Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE CAPTIVE'S LOVE: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

In the meantime, Alexandria appeared and was intent on learning the truth from Emereah.Alexandria stood, face smug and cold."You can sense it, can't you Emereah?" Alexandria sneered.Emereah blinked in confusion. "Feel what?""Your wolf," Alexandria snarled. "Howling for you. Tearing to get out."Emereah shook her head. "I… I don't know Alexandria.""You will," Alexandria snarled. "And when you do, it'll be too late.""By tomorrow evening, won't go home," Starkey whistled, goading."You will," Alexandria growled. "And when you do, it'll be too late."She closed the door, its residual echo staying in Emereah's mind long after Alexandria had disappeared.Emereah's breath was stuck in her chest. Her fingers shook against the cold of the bracelets around her wrists. Something within her throbbed — bitter and caged, as if an animal was clawing at walls.Emereah covered her face with her hands. "What is wrong with me?"The door creaked open once more, quietly this time. Vladimir stepped i

Vladimir lay with his back on the edge of his bed, absently rubbing Emereah's hair as she hugged the side of his body.She was his.His mate.She'd given up trying to question him, to struggle. The deceit had taken hold, shaping her into exactly what he desired she'd become."Are you sleepy, little wolf?" he spoke softly.Emereah whistled soundlessly, wrapping her fingers over the hand resting on her wrist—the very symbol that maintained power contained."Why am I wearing these?" she panted.Vladimir tightened. "To protect you."She raised an eyebrow to meet his. "From whom?"He moved in, velvet words, soft touch. "From you."A ghost of doubt passed through her eyes. "But. I don't feel threatening."Vladimir leaned in, his lips grazing hers. "Because I protect you," he panted across her lips.Emereah gasped on the kiss, releasing into him.This was all she had left.This was the only thing she knew.A knock broke the moment.Vladimir's jaw clapped shut."What?" he snarled.The door cre

Alexandria stood in front of her bedroom mirror, wiping a cloth with her split lip. Blood was in her mouth, the metallic taste of her battle with Vladimir. Her ribs ached where he had punched her, but ached the most was her pride.Vladimir thought he had won.But he had just made a fatal mistake.And she would make him pay.She spun when the door creaked open. One of her father's guards entered, dipping his head."The Elder summons you," he said.Alexandria breathed, dipping her head. "It's time."She threw a black cloak over her shoulders, covering bruises on her arms, and followed the guard through the darkness of the Elder's keep.Tonight, it would occur. The council chamber was cold and quiet. Dozens of elder wolves formed a half-circle, their faces thrown into shadow by flickering torchlight. At the center, her father—the Elder—sat unmoving, his face impassive as he regarded her coming."Alexandria," he said, voice heavy with the gravity of authority. "You called this conclave. S

Alexandria was the first to sense the shift. The air was filled with tension that had not yet been released, the way the air is just before a storm. She saw Vladimir's body language shift slightly. His previously impenetrable confidence—his control—seemed to crack. He was losing his hold. And she was only just starting to see the cracks in his armor.Her lips curled up into a small, smug smile as she crept closer. She moved deliberately, every step calculated to push him back into the corner, a corner in which his arrogance and pride would cease to be defenses.Vladimir's golden eyes—eyes which had once held the entire pack in their pocket—glowed with uncertainty as he looked at Emereah, who stood frozen in the center of the room, trembling hands. She had just released her power—power that had been building up inside of her for so many years. It was raw and untrained. And the power that had been locked up was now loose.Reality hit him hard. Vladimir's grip on Emereah was weakening, un

Vladimir was heaving, his huge frame now trembling with fury and anger. "You are making a mistake," he growled. "All of you. I will show you that I'm the Alpha, and you all will listen to me."But Alexandria didn't flinch. She remained stationary, every statement she makes now laced with fact. "You have no dominance left. The pack will never listen to you."Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, Vladimir was immobilized. His gold-specked eyes fixed her, the anger in them dissolving into something uglier, something colder. He was losing, and the pain seared hotter than any punch could ever possibly. "You think you can just walk away from me?" Vladimir snarled, his voice threatening. "I'm not finished."But Alexandria was ready. She moved forward, her voice solid and unyielding. "You are finished. The pack has spoken."With guards and elders around, there could no longer be any doubt as to who was in charge. It was not Vladimir. Never had been.Vladimir's body trembled with fury,