Semua Bab Lycan's Mate : Bab 81 - Bab 90

*Starblood pack — Council Hall, Late Morning*Crystal stood beside Ryder, her hands clenched lightly at her sides, feeling the tension coil in her chest. Warriors shifted uneasily, the murmur of voices quiet down as the heavy doors swung open.Alpha Thorne of Greenwood Pack entered. His expression was serious.“Alpha Ryder,” Thorne said, his voice sharp, cutting through the silence. “We have trouble. Greenwood has been attacked.”Crystal’s stomach tightened. She could feel her wolf stirring beneath the surface, restless and uneasy. “Attacked… again?” she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.Thorne’s jaw tightened. “Yes. Wolves were found dead, arranged in a pattern. The Silver Fang are moving. This isn’t random, it is a warning. They want to test our strength, and your loyalty, Flame.”Ryder’s golden eyes narrowed. “How bad?” he asked, voice low but firm, carrying the authority of a king.Thorne’s ga

The journey went on for hours. The winter forest seemed endless. Starblood wolves padded in silence most of the way, their breath misting in the cold. Crystal walked beside Ryder. Ethan and Luca trailed just behind, Alia and Thalia close to their mates. No one spoke much after the last rest stop… the weight of where they were going was immense. At last, Ryder slowed. His nostrils flared. “We are here,” he said quietly, his voice loud enough for the group to hear. The Shadow Pack’s borders stood ahead. No grand gates or banners but with a natural barrier… jagged black pines pressing close together, almost choking out the light. A thin mist curled along the ground, clinging to their ankles. The land itself felt different. Crystal’s ears twitched. She could hear faint pawsteps moving in the mist, circling. The air carried scents of moss, and smoke.

*Starblood dungeon, deep night*The dungeon was silent now, the echoes of broken chains and shouts had long faded. The cold bit through her thin clothing, but Lesley barely noticed. The chill made her skin tingle, sharpening her senses. Lesley sat on the cold floor, one wrist still marked by the faint redness of silver scars, the other free after snapping the chain the other time.Her still violet eyes glowed softly in the dark. Her wolf prowled inside her, restless, hungry, its energy tangled with her own anger and Elira’s lingering influence.She had survived the chaos, had been held only by sheer force of will and the guard’s desperate hands. She remembered the look of fear on their faces, the way their knees had wobbled when she had unleashed even a fraction of her strength. That fear, that realization of her power, made a dark smile curl across her lips.But now, in the quietness, she heard the whispers return. N

The path was thinner as the group ascended the final ridges. Crystal’s legs ached, but the sight before them made every step worth it. The temple stood atop the peak, carved from stone, ancient and awe-inspiring. Its walls were covered with runes, glowing faintly in the early morning light, and paintings of wolves, and flames intertwining in ways she could not fully comprehend. The carvings seemed to stare back at them. Crystal’s chest tightened at the history, a mixture of reverence and an unspoken warning threading through her thoughts.Ryder moved at her side. Every now and then, he would glance at her, his golden eyes piercing her. The others followed closely behind, Darius and Evren leading the way, their steps confident over the jagged rocks. Crystal felt the unity of the group, and the unspoken reliance on one another.As they reached the temple entrance, Crystal gasped. The doorway was framed with carved flames, twisting upward, and the stone beneath her fingers as she touc

*Inside the Temple, After the First Trial*They stood where the illusions had left them. The stone altar still glowed faintly.Crystal leaned into Ryder, her body visibly shaken from the vision’s hold. His arm held her, and though he said nothing, his golden eyes dared anyone to even look at her too long.Darius’s jaw clenched, his wolf bristling beneath his skin. Crystal noticed Evren seemed tense than the rest, and the way his gaze flicked toward her.Before she could ask questions, the altar shifted from its place.The stone floor beneath it, cracked open into four separate paths, each archway framed with glowing runes that thrummed in the form of flames. A voice filled the chamber.“Those who entered together must divide. Bonds will be tested. The paths will judge not what you fear, but what you can endure.”The runes flared, and the paths shone with different lights.One was red.Another light was soft green, giving the view a forest at dusk.The third was pale white.The last s