All Chapters of Masked Desire: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

I stay on my knees, my breath coming in short, desperate gasps. The stone floor feels cold against my palms, but everything else burns. My skin, my throat, my chest—everything is on fire from the inside out.The pressure around me grows heavier with each passing second. I can feel them before I can see them clearly. Three distinct presences moving toward me like predators closing in on wounded prey.Ivan appears first in my line of vision, his dark eyes wide with something that looks like shock. Then Avalon steps into view from the other side, his usual composed expression replaced by confusion and something hungrier. Finally, Kaelen emerges from behind me, his face unreadable but his movements careful and deliberate.They each stop a few feet away from me, forming a loose circle that feels more like a trap than protection. My head pounds as their heartbeats thunder in my ears, each one trying to match the rhythm of my own racing pulse."What is this?" Ivan mutters, his voice strained

Jason's POVI run.My ceremonial robe clings to my skin, heavy with heat and everything that just happened. Ivan's touch still burns on my lips, on my skin where he pressed me against the wall. My chest hurts from more than just running. Shame and confusion and this maddening bond claw at me from the inside, making it hard to breathe."Get away," I whisper to myself as I stumble through the corridors. "Just get away."The halls are mostly empty now. Everyone else is still at the ceremony, celebrating their new bonds, their perfect matches. Not running away like a coward. Not falling apart like I am.When I reach my dorm, my hands shake so bad I can barely get the key in the lock. I fumble with it, nearly breaking it as I try to open the door. Finally, it turns and I shove myself inside.I slam the door shut behind me and lean against it, breathing hard. My legs give out and I slide down to the floor, my back against the wood. The trembling won't stop. My whole body shakes like I'm cold

Jason woke later than usual, his body heavy with exhaustion despite having slept through the night. Every muscle ached like he'd been fighting for hours. The soreness spread from his shoulders down to his legs, remnants of something that hadn't healed since the ceremony. His omega status felt raw under his skin, exposed and tender.He rolled over and pressed his face into the pillow. The bond hummed beneath his skin, steady and insistent. It never stopped. Even in sleep, he could feel the pull of three alphas somewhere in the building. The weight of their shared punishment pressed down on his chest like a stone."Two weeks," he whispered to the empty room. "Just two weeks."But even as he said it, he knew it would feel like forever.Jason dragged himself out of bed and got dressed. His hands moved slowly, like they belonged to someone else. Everything felt deliberate and careful, like he might break if he moved too fast. The reflection in his mirror showed hollow eyes and pale skin. H

I'm still lying on my bed when the knock comes again, softer this time. My body feels like it's made of lead, but my mind won't shut up. The pull under my skin hasn't stopped since the ceremony. If anything, it's gotten worse."Jason."Avalon's voice cuts through the door, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Of course it's him. I don't move, don't breathe. Maybe he'll just go away."Jason, I know you're in there."I drag myself up from the bed, every muscle protesting. My hand hovers over the door handle for a long moment before I finally open it.Avalon doesn't push past me like I expect. He just stands there in the doorway, looking me over with those sharp eyes of his. The silence stretches between us, heavy and restless. I can feel the bond humming in the space between our bodies, and it makes my skin crawl."What do you want?" I ask, my voice rougher than I mean it to be."What are you doing to yourself?" he asks back, stepping closer to the threshold. "Why do you keep pretending? Why do

Jason squinted through the darkness, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. The two men standing beside Kaelen were definitely familiar. He'd seen them during the ceremony, important-looking pack leaders who had come to inspect everything and make sure it all went smoothly. But what were they doing here, in the middle of the night, talking to Kaelen like they were planning something? His stomach twisted with unease. The whole thing felt wrong, sneaky in a way that made his skin crawl. They were clearly trying to stay hidden, speaking in hushed tones and glancing around like they didn't want to be seen. *What business could they possibly have with Kaelen?* Jason wondered, pressing himself lower against the rooftop edge. *And why are they being so secretive about it?* From his position, he couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see their body language clearly enough. The councilmen were doing most of the talking, gesturing with their hands while Kaelen mostly listened