Semua Bab Destiny’s Bite; The Alpha’s Heir: Bab 31 - Bab 34

ELARA POVPredator Territory — MorningI wake with the phantom feel of his lips still lingering on mine.Zane is gone. The room is empty. But his presence clings to the air like smoke. On my skin. In my lungs.It’s maddening, how something so soft, so quiet, can unravel me more than a thousand scars ever could.I lift my fingers to my mouth, brushing over the skin he kissed. Last night wasn’t just a kiss. It wasn’t lust. It wasn’t comfort.It was a surrender, a warning and a promise, and I’m not sure which one of those frightens me more.…The high hall is quieter than usual when I sit across from Amber at the long stone table. The morning sun filters in through the carved arches, catching the edges of the tapestries. She has a scroll open in front of her, her tea steaming, her eyes scanning me more than the words.Fresh bread. Dried meats. Mint and elderflower in my cup.None of it touches the strange heaviness in my chest.“You’re distracted,” she says plainly.“I slept fine.” I rea

ELARA POVThe smoke thickens as the sun drops.Not a wildfire.Not the natural kind.This smoke carries intention. It clings to the trees like a warning, rolls in slow and low, dragging the scent of pine and ash with something worse buried beneath it.Blood.The moment it hits, Elias sends patrols to every ridge line. Amber moves through the inner strongholds like a flame, calm but burning. She seals the eastern gates, and the elders in the high chamber begin chanting the old language, their voices steady as the runes along the cliffs ignite in pulsing light.Everything feels too quiet.Even the mountain holds its breath.I feel it in my bones, like ice crawling along my spine.He’s close.Skull and he’s isn’t circling anymore, he’s watching us, testing us.Waiting for a crack to open and widen.I find Zane on the upper wall just before the last sliver of daylight disappears.He’s standing with his arms folded, eyes scanning the horizon. He doesn’t speak when I approach, but he glance