The Curse Within のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

ALARIC'S POVThe morning broke quietly, the kind of stillness that almost felt deceptive. The pack house always held a hum of activity, but today, it was muted, the tension so thick it clung to the walls like fog. I stood at the window of the east wing, watching the forest come alive under the pale light, trying to clear my thoughts. Sofia was still asleep behind me, her breathing soft and steady.Last night had been a test for both of us. For her, it had been the start of a battle I knew she wasn’t ready for, and for me, it was a reminder of just how fragile the balance of this pack was. Bringing Sofia here wasn’t just a declaration of love; it was a challenge to every rule, every unspoken law that had governed my people for generations.I heard her stir, a faint rustle of fabric as she turned in bed. I didn’t move, giving her a moment to wake fully. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, hesitant.“Did you sleep?”“Some,” I lied, turning to face her. She sat up, her hair a wi

Alaric's POVThe forest was quieter than usual when I stepped outside. The chill in the air was sharp, the kind that cut through even the thickest fur, but it wasn’t the cold that unsettled me. It was the absence of sound—no rustling leaves, no distant howls. Just silence.Sofia and Lyra had been gone for nearly an hour now, and though I trusted Lyra with my life, an itch of unease crawled beneath my skin.“Alpha.”I turned to see Braylon approaching from the edge of the training grounds. His stance was rigid, his expression tense, a clear sign that whatever he had to say wasn’t good news.“What is it?” I asked, my voice steady despite the growing apprehension.“We found signs of movement near the eastern border,” Braylon said. “Fresh tracks, larger group than usual. Rogues, most likely.”I clenched my jaw. The rogues had been testing our defenses for weeks now, their attacks becoming more organized, more brazen. It was no coincidence.“And Thorne?”Braylon hesitated. “Still no sign o

Alaric’s POVI could feel the weight of Sofia’s words pressing down on me, even after I closed the door behind me. The worry in her eyes, the tremor in her voice, it all told me what she couldn’t quite say. She was scared. And that fear—whether it was of Thorne, the rogues, or the pack itself—was something I couldn’t protect her from, not fully.As I walked down the hall toward Braylon’s quarters, the ever-present tension in the pack house gnawed at me. The pack was on edge, the strain between the members palpable, and it wasn’t just because of Sofia. Thorne’s disappearance, the rogue threat on the horizon, and my leadership—it was all falling apart, piece by piece.I had always believed that a pack thrived on unity, on loyalty, but it felt like everything we had worked for was crumbling. Sofia’s presence in the pack was only one part of it, though. The bigger problem was Thorne, his sudden departure, and the fact that no one knew where he had gone or what he was planning. I couldn’t

Sofia's POVThe cold still clung to my skin as I made my way through the pack house, each step heavier than the last. My heart pounded in my chest, its erratic rhythm a cruel reminder of what had just transpired in the woods. The rogues’ snarls still echoed in my ears, their taunts digging into my mind. They had been waiting for me. They had known my name.I pushed open the door to Alaric’s quarters without knocking, the need to see him overpowering my hesitation. My breathing was shallow, my body trembling from more than just the adrenaline.Alaric was standing by the fireplace, his broad back to me. The firelight danced across his silhouette, casting shadows that made him seem both larger and more distant. I froze for a moment, unsure if I should interrupt him, but he turned before I could decide.“Sofia?” His voice was low, rough with concern.I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me with a shaky hand. “I… I didn’t know where else to go,” I admitted, my voice barely above a w

Alaric’s POVThe council chamber was suffocatingly silent, the kind of silence that pressed into your ears and crawled under your skin. My wolves sat around the long oak table, their faces carved from stone, though anger and unease flickered in their eyes. The failed rogue attack had shaken everyone, myself included, and the tension in the room was palpable, a live wire ready to snap.I gripped the edge of the table, the wood groaning under the pressure of my hands. This wasn’t a random attack. It wasn’t chaos. It was precision. The rogues had been too deliberate in their movements, their approach calculated and surgical, not the disorganized frenzy they were known for.“Reports,” I said, my voice cutting through the heavy air. My tone was sharp, commanding, the voice of an Alpha who would not tolerate excuses.Braylon, my Beta and closest confidant, straightened in his seat. His broad shoulders, usually unyielding, seemed to sag slightly under the weight of his findings. He was loya