All Chapters of Claimed by the Ruthless Wolf Slayer: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

ALEXANDER Alina’s throat rises and falls against the edge of my dagger. The blade is close enough that if she so much as twitches, it will open her skin. She knows it. That is why she stands there like stone, her chest barely lifting with each shallow breath, as if she is afraid that even the movement of air will cut her.The feeling in my chest is sharp and bitter, like I’ve swallowed something that burns on the way down. I hate it. Betrayal. Is that what it tastes like? It is not the exact same as when I learned my so-called father was the one who ordered the attack that killed my mother, but it is close enough to scrape against the same wound. And that alone is enough to make me want to tear something apart. I swore I would never let myself feel this way again, yet here I am, staring down at the one person who should never have given me a reason to.Because thanks to her, every time I close my eyes, I see her in someone else’s arms. My brother’s arms.Claude had better have the ki

ALEXANDERClaude didn’t bother looking up right away when I stepped into his office. His voice came flat and unimpressed when he spoke.“You’ve finally decided I’m worth listening to.”I ignored the jab for now, letting my eyes wander across the space. The room was exactly as I remembered it, same worn leather chair, same polished dark desk, even the same slightly crooked painting on the wall.It had been months since I’d been here, but Claude wasn’t one for change. He clung to the familiar like a man hanging onto a rope over a cliff. Every item here spoke of his need for control and stability, right down to the way his pens were aligned in a neat row.That alone told me something important, he wouldn’t try anything with Alina. Change wasn’t in his nature. And she had already said there was nothing between them. I should believe her. I should take her at her word. But the knot in my chest refused to loosen, no matter how much logic I threw at it.“I’m here to apologize.” The words cam

ALEXANDERThis trip was nothing but a pathetic attempt to outrun my own head. I told myself it was business. I told myself I needed the distance. Truth was, I needed to get Alina out of arm’s reach, because as long as she was close, she was in my blood. And I hated her for that.I thought crossing two continents would help. That if I put oceans between us, she’d fade. But every night, no matter where I was, she still came back to me in the shape of her voice, in the tilt of her chin, in the heat of her skin under my hands.Some nights it got so bad I couldn’t sleep unless I wrapped my fist around myself and took the edge off. Pathetic. And still, she’d be there the second I shut my eyes.Even the work I came here to do… I’d been dragging it out. Not because it was complicated but because finishing it meant going back.The door swung open without a knock, and Amanda shuffled in like she owned the damn place.Sheila had been in my life longer than I could remember, my mother’s nanny sin

ALEXANDERThe club is like dozens I’ve walked into over the years. Different places but still the same. Low red velvet couches, tables with stains that will never scrub out, women balancing trays in nothing but stilettos, and men in tailored suits leaning too far over poker tables as if proximity might change their luck. Most of them are losing more than they can afford. A few are winning, but even those victories are temporary; the house always collects.Casinos are never just casinos. They’re façades, bright distractions covering whatever the real business is. And tonight, I’m not here for the bright part. I’m here for the business. For the person who owns most of these dens.The moment my shoes hit the curb, I see him in a charcoal suit that probably cost more than most cars. He doesn’t bother with a greeting. Just presses a folded slip of paper into my hand and walks away without a backward glance. I don’t need to unfold it to know the contents.Tokyo air bites at the back of my t

ALINAWhen Lisa told me I was expected to have dinner in the dining room, I had a brief moment of panic. My mind instantly jumped to the possibility that Alexander was back and that he had been the one to request my presence.The idea made my stomach tighten. I was still trying to figure out where we stood after our last conversation, but every time I replayed it in my mind, I came up empty.The truth was, there was no predicting him. He could decide one thing now, only to change his mind seconds later, without warning or reason. He ran hot and cold on a whim, leaving me constantly unsure whether I was supposed to brace for his warmth or his frost.When I walked into the dining room, though, it wasn’t Alexander I found. Claude was seated in his usual spot. A tiny thread of hope tugged at me that maybe he would join us. My gaze kept flicking to the door without me even realizing it until Claude caught me.“Expecting someone?” His tone was light and teasing. His dark eyes glinting with