Semua Bab The Alpha’s Reluctant Mate: Bab 21 - Bab 30

The days that followed were a blur of whispered conversations and lingering glances. The Nightfall Pack’s unease was palpable, and I could feel the weight of their suspicion pressing down on me. Even the air seemed heavier, as if the very atmosphere was charged with tension.In the training grounds, the tension was palpable. Warriors moved with a calculated precision, their eyes flicking toward me with a mix of curiosity and caution. Derick’s presence was a constant thorn, his disdain for me no longer veiled.“Moonborne,” he sneered one afternoon, his voice low but carrying. “A title that brings more questions than answers.”I met his gaze, unflinching. “Better questions than blind obedience.”His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more, turning away with a scoff. Kane remained distant, his presence a constant yet unreachable force. Our interactions were brief, professional, and devoid of the warmth that once lingered between us. I couldn’t help but wonder if the bond we shared was f

KANE’S POVLater that night, I found myself outside, walking the perimeter as I always did when my thoughts refused to quiet. The moon hung low in the sky, bleeding silver across the treetops. I thought of Ivy being alone, hunted by whispers, her every step shadowed by doubt. And though my heart didn’t ache for her, not in the way they assumed… something inside me stirred uneasily.I didn’t trust her, not entirely. But I trusted fate even less.The scrolls were clear. The Moonborne were celestial vessels, not mere wolves with gifted magic. They were tied to the fabric of the stars, and their deaths, violent and unjust could rupture the veil between worlds. The last time it happened, our ancestors spoke of rifts in the skies, beasts born of starlight and ash, entire forests swallowed in silence.The elders knew this. They were choosing to forget or they believed they could contain the chaos.Old fools.As I approached the western wall, I caught the scent of something acrid like a burnt

IVY'S POVDarkness clung to me like a second skin.I didn’t know how long I’d been unconscious, but when I came to life, the world felt different. It felt sharper and heavier. My body ached, every nerve ending tingling with residual energy. The ground beneath me was scorched, the air thick with the scent of ozone and something ancient.I sat up slowly, wincing as pain lanced through my limbs. Memories of the explosion of power flooded back, the voice whispering, “You cannot outrun the moon,” the blinding light, and Kane’s panicked shout.I turned my head and found him a few feet away, crouched, watching me with a mixture of caution and something else like fear.“Are you okay?” he asked, keeping his voice low.I nodded slowly, though I wasn’t sure if I was telling the truth.“What happened?” I whispered.“You lost control,” he said. “Your power… it surged.”I looked down at my hands, half-expecting to see them glowing. They looked normal, but I could still feel the hum beneath my skin.

IVY’S POVThe morning sun should have chased away the shadows. But instead, they gathered, so thick and strange. The light was golden, but it felt cold.I tightened my grip on Kane’s hand.“Those things,” I said quietly, “they’re not wolves, are they?”He didn’t answer immediately. His jaw was clenched, shoulders squared. The weight of his dream still lingered in his eyes.“No,” he said at last. “They’re worse, worse than wolves.”Figures emerged from the trees again. They are tall, fast, and unnaturally silent. Not rogue wolves. Not any kind of shifter I’d seen before. These things were cloaked in darkness, eyes glowing faintly like embers. Their limbs were too long. Their movements, were too smooth.“Spectres,” Kane whispered. “Moonless-born. Shadows summoned by those who’ve severed their bond to the Goddess.”I swallowed hard. “I thought they were a myth.”“So did I.”There were five of them, circling slowly, hunger rolling off them like heat. My power stirred again, uncoiling from

IVY’S POVThe scent of dried herbs and blood clung to the room like an unwanted guest. My skin itched beneath the bandages, and my body ached in places I hadn’t realized were even touched. But I was alive, just barely.A healer came and went, quiet and efficient, her eyes darting to me but never lingering. Like she didn’t know whether to treat me as a patient or a threat.I didn’t blame her.I kept replaying it, Joe’s voice, the gleam of his dagger, the look of certainty in his eyes when he tried to kill me. Not because he hated me personally, but ecause he thought he was doing the right thing.The terrifying part was… I could almost understand that kind of loyalty. That kind of desperation to protect something sacred. But that didn’t make the betrayal hurt any less.Especially knowing he wasn’t the only one who felt that way towards meBy the time Kane returned, I had forced myself out of bed, even if my legs trembled with every step. I needed control, I needed dignity, I needed to f