Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed By The Big Bad Alpha : Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 83

The room felt warmer than the rest of the palace I’ve been walking around since I left.I don't know if it was the walls, the lighting, or just the way he was holding me—but something about it made my heart ease.He didn’t say anything at first. Just placed me gently at the edge of the bed, like I might break again if he let go too fast.His hands hovered—like he didn’t want to stop touching me, but didn’t know how to ask if he could stay close.And then he dropped to his knees.Right in front of me.I blinked down at him, unsure if the pounding in my head was louder than my heart.“I’m sorry,” he said, slowly, his eyes gauging for my reaction, probably checking if I'm still mad. . “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. Like you were being traded, or displayed, or... like an item.”His brows pulled together, his jaw clenched. But his voice cracked a little when he said, “I wouldn’t survive it if I lost you.”I stared.I didn’t move. I couldn’t.He was really kneeling. I know the a

Tristan was gone when I woke up the next morning.The linens still carried his warmth, the faint scent of him clinging to the pillows, but his presence had slipped away with the early morning light. I blinked against the gold spilling through the tall windows, then sat up slowly, brushing my fingers over the empty space beside me like I could pull him back with touch alone.That was when I saw the note.Folded neatly on the bedside drawer, its edges crisp and unmoved by the wind slipping through the window. I reached for it with a strange softness, as if expecting the paper to carry his voice.Training ground. Don’t overthink. I’ll see you soon. —T.A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth despite everything twisting inside me. He always knew when I was overthinking—when something was brewing behind my quiet.I rose from the bed, body aching in places I didn’t want to think about, and padded barefoot to the closet.3 days to the fight, I have to make progress today, I have to st