บททั้งหมดของ BITTEN BY THE ALPHA: ALPHA ZANE: บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

KatarinaI get back home, feeling frustrated and confused. I walk through the passageway and hear voices coming from the other side of the hallway. They’re muffled, but I can tell it’s a conversation I’m not supposed to hear. My curiosity gets the better of me, so I follow the sound, trying to be careful not to make any noise.I stop at the door. It’s slightly ajar, and I peek in. I’m surprised. Magdalena is here, standing in front of Zane. He’s leaning against the table, arms crossed, his face expressionless. She’s speaking in a hushed but intense voice, like she’s trying to convince him about something—or so I think, from the desperation I see on her face.“You can’t let the mating ceremony happen,” I hear her say as she looks at him.I freeze. So, it’s true. Zane is planning some kind of wedding for us—without even telling me! This is shocking. How could he do this? I can’t marry him, not like this, not when I haven’t even had a say in the matter.He’s not reacting, but Magdalena d

ZaneAdam puts his arm around me. “I suppose this is the time I say congratulations, Alpha Zane,” he says with a wicked grin. I’m not sure he means it, as we leave the seer’s old building. “Let’s celebrate,” he adds, leading us to a nearby bar. It’s a fancy place, good enough for a werewolf looking for a good drink. A bartender places a bottle of whiskey on the table in front of us and pours it into our glasses. Adam picks up his glass and, in a loud voice, makes a toast.“To my nephew, our Grand Alpha Zane and his human mate!” he declares. The Alphas cheer, making wolf sounds as they clink their glasses together. Everyone drinks, except Katarina. She doesn’t even reach for her glass. Her eyes are fixed on something far away. Her mind is clearly elsewhere.I lean closer to her, whispering into her ear, “Katarina, you could at least pretend to be happy. You’re marrying the Grand Alpha, after all.”Her head tilts toward me, her eyes flashing with anger. “What… marrying a beast is suppos

ZaneKatarina woke up. And she just ran away. Ran out of my room, like… She was terrified of me. I don’t blame her. If I were her, I’d be terrified of me too. It must have been hard for her, being outside, in the cold, all night. Now it’s been a few days and… I’m not sure what’s going on in Katarina’s head. She has tried her best for the past few days to avoid me. She no longer comes down for meals. And I don’t force her to either. I get it. Maybe she needs some time. Maybe I scared her a little bit too much. Or, just the right amount. For a mate as strong-willed as Katarina is, she needs a hard hand. Only that a part of me is softening for her, making me question whether I took it too far. She hasn’t been to the academy. She barely comes downstairs. Roselyn comes down with most of the food she takes up to her. I’m worried. I know I shouldn’t be. But I am. I know that I shouldn’t care. But I do. I mean… caring could just be that. She stays under my roof, so I care that she’s well-fed.

KatarinaZane enters the kitchen.I react on instinct, dropping to my knees and crawling under the counter. He can’t see me yet—if he does, everything I’ve planned will be ruined. I hold my breath, willing myself to be as still as possible, not even daring to twitch. His wolf senses are sharp, but maybe, just maybe, he won’t catch my scent if I stay quiet enough. His footsteps come closer, and I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out my racing heartbeat.Suddenly, I hear his voice in my head, so clear and confident, saying, “I’ve caught you, Katarina. There’s no hiding place for you.” I feel a jolt of panic as if he’s already reached under the counter and dragged me out.But when I open my eyes, the room is still. Nothing but silence. I crawl out from under the counter slowly, my muscles tense, and scan the room. Zane is nowhere to be found. It was just in my head. Zane left, and I wasn’t caught.I’m relieved, but I can’t relax yet. I glance around the kitchen, and my eyes land on

ZaneI reach for the water, my gaze locked on Katarina’s. She looks nervous—too nervous. There’s something about the way she’s watching me that seems off. There’s an anticipation in her eyes, I can’t quite place it yet. I twist the cap off the bottle and lift it to my nose. A faint scent hits me immediately. Wolfsbane.My lips curl into a dark smile. Did she really think she could pull this off? The scent is unmissable to someone like me. I’ve lived through battles against wolf hunters. I know their tactics and mode of attack. I know how they think, what they do. I’ve spent most of my life protecting my clan from their countless attacks, and I’ve survived their assassination attempts too. I glance at her again, and I see the panic in her eyes as she wonders whether I’ve figured it out. But I don’t say anything. I won’t confront her yet. Instead, I deliberately take a long drink, downing the entire bottle.Her face is priceless—pure disbelief, maybe even a little fear. She must have be