Lahat ng Kabanata ng Mooncursed: Fated to the Alphas: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

With his hand grazing my inner thigh, I froze, every nerve in my body alight, trembling beneath the weight of his touch. His palm was warm, deliberate, sliding slowly upward as though he had all the time in the world to claim me. A sharp breath escaped me, my lips parting as my knees threatened to give way. “Draven—” I whispered, but his name came out broken, caught between a plea and a warning. His eyes darkened, burning down into mine like he could devour every thought I tried to hide. “Say my name again.” The command in his tone sent a shiver racing down my spine. My chest rose and fell too fast, my pulse hammering in my throat. “Draven…” softer this time, but heavy with the ache building inside me. His lips hovered dangerously close, not quite touching, but his breath ghosted over my skin, feeding the fire pooling low in my stomach. His thumb traced along my hip, then pressed firmer against the curve of my waist, holding me in place as though I belonged there, trapped

The gown clung like it had been poured over me. A pale green silk threaded with ivory lace that left my shoulders bare, the neckline just low enough to make me fidget in the mirror. The bodice hugged my waist, cinched tight by Clara’s careful fingers, before the skirt spilled down in soft folds that whispered with each breath I took.Clara had tugged my hair free from its braid, letting the loose white strands fall like winter snow around my face and down my back. For a moment, I hardly recognized myself.I’d grown up thinking of my hair as something odd, something that made me different. Now, against the soft sheen of the gown, it looked deliberate, almost regal.Clara stepped closer, fastening a delicate chain around my throat. The pendant, a single teardrop emerald, rested at the hollow of my collarbone, cool against heated skin. She added simple earrings, then stood back, her lips curving into the first real smile I’d seen from her.“You look—Radiant my lady,” she whispered, almos

The laughter across the hall gnawed at me. It was bright, almost shrill, a sound that felt designed to slice through the quiet churn of my thoughts. Daemon leaned down toward the black-haired she-wolf, his lips close to her ear, and she tilted her head back, smiling wide enough to show every tooth. My jaw clenched before I realized it. “Your drink, my lady.” Clara’s voice drew me back. She handed me a glass, the red liquid sloshing just shy of the rim. Wine, rich and thick, smelling faintly of spice and oak. I took it, hoping it might settle the twisting in my stomach. It didn’t. My eyes still flicked back to Daemon, no matter how much I told myself to stop. The way his hand rested lazily against the woman’s hip, the careless tilt of his grin, the fact that he wasn’t looking at me anymore, all of it bit deeper than it should have. I hated that it mattered. I hated that his absence burned almost as much as his presence. Clara leaned closer, her voice soft enough not to carry. “I

The garden air was cooler than inside, crisp enough that it raised goosebumps along my bare arms. I was grateful for the distance from the hall, but not for the man walking beside me. Darius stopped near the fountain, his hands clasped behind his back, face unreadable in the moonlight. He didn’t bother looking at me right away, and somehow that made the silence worse. “So much for keeping to yourself,” he said finally, his tone flat but cutting. I swallowed, my mouth dry. “I didn’t ask for her attention.” “You didn’t stop it either.” His eyes flicked to me now, dark and steady. Anger prickled under my skin. “What was I supposed to do? Fight her in front of everyone?” “You know, you have a thing about attracting unwanted attention yourself so you should have stood your ground.” His voice dropped lower, sharp as a blade. “Instead you let my brother play his little games, and her claws nearly found your face.” My stomach twisted, shame and frustration warring inside me. I w

A soft knock roused me from sleep. For a moment I didn’t move, half-hoping it was a dream. But then it came again, steady, polite, tugging me out of the fog I had wrapped myself in.“Rain?” A girl’s voice. Gentle, deferential. Not Clara. “I was sent to prepare you for breakfast.”My heart sank. Breakfast. I didn’t escape after all.I sighed pushing myself upright, the blanket slipping from my shoulders. My hair was a pale tumble around me, knotted from sleep, my skin still warm from the fire that had burned low through the night. The room smelled faintly of smoke and lavender soap, but underneath, the heavy musk of wolves lingered, reminding me where I was.“Come in,” I said softly, my voice still rough.The door creaked open and a young maid stepped inside, balancing a folded gown over her arm. She bowed her head before speaking. “Lord Draven has requested your presence. It is customary for the ladies of the house to dine together during the summit.”Of course it was. Another traditi