Lahat ng Kabanata ng Contractually Yours, Alpha: Kabanata 551 - Kabanata 560

I hit the ground, struggling to grasp what had just happened. I’d been shot twice. Bleeding out. Dying. Death hadn’t been a concept that scared me until now. I was going to die in the woods, murdered by rebels. No one would ever know what had happened, and then I thought of Alexander. I would never see him again; I would never get to look into those beautiful sea blue eyes, I would never get to kiss those lips. My thoughts went to the pack. I had failed them. They were right—I was never meant to rule. I was not as smart as Alexander, and neither was I as strong. The damp earth beneath me drank my blood, as if hungry for more. I choked on the thick, metallic taste flooding my mouth. The scent was so overpowering it made me nauseous. I tried to move—tried to fight—but I barely managed to crawl a few inches before collapsing again. "I told you a gun would make this easier. But no—you thought rods would be more ‘effective.’ I should’ve let her kill you." The bitter voice belonged to the

I didn’t need a crowd to witness the trial. I had only invited ten pack members, but no doubt, once it was over, news of what happened here would spread to the whole pack. The trial would take place in the dungeon chamber.Phil and Austin took their positions by my side. I doubted I looked any better than I had a few hours ago, but I was ready to face them. The door swung open, and three soldiers dragged in the rebels—Stark, Luthor, and, of course, Kade. The very one who had shot me.The moment they spotted me, they went pale.The soldiers didn’t have to force them to their knees—they went down willingly.“We… you shouldn’t be alive. There’s no way you could have survived that,” Stark said, disbelief clear in his eyes. “It shouldn’t be possible…” he kept muttering to himself.“Silence," I said, and they fell quiet. The tension in the room thickened with each passing second. "This is how this will go—you speak only when I ask you a question."They nodded, but Stark still looked uncerta

I was heading toward the huge gates when a voice stopped me.“Who are you, Miss?” the uniformed man asked. A guard. I realized.“I came to see Alexander Blackwood," I said. Of course, I wasn’t even sure if he lived here. Austin had given me the address, but what if it was wrong? What if this house belonged to some stranger?“Do you have an appointment with him?” the guard asked.My heart lurched. That meant he was here—the man had recognized the name."I need to see him right now," I said urgently. The only other way in was to climb over the high gates—not a difficult task for me—but something told me more guards were waiting inside.“Are you a relative?” the guard asked. I had no time for his questions.“No. I am his mate.”A moment of silence passed, and only then did I realize I was speaking to a human, who also thought I was human.“I’m sorry, miss, I can’t let you in unless you have an appointment with him.”“I am his wife!” I bet he would understand that term.“Mr. Alexander didn

He hadn’t cared. Not even when he found out I had almost been killed. He still didn’t care.He didn’t love me anymore. He wasn’t just saying it—he meant it, and I could see it in his eyes. The bottle of alcohol seemed to interest him more than I did. I should have realized it the moment I stepped into this room; he had been at ease—until he saw me. Then, everything changed.All those days, I had been in pain, but part of me still believed Alexander wasn’t truly gone. I held onto the hope that we still had a future. But I was wrong—so very wrong.I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But instead, I laughed, the sound foreign to my ears. I sounded crazy. Maybe I was. And then, I was crying.“I did it to help you! She gave me no choice—she compelled me, and I couldn’t say a word to you. But everything I did was for you! I took the risk so you wouldn’t have to suffer anymore. I couldn’t bear watching you in pain. You act like I took something from you, but all I ever wanted was to help!”I

Riley’s blue eyes were just like mine—that was the only thing I’d gotten from her. The rest was all my father.Her skin was pale—paler than snow, the kind of ghostly pale I’d only imagined. Her white dress clung to her body as if it were wet. I couldn’t speak. I was frozen."Ethan, you need to return to your pack. There's a war—"I let out a bitter laugh, the shock finally wearing off. "You can’t be serious, Mother. You finally show up after all these years, and that’s the first thing you say? No ‘How are you?’ No ‘How did you manage to stay alive?’ You know, those kinds of basic questions?"“I don’t have time.”“I get it; you are indeed very busy. Perhaps we should start with, ‘Where the hell have you been all these years?”She gave me a sad smile. "I never wanted to leave, but I was a danger to the pack—to everyone around me. I was a threat to you. I couldn’t let that happen. I was trying to protect you.""Protect." I repeated the word, "Seems like everyone is either trying to help