotless paths. Death and potency clung in the air, but what had me unsettled the most was the icy stillness that came after.Jackson was cleaning blood from his sword, face unemotional. Jaden was still standing at the ready, golden eyes scanning the area, refusing to believe that it was truly finished.Our father was standing in the center, shoulders locked, staring down at the spot where Thomas once was.Those words were r
