Chapter 61|| ELINDA'S POV ||I sat stiffly on the silk-covered bench within the ceremonial hall, my clammy hands hidden by the silk gloves. My heart thundered like the rhythm of a man sentenced to death awaiting judgment. The runes against the walls glowed softly as an echo of the divine energy called upon by the priest. Alaric stood beside me, calm and composed as ever, but I could feel tension beneath his skin. He was trying to be patient. Trying to be kind.Alberto stood in front of me, arms folded, eyebrows furrowed in frustration and concern.He had yanked me out the moment the priest had questioned me beforehand."Who was your partner?" he asked again, this time more gently but no less urgently.I avoided his gaze. "It doesn't matter anymore. It happened a long time ago. It's over.""Elinda," he said, and I hated the disappointment in his voice. "Done or not? You're hiding something from me. What are you keeping secret?"I clenched my fists together in my hand. "I'm not keeping
Chapter 62|| Elinda's POV ||The door snapped shut behind us.The obvious silence was hanging between us!I was in the center of the room, surrounded by riches that meant nothing to me. Velvet curtains, crystal fixtures, gold trim along the crown trim—all of it melted away to nothingness as my heart thundered inside of me like an animal trapped. My hands were damp, my mouth faking a big smile always.And Alexis was standing there, some feet between us, as if he were the man I once trusted with every part of myself—and now couldn't even understand."You lied," I gasped, the words trembling with rage and something I did not dare to call. "You said you broke the bond. That it was done.""I did," Alexis replied, her voice low and soft, "I tried.""Tried?" I laughed, harsh and empty. "What the fuck do you mean you tried? That's not how this works. You don't try to break a mate bond, Alexis. You do, or you don't."He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my eyes, and for the first time in days, h
Chapter 63|| Alexis's POV ||I glanced down at my phone, my thumb hovering over the screen as I considered whether to answer or not. It was Alberto—my best friend, but also the one who made it painfully clear that my feelings for Elinda were a problem. I sighed and pressed the green button."Alexis," Alberto's voice cracked through the speaker, sharp and to the point. "Have you found Elinda's previous mate yet?"The words hung in the air, and I knew what he was really asking. Alberto was so desperate to find out who had hurt Elinda, and I knew why. But the guilt twisted in my belly as I prepared to lie to him."No," I said, my voice was calm even though as I seethed inside. "I haven't found out yet. She's hiding it, and she's not making it easy."There it was. The lie. The simple words that made the reality of the situation easier. Alberto had no idea that Elinda's mate was me—that it had always been me. I was not going to admit that, not to him, not to anyone."Well, you know how mu
Chapter 64|| ALEXIS'S POV ||An hour ago.I stood behind the frosted glass, arms crossed, jaw clamped in place as I gazed at them through the window of this top-floor restaurant. Every nerve in my body screamed for control, but the moment Alaric made contact with her hand, I felt something deep within me awaken—possessive, animalistic, deadly.Elinda smiled, that fake,vacant smile of hers, that she would display at royal pageants and scripted press events. But her face—stiff, strained—gave away the show. She didn't like it. And he did know that. That bastard got closer to her, ran his fingers against hers like he belonged. Like he was her mate already that I stood but a couple steps away, ready to let this all go up in flames inside.I reached into my jacket pocket and flipped the button on the comm. "Marcus."His voice sprang to life, crackling on the way. "Yes, Alpha?""Get him out of there. I don't care how—just do it. Now."There was a moment's silence. Too long. I heard him brea
Chapter 65|| ELINDA'S POV ||The ride had become an eternity.I have no idea which part of me figured this wouldn't be a trap. Perhaps desperation. Perhaps guilt. Or perhaps the weak part of me that still believed that monsters—people, even—had a boundary they wouldn't cross. But I should have known better. Liam never did have a boundary. He was born to break them.The GPS beeped as I stopped. The address was hanging in front of my sight.It wasn't some hidden estate or underground bunker that I had expected. No. It was a god-awful roadside bar stuck between dying pine trees and an ancient billboard that said "Heaven's Brew"—as if heaven hadn't already borrowed it.I pulled up, took a breath, and stepped out.The smell arrived first— alcohol, filth, something dark underneath.Some men looked in my direction as I walked inside. Their eyes never blinked. One of them had a bit of blood streaked on his chin. Simply sitting like that was not anything.It wasn't a bar. This was a kill zone.
Chapter 66Alexis's POVI held her—more closely than I ever had. Her body trembled against me, not from the cold but from something much darker, something more heavy. Elinda hadn't spoken a word since we'd left that blood-soaked warehouse. Her hands were still stained, despite my having washed them clean. The first kill always leaves a mark that water can't wash away.I kept one arm around her shoulders as I controlled my men with the other. My voice was steady, cold, calculated—giving orders I'd given a hundred times before, but each word meant something this time. "Burn everything," I told them. "No bodies, no bullets, no fucking whispers. Nobody hears what happened tonight. Nobody at all."Yes, Boss," my second-in-command, Viktor, replied as he was already getting our cleanup crew moving.Elinda flinched at the word "bodies." I drew her closer, pushing her toward the car parked beside. She moved as if she was walking through sludge-or memory. I recognized the feeling well. I had be
Chapter 67|| Alexis's POV ||The atmosphere in that hotel room was so tense that I felt it choking me. My claws stretched out under my skin, the beast inside me snarling for power as I stood face-to-face with Alaric. His presence just fueled the fire burning inside me. I wanted to wipe that look off his face.But then her voice cut through the warmth like a knife."Get out! Both of you!"Elinda.Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, her body trembling with rage—but not the trembling of weakness. No. She was done with us. Done with our fight over her. And she meant it."Elinda—" I approached her, but she pushed away."Out!" she shouted again, waving toward the door. "I said out!"There was no room for argument. I let the bitterness sit on my tongue and walked out in silence. Alaric glared at me as if he wished to murder me.He wasn't punched. Not yet. Not after what had just been done to her.I just stood outside the door like an idiot. I didn't feel like leaving her alone. My wolf did
Chapter 68|| Elinda's POV ||I knew something was suspicious the moment I saw Clara pass Alberto like he was a stranger. She didn't look his way at all, didn't smile—nothing. Her cold, calm eyes zeroed in on the tall man who stood near the entrance. She approached him, her arms hugging him like she belonged there. And maybe she did.Alberto remained there, stiff, shoulders tightened, lips parted slightly as if he was about to say something… anything. But nothing escaped. I placed a gentle hand on his arm, attempting to question him."Who is she?" I whispered.His jaw tightened. "It's complicated."That was all he said. And I could tell he wasn't about to tell me—either because it was too painful or because uttering it aloud would make it so. I didn't push. Not now.The rest of the night was foggy. I remember little of the talk or the string quartet in the corner or the scent of wine drifting through the air. My head was still thinking around Clara and Alberto. When at last I was info
Chapter 88|| ELINDA'S POV ||The council chamber was too silent.Alberto and I sat side by side, hands resting tense in my lap, fingers intertwined.Old, stern-appearing councilors with glaring eyes leaned toward me at a glance that I could not define quite so well—whether it was respect or annoyance.Or maybe… they're just tired of waiting for me to catch up and just make up their minds already, for goodness' sake."Princess Elinda," one of the older males began, his tone like an Alpha, "now that Prince Alberto's been crowned Alpha, the pack will need a strong Beta to support him. Someone familiar with royal bloodline. and fighting." He glared at me. "We all decided it should be you."I swallowed. My throat was dry and tightened.Alberto glared at me sideways, his eyes gentle but supportive. "You're the only one I trust, Elin. You've done it again and again."Have I?The memory of the shattered mate bond danced at the edges of my mind. The pain still hasn't gone yet. I was on my feet,
Chapter 87 || ALBERTO'S POV ||The moment I stepped into the hall, my wolf lifted her head. Not due to the politics or the constant chatter swirling around us, but because she was present.Clara.Even now, even after all of it, my wolf l recognized her. Her presence was a magnet that I couldn't shake from my head, no matter how faint the melody had become. I stood on the sidelines, glass in hand, pretending to listen to Alexis's negotiation with the North Alpha, but my eyes kept wandering to her.And every time I glanced, I saw something that made my blood boil.Mikhail.He loomed over her like a predator, cold and commanding, his voice sharp and snapping whenever he addressed her. I noticed the tension in Clara's posture when he spoke, the way her shoulders tensed, the glint of something in her eyes she tried to hide—fear or indifference, I couldn't tell. But I did.My wolf did too.Go to her, he snarled within me, pacing back and forth."I can't," I grumbled under my breath.Alexis
Chapter 86 || Clara's POV ||I was sitting at the window, pretending to read a book, but my hands trembled so violently.My thoughts were elsewhere, as they always were now—on Alberto, on the painful bond inside me that grew heavier with each passing moment I stayed here, held captive by fear.The door creaked behind me.I didn't need to turn to know who it was. His presence made the room suffocate, forcing me to barely breathe."We are going to a reception tonight," he stated in a neutral tone, showing no feeling whatsoever. "The top designer will be there. Prepare yourself."I kept my back to him, my fingers tightening around the book.A meeting. Meaning all the power players would attend. And if Alberto was indeed in Bravta's borders, he'd certainly be there.The mere idea of being within the same air space as him—to look upon him, feel the tie between us scream for attention— wracked my chest with pain. It would hurt. I would know it would."I am not going," I said, voice small bu
Chapter 85 || Clara's POV ||The sunlight pouring through my window in the morning fell gently on the floor of my bedroom. I had not slept. Not actually. Each time I shut my eyes, the power of the bond felt out and pulled at my soul, whispering a name I could not voice. Alberto. My mate.But I was married to another man.The door creaked open and I stiffened, my heart racing before I could even turn around. To my relief, it was the healer—the elderly woman with warm eyes and gentle fingers. She gave a polite nod before she approached, her bag slung over one shoulder."How do you feel, Lady Clara?" she said softly as she sat beside the bed."Fine," I replied too quickly.Her eyes furrowed together, obviously not believing it, but she did not press the issue. She had grown accustomed to living in this house by now and was smarter than to ask questions she wasn't supposed to ask. I remained numb as she laid cool fingers on my wrist, feeling my pulse. Then her hand moved to my forehead,
Chapter 84|| CLARA's POV ||I can still remember that night—the night that would change everything.I was barely fifteen when my stepfather learned the truth about me.I had a weak wolf. I would never be able to shift.When the doctor gave us the news, my stepfather's face blackened with rage. It was as if my very existence disgusted him. His lips curled into a snarl, and before the doctor could even finish speaking, my stepfather grabbed a glass from beside him and hurled it at the wall."Weak! She's nothing but a shame like her father!" he had roared, his voice echoing through the pack house.I simply stood there, frozen at my steps. My heart was beating so fiercely it hurt. I attempted to speak, to defend myself, but the words wouldn't come. My mother? She simply sat there, staring out the window, as if none of it concerned her.That's when I knew something cold and absolute: I was completely alone.He wanted to banish me—I heard him argue it that night, loudly enough that the whol
Chapter 833 YEARS AGO|| Alberto's POV ||I was never a fan of the chill that came with visiting the foreign packs, especially those set so deep within the Russian territories that even the moon did not wish to grace down here. The Bravta Pack was an old name, one rooted in both crime and fidelity, and today I had crossed oceans to request an alliance.But I would have known better. Their type of power didn't do favors.I stiffened myself in the lavish sitting room of the estate, my hands clasped behind me as the heavy doors swung open. In walked Mikhail, head of the Bravta. A tall, square-shouldered man with pointed, merciless eyes and a presence as heavy as a storm.He did not invite me to sit. He did not smile. He barely even nodded."Royal Prince," he drawled with a smirk that never quite made it to his mouth. "Why do you creep here like a low-born?"I swallowed the urge to argue back. I was not here to fight. I needed him — no matter how much my pride bled."I came to propose a
Chapter 82|| Elinda's POV ||I stood in front of the door to Alberto's study longer than was probably wise. My heart pounded, and my hands curled over the sides of my dress as I tried to gather the courage to knock. This was not a choice that I had come to in a rush—but it was a choice that I had made.I knocked finally, and his voice came almost immediately, "Come in."When I arrived, Alberto looked up from over a pile of papers and frowned. His tired eyes softened only slightly at seeing me. "Elin… Are you okay?""No," I admitted. "But that's not what I'm here for."I sat across from him, and for an instant, we just stared at one another—two brothers caught in the game of power, politics, and pain. I didn't want to tell him, but I had to."I want to go back to the palace."Alberto's eyes grew wide. "You what?""I want to take up my duties again. As a princess." I attempted to maintain as steady a voice as possible.He blinked. "Elinda, you can't just—" He stopped himself, exhaled
Chapter 81|| Elinda's Pov ||The camera flashes were blinking like crazy and the reporters' questions came rushing towards me like a wave that could destroy everything."Princess Elinda, what do you have to say regarding the allegations of the death of the late king?""Will you assume the throne?""Who is your new partner now, Princess?"They went on asking the same thing. I had made up my mind already—I would answer them properly this time.I stood still for a moment, trapped under the gaze of millions of questioning eyes. My heart pounded like a bird in a cage, ready to soar, but I was rooted—on the steps of the palace.To my side, I saw Alexis drawing closer—silently, like a guardian—his very body trying to shield me.Concern and something more, something unspoken, flickered in his eyes."You don't have to answer," he whispered, loud enough for me to hear. "You're shaking."Part of me wanted to step back—press my head on his chest and run from it all. Like before… when we were st
Chapter 80|| Elinda's Pov ||I'm not sure if I actually remember travelling. The murmurs of the l crowd, the tightening in my chest as I saw the royal crest on the palace gates—that's all heartbreaking. The only thing that's now completely crystal clear is when the palace guards opened those large doors and I saw his body.My father—King of the Royal Lycan Kingdom—was no more. He no longer existed.It was all like a dream. I didn't believe it, not for anything. There were courtiers on either side of the hall in black—for mourning, as they referred to it—but nothing mattered to me. I just kept looking at the white, dead form lying over the marble. My father.Alberto stood beside him, a shadow of himself. He was leaning forward, one hand on the marble slab, shaking."Alberto," I whispered and ran to him.He didn't lift his head, didn't say a word. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and only then did I hear the harsh sound of his crying."I'm here. I'm here, Brother," I said, placing my