Semua Bab REJECTED BY THE ALPHA AWAKENED AS HIS QUEEN : Bab 21 - Bab 30

Plans of War, Whispers of BloodThe great hall of the Northern Keep had never felt so cold.War banners hung from the stone columns, their fabric stirring in a phantom wind. The hearth blazed, but its warmth didn’t touch the icy knot twisting in Aria’s gut.She stood near the long table, arms crossed, watching Kael and his captains argue over maps and battle lines.The vampire lord’s attack still haunted her the raw power behind its voice, the terrible hunger in its eyes. And the words it had spoken:“You will not seal us again, little Moonborn.”She wasn’t just fighting for survival anymore. She was fighting to prevent an ancient evil from rising again.Across the table, Kael’s gaze lifted drawn to her as if by instinct. For a heartbeat, the noise in the room seemed to fade.“You look restless,” he said quietly, approaching.“I’m thinking,” Aria replied. “They’ll come again. Stronger.”He nodded. “They will.”She glanced at the map. “You’ve fought rogues before. Even turned back a fe

Shadows of Pride and PowerThe sun had barely crested the horizon when the horns sounded again.Aria stood atop the blood-stained stones of the canyon, watching the scouts rush back toward the keep. Their faces were pale, eyes wide.“The true force is moving,” one breathless warrior reported to Kael. “Thousands. Vampires. Bloodspawn. And worse.”Kael’s jaw clenched. “How long?”“Hours, at most.”A cold wind swept through the canyon, carrying with it the sharp tang of magic and death.Aria’s fingers closed around her pendant. She could feel it power stirring in the distance, dark and hungry.Kael barked orders to his commanders, already shifting the pack’s position. Aria moved to help, but Kael stopped her with a glance.“You’ve done enough for now,” he said. “Rest. Regain your strength.”Anger sparked in her chest. “Enough?” she echoed. “You saw what I can do. You can’t bench me now.”Kael’s gaze hardened. “This isn’t about pride, Aria. It’s about war. I won’t risk you when the enemy

Scars and SecretsThe battlefield lay quiet.The Blood Wraith was gone banished by the combined force of Kael’s blade and Aria’s mark. The ground still smoked in places, the sharp tang of magic and blood hanging in the dawn air.Around them, the warriors of the Northern Pack gathered the wounded and burned the fallen bloodspawn. The war drums had ceased. The whispers of fear gave way to awe.“She did it,” some murmured, watching Aria.“She stood with the Alpha King,” others said.But Aria heard none of it.She knelt beside one of the fallen Ronan, a young scout she’d seen only once in training. His chest had been torn open by a Blood Knight’s blade. Too many others lay still across the field.Her heart ached.Sera approached quietly. “You should rest.”Aria shook her head. “Not yet.”She stood, scanning the camp. Her gaze found Kael across the field, issuing orders, his posture tense, his face unreadable.Their eyes met.The tension between them was no longer simple it wasn’t ju

Shadows on the RoadThe dawn broke thin and gray, mist curling through the trees as the small envoy rode out from the Northern Keep.At the head rode Aria, her cloak snapping in the wind, her silver pendant cold against her chest. Beside her, Sera kept watchful pace. Behind them came two of Kael’s most trusted scouts and three veteran warriors silent, hardened men who knew the roads beyond the kingdom.Kael had stood at the gates to see them off. Their parting had been brief, words few and measured."Return safe," he’d said. Not as her king. Not even as her mate. But as something quieter, something that still burned between them.Aria had only nodded and mounted her horse.She could still feel the weight of his gaze as they’d ridden into the trees.But she could not afford distraction. Not now. The message they carried could mean the difference between unity and ruin.As the sun rose higher, they passed through the outer woods, taking the old eastern road toward the first pack outpost

Echoes of the PastThe envoy pressed eastward.The lands of the Eastern Clans were colder, rougher hills carved by ancient rivers, valleys shrouded in morning mist. Word of Aria’s journey had spread faster than expected. They were met at each outpost not with suspicion, but curiosity… and fear.Riders whispered of strange attacks along the border entire patrols vanished without a trace. Villages left empty, blood on the stones but no sign of who or what had done it.Aria listened carefully, each new tale feeding a deeper certainty: Velkar’s masters were moving. The Council’s silence only proved it.By the third day, they reached the heart of the Eastern Clans a circle of great stone pillars surrounding a broad field, used for ancient councils of war.Aria dismounted and stepped forward. Warriors in pale furs watched her with wary eyes. Among them stood Eira, a young chieftain with silver tattoos across her throat.“You come with Ravenshadow’s token,” Eira said. “But do you come for