Lahat ng Kabanata ng Bullied by my stepsister; Claimed by the Alpha : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

~RIYAI had thought the howling wind outside my window would lull me into a fitful sleep, but instead, it stirred something restless in me. As the moon crept higher into the sky, my skin buzzed with unease. My body may have still been healing from the battle with the council, but my soul was on edge—as if something ancient had awakened and was calling to me.I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Nathaniel, who was sprawled beside me, his chest rising and falling in slow, rhythmic peace. He had barely slept in the past few days, watching over me like a wolf guarding a sacred treasure. I hated to leave him even for a moment, but the pull in my chest was unbearable. Something was out there. I could feel it.Clad in only my cloak and leggings, I padded silently out of the packhouse and into the forest that flanked the River Heart Pack. The trees welcomed me like old friends, their branches swaying as though they whispered secrets to one another. The moonlight filtered through the cano

~RIYAThe moon had not yet risen, but I could feel her tugging at my soul.There was something about tonight that made the air taste different. It wasn’t just the usual scent of pine or the distant howl of our kin—it was a pull, ancient and magnetic, a whisper threading through the trees, through my blood. My body had grown more sensitive since I awakened my powers, and with every beat of my heart, I could feel something stirring in the woods beyond the pack’s borders.Nathaniel stood beside me, arms folded, face tense. We had just returned from another exhausting round with the council. Ever since the Witches of Inadu made themselves known, the pack had been restless. Elders whispered of an ancient war. Warriors slept with blades under their pillows. Even children had stopped playing at the forest edge.“Riya,” Nathaniel said, voice low. “Something’s coming. I don’t know what yet, but we need to be ready.”“I can feel it too,” I said. “But it’s not just danger I sense. There’s... kno

~RIYAThe air was thick with silence as I stood in the heart of the moon chamber, surrounded by silver-lit stones and ancient markings that glowed faintly in response to my presence. The wind outside howled through the cracks of the sacred temple, and it felt like the Moon Goddess herself was whispering warnings into my ear.Lily stood at the edge of the chamber, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, eyes darting from me to the large stone in the center—the Oracle Stone.“You don’t have to do this now,” she said softly, her voice wavering. “You’re carrying life, Riya. It might be dangerous.”I placed a hand on my stomach instinctively. The weight of the unborn child inside me gave me both strength and terror. I could feel them stirring more frequently lately—as if aware of the war blooming around them.“I do,” I said. “I need answers. I need to know what Ama is planning, and why my powers… my visions… they’re getting stronger.”Lily gave a reluctant nod and stepped back, giving m

~RIYAThe morning air hung thick with anticipation. Even before I opened my eyes, I could feel the change—subtle, yet potent. It wasn’t just the stillness of dawn or the whispers of the wind brushing through the trees. It was something deeper, something ancient, humming beneath my skin like a pulse no longer willing to be ignored.I stirred beneath the thick furs in Nathaniel’s chamber, blinking away the remnants of a restless night. Dreams had plagued me—visions of blood and flame, of Ama’s hollow laughter ringing through a scorched sky, and of a newborn’s cry echoing into silence. I shivered, pulling the blanket tighter, but it did little to warm the gnawing dread that clung to my bones.Nathaniel sat in the armchair across the room, already dressed, his gray eyes watching me with a kind of quiet urgency.“You felt it too,” I murmured.He nodded. “Something shifted overnight. The witches… the hybrids… they’re moving.”“And Ama?”“She’s the source of the disturbance. I’m sure of it.”

~RIYAThe dream clung to me like fog, each image etched into my soul with fire. A throne of bones. A field of ash. A face like mine but not mine—Ama’s eyes glowing with dark magic, her smile cruel and triumphant.I sat up in bed with a gasp, sweat sticking my nightdress to my skin. My heart pounded against my ribs like a warning drum. I reached instinctively for my belly, still flat, but no longer silent.The child within me stirred faintly—not with movement, but with presence. I could feel a hum of warmth, something ancient whispering in the rhythm of my pulse. My baby wasn’t just a child. They were the bridge between two worlds."You're awake."I turned to see Maria, sitting quietly in the corner with her knitting in hand. The dim morning light framed her like a guardian angel."Another dream?" she asked gently.I nodded. "But not just a dream. A prophecy. Or maybe... a warning."Maria set her yarn aside and moved to sit beside me. "Tell me everything."I recounted every detail—the