All Chapters of Bitten, Branded And Bare: Chapter 181 - Chapter 190

Lisa's POVI never thought the sound of hurried footsteps and muffled cries would shake me this hard, but it did. The packhouse corridors were filled with chaos that night, and every heartbeat felt heavier than the last. The faint coppery smell in the air made my chest constrict before I even reached the infirmary.I was just about to step inside when Mira’s frantic voice cut through the noise.“Lisa! Thank the goddess you’re here!” she cried, her eyes wide, sweat dripping down her forehead.“What’s going on?” I asked, but before she could answer, the sight pulled the words out of my mouth.Patients lay sprawled across beds and on the floor, their bodies jerking and trembling, blood seeping from their eyes, noses, and even their ears. Some choked on the thick fluid, some clawed at their skin as if something was eating them alive from the inside.It was a plague, one unlike anything I’d seen before.I swallowed hard, the

Lisa's POVI woke the next morning with my mind running in circles. Sleep had been light, broken by thoughts I couldn’t shake off. The night before had been overwhelming, and though part of me wanted to shove everything away and pretend none of it existed, another part knew I couldn’t keep avoiding the truth. If I was going to move forward with them—if I was even going to try—I needed answers. Not half-truths. Not evasions. I needed them to tell me why.By the time I walked down to the dining room, the smell of food drifted through the air, but I barely noticed. The table was laid neatly, sunlight spilling across polished wood, but my chest was heavy. They were all already there, waiting for me.Enzo’s eyes caught mine first—steady, unreadable. Atlas leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as if bracing for whatever storm I was about to bring. Ash’s head tilted slightly, the smallest crease between his brows, and Kael, restless as ever, tapped his fingers a

Irene's POVI slammed the door shut the moment I entered my room. My chest was heaving, my entire body burning with rage, my thoughts boiling in ways I could barely keep together. I ripped the pins from my hair and let it tumble down my shoulders, but instead of calming me, it only fueled the fire inside me. The scent of Lisa still lingered in the halls, faint but enough to mock me. Enough to remind me that my husband, my Alpha, had allowed her to live another day.I shrieked at the top of my lungs, the sound echoing in the chamber. The maids standing by the wall flinched, their eyes lowered instantly. My fury made the air thick, and I wanted to tear something apart. I grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it against the wall. It shattered, pieces flying everywhere.“Do you all stand there staring like fools while I burn with rage?” I snarled, my voice cracking. “Do you not see me? Do you not understand what I feel right now?”They dropped to their

Alpha Enzo's POVI sat in my study, the weight of silence pressing heavily around me. The fire in the hearth crackled, but it did little to warm me. My mind was restless, spinning through the endless maze of responsibilities, threats, and dangers that seemed to tighten around this pack with each passing day. I had been staring at the same map of our borders for nearly an hour, my thoughts circling the same dark corners: protection, defense, survival.The knock on the door came sharp and urgent.“Enter,” I said, my voice low but firm.The door opened, and Ash stepped inside, his expression tight. I could tell before he spoke that he wasn’t bringing me anything good. Ash rarely came into my study unless it was necessary, and tonight he looked like a man who would rather be anywhere else.“Alpha,” he said with a bow of his head.“What is it?” I asked, leaning back in my chair, though the tension in my muscles betrayed my calm facade

Irene's POV I lounged in front of my mirror, my head tilted slightly as I admired the way the crown perched above my dark curls. It wasn’t a real crown, of course—it was a gaudy little thing, gold-painted and studded with cheap crystals. Still, in the right light, with the right tilt of my head, I could almost see myself as the queen I had always thought I should be.“Fix the train,” I said sharply, waving a hand at my gown’s hem where the silk pooled unevenly.“Yes, Luna,” my maid stammered, her fingers fumbling to adjust the heavy fabric. She looked exhausted, her hands trembling slightly as she gathered the folds, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t my concern whether her arms ached or her knees hurt from kneeling.“Slower,” I hissed. “You’re wrinkling it. Do you know how long it takes for silk to lose a crease? Of course you don’t. You’ve never worn anything worth more than the dirt under your nails.”Her lips pressed together tightly, but