บททั้งหมดของ The Curse Within : บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

Sofia's POVThe walls of the pack house loomed high around me, suffocating in their grandeur. I had always thought I’d loved old architecture, but now I felt like the building itself was judging me. Its age and strength mirrored the people inside—a pack tied together by centuries of loyalty, tradition, and unwavering belief in their Alpha. I didn’t belong here.Every hallway seemed to stretch longer than the last, lined with ornate wooden carvings and tapestries depicting wolves in various stages of shifting, hunting, or standing beneath full moons. They felt like stories of a world I was supposed to be part of now, yet I didn’t understand.Alaric walked ahead of me, speaking with Braylon in hushed tones. His broad shoulders radiated confidence and command, and I found myself envying how effortlessly he carried the weight of so many expectations. Even though the tension in the air was thick, he moved like a storm—a force of nature, unstoppable.Braylon glanced back at me, his dark eye

SOFIA'S POVThe forest stretched endlessly before us, a mix of tall trees and dense shadows, the kind of wilderness that had always felt like home and a threat all at once. The air was crisp, the faint scent of pine and earth grounding me as I leaned against a moss-covered tree, trying to catch my breath.Alaric stood a few feet away, his sharp gaze scanning the treetops. Even now, with the tension in the pack house lingering between us, he exuded confidence, strength. I envied it. Where he looked sure of every step he took, I felt like I was teetering on the edge of collapse.The meeting in the council chamber had left me raw, my nerves stretched thin from the judgmental stares and veiled comments. It wasn’t just that they didn’t accept me—it was that they didn’t want to. I wasn’t blind to the way they looked at me, as though I was an unwelcome guest in a place I didn’t deserve to be.Alaric turned, his golden eyes locking onto mine. “Are you okay?”I nodded quickly, though the answe

Sofia’s POVThe forest felt different this time. The air was heavier, the shadows deeper, and even though Lyra was beside me, the unease from Alaric’s words lingered in my chest like a stone. Rogues. Thorne. The pack’s distrust. It all pressed down on me, a weight I couldn’t seem to shake.We walked side by side in silence, the distant sound of the stream fading behind us as we made our way back to the pack house. Lyra’s steady presence was a comfort, but my mind raced with every step, replaying Alaric’s warning.Rogues near the border. Thorne still unaccounted for. The implications churned in my gut, a sickening mixture of fear and guilt. I had been trying so hard to prove that I belonged here, but how could I, when my very presence seemed to invite danger?“Sofia,” Lyra said softly, breaking the silence.I glanced at her, surprised by the gentleness in her tone. Lyra wasn’t exactly known for soft touches.“You’re doing well,” she said, her golden-brown eyes fixed ahead.The words c

SOFIA'S POVThe evening air was thick with tension, the kind of weight that pressed down on everything, making it hard to breathe. I stood by the edge of the forest, staring out into the twilight, where the trees seemed to fade into shadows, their outlines barely visible. The full moon hung above, casting an ethereal glow over the landscape, but even its light couldn’t ease the anxiety knotting in my stomach. I couldn’t shake the sense that something was coming, something that would push me past everything I feared and tested my resolve in ways I couldn’t predict."Everything okay, Sofia?"The voice startled me, pulling me from my thoughts. Lyra emerged from the shadows, her presence as quiet as always but no less powerful. She had a way of appearing when I least expected it, like she always knew when I needed someone to talk to, even when I didn’t know it myself.I gave her a tight smile, though it didn’t reach my eyes. "Just thinking.""About the same things you always think about,

Author's POVThe aftermath of the rogue attack had left the pack house on high alert. The corridors, usually bustling with warmth and camaraderie, were now tense with suspicion and fear. Marcus, one of the pack’s most respected head warriors, moved through it all with a calm demeanor, his every step deliberate, his every action purposeful.To the pack, Marcus was a man of honor, a pillar of strength who had served Moonstone loyally for years. His role in defending against the recent attack had only solidified his standing as a trusted protector. What no one suspected, what no one could ever know, was that Marcus had orchestrated the attack himself.The failed kidnapping attempt on Sofia had been a calculated move, one meant to destabilize Alaric and drive a wedge between him and his pack. Marcus had fed Thorne and the rogues detailed information—Sofia’s routines, the patrol schedules, the weaknesses in the pack’s defenses. Everything had been meticulously planned. And yet, it had faile