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Todos os capítulos de Alpha King's Luna: The Chosen Mate vs The Contenders: Capítulo 11 - Capítulo 20

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Chapter 11

"You're going to die."Seraphina's words sat in Aria's chest like stones. Three days had passed since the old witch said them, and they still hadn't moved. Not even an inch.Aria stood at the window of her room, watching the competitors train below. Her body had healed from the fight with Vivian. The bruises were gone. The cuts had closed. But something inside her felt cracked open and raw, like a wound no healer could reach."The next blood moon is in six months, child. The question is: are you willing to die to save the men you love?"She pressed her forehead against the cold glass."I don't even know if I love them yet," she whispered to no one.But that was a lie, wasn't it? She felt the bond pulling at her every second of the day. Two threads tied to her ribs, one warm and one cold, both tugging her toward men she barely knew but somehow couldn't live without.A knock at the door pulled her back."Aria?" Luna's voice came through, soft and careful. "They're posting the results fr

Chapter 12

"If you don't tell us who hurt you, we'll find out ourselves. And trust me, our methods won't be gentle."Orion paced the length of Aria's room like a caged animal. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles had gone white. Every few seconds, a growl slipped out of him, low and dangerous.Darius stood by the door, arms crossed. He hadn't moved since they brought Aria back. Hadn't spoken much either. But his silence said plenty.Aria sat on the edge of her bed, holding a cool cloth to her face. The healer they'd quietly called had given her salve for the bruise, but it would still take a day or two to fade completely."I told you," she said. "I fell.""And I told you that's a lie." Orion stopped pacing and faced her. "You think we can't tell the difference between a fall and a hit? I've seen enough fights to know what a fist does to a face.""It was an open palm, actually," Aria said without thinking.The room went silent.Orion's eyes went gold again. Darius pushed off the door and

Chapter 13

"Good morning, competitor Blackwood. I trust you slept well?"King Darius's voice was cold as winter steel. He stood on the raised platform overlooking the training grounds, arms behind his back, his face completely blank. Not a flicker of warmth. Not a hint of the man who'd held her through the night.Aria kept her expression neutral. "Very well, Your Majesty. Thank you."King Orion didn't even look at her. He was speaking with one of the judges, his posture stiff, his jaw set. When Aria walked past, he moved slightly—just enough to put more distance between them.It stung. Even knowing it was an act, it stung."Don't let it get to you," Blake said, falling into step beside her. "The kings treat every competitor the same. It's protocol.""I know.""You don't look like you know. You look like someone kicked your puppy."Aria forced a laugh. "I don't have a puppy.""You have a wolf. Close enough." Blake handed her a training schedule. "We've got two weeks before the next trial. The Tri

Chapter 14

"You seem different lately."Cade stood in the doorway of the library, watching Aria with those careful eyes of his. She'd been reading—or pretending to read—a book on pack law, using it as cover to study the political scenarios Darius had outlined for her.She looked up. "Different how?""Happier." He walked in and sat across from her. "For years, you've had this look on your face. Like you're waiting for the next bad thing to happen. But the last few days..." He tilted his head. "Something changed."Aria kept her expression steady. "Maybe placing third gave me a confidence boost.""Maybe." He didn't look convinced. His eyes dropped to her neck, and Aria's hand moved before she could stop it, tugging her collar higher. Too late."What's that?" Cade asked."What's what?""On your neck. Below your ear." He leaned forward. "Aria, is that a bite mark?"Her blood went cold. She'd been careful. She always checked in the mirror before leaving her room. But this morning she'd been rushed bec

Chapter 15

"You're distracted."Luna threw a training pad at Aria's face. It bounced off her forehead."Ow! What was that for?""You've been staring into space for ten minutes. We're supposed to be preparing for the wisdom trial, and you're off in dreamland." Luna dropped onto the grass beside her. "Talk to me."They were in the gardens, far enough from the training grounds that no one could overhear. The afternoon sun was warm, and the air smelled like roses and cut grass."I'm just thinking.""About your two secret mates who happen to be the kings?"Aria winced. "Keep your voice down.""There's nobody here." Luna scooted closer. "Aria, you've barely talked to me in a week. Every night you disappear. Every morning you come back looking like you've been—well, you know. And don't tell me it's training because training doesn't leave that kind of mark behind your ear."Aria slapped her hand to her neck. "I thought I covered that.""You did. It shifted when you bent over."Aria groaned. If Luna coul

Chapter 16

"Competitors, take your seats. The Trial of Wisdom begins now."The voice of the head judge echoed through the great hall. Fifty desks had been arranged in neat rows, each one holding a sealed envelope, ink, quills, and a stack of blank paper.Aria sat in the third row, her hands steady even though her stomach was not. Two weeks of preparation. Hours of Darius drilling scenarios into her head. Orion's encouragement playing on a loop in her mind.She could do this.The head judge—a gray-haired woman named Elder Maren—paced the front of the room. "Inside each envelope, you will find a political scenario. A crisis affecting two or more packs. You have three hours to write your proposal for resolution. Your solution will be judged on fairness, practicality, and understanding of pack law.""Begin."Fifty envelopes ripped open at once.Aria pulled out her scenario. Her eyes scanned the page.A territorial dispute between the Silvercrest and Ashwood packs. A river that served as their border

Chapter 17

"Disqualification is off the table."Darius said it like the words tasted rotten. He stood behind his desk, his hands flat on the surface, his jaw tight enough to crack stone.Aria sat in Blake's office, listening through the thin wall. She shouldn't have been eavesdropping, but Blake had left the connecting door open—on purpose, she suspected."How is that possible?" Orion's voice came through, hot with disbelief. "We have evidence. Crystal-clear evidence. She tampered with proposals.""And Knox has political cover that runs deeper than we thought." That was Blake, speaking from somewhere in Darius's study. "He called in favors from three council elders before the investigation even started. They're pushing for a reduced punishment—point deduction, not removal.""A point deduction." Orion laughed, but it was bitter. "She cheated. She sabotaged another competitor. And she gets a slap on the wrist because her father has friends?""Welcome to politics," Darius said.Silence. Then Orion

Chapter 18

"Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you saw."Darius sat behind his desk, hands steepled under his chin. Blake stood at his right. Orion leaned against the wall by the window, arms crossed, his whole body coiled like a spring.Aria stood in the center of the room. It was the first time all five of them—her, both kings, Blake, and now Cade, who hovered by the door—had been in the same room."Knox met with three figures outside the castle walls," Cade said. "Gray cloaks. No pack insignia. No markings at all. I couldn't see their faces.""When?" Darius asked."Eight days ago. Around midnight. He left through the service entrance near the kitchens.""And you're only telling us now?" Orion asked, an edge in his voice.Cade stiffened. "I told Aria. I assumed she'd pass it along."All eyes turned to Aria. She kept her chin up."I passed it to Blake the next day. He's been monitoring the situation."Blake nodded. "I have. And I've confirmed it wasn't a one-time meeting. Knox has lef

Chapter 19

"You've been watching me."Aria's voice was steady, but her pulse wasn't. She stood face to face with Knox in the herb garden, a place she'd chosen specifically because it was open and visible from a dozen castle windows.Knox raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?""Your daughter follows me. You ask questions about my bloodline. You show up wherever I am." She crossed her arms. "I'm not stupid, Beta Knox. What do you want?"For a moment, something sharp flickered behind his polished smile. Then it was gone, replaced by the warm, fatherly expression he wore like a mask."My dear girl, you're mistaken. I take an interest in all the competitors. As Royal Beta, it's my duty—""Your duty is to serve the kings. Not interrogate their competitors about dead mothers and white wolves."His smile thinned. Just barely. "You're bold. I respect that.""I don't need your respect. I need you to stop."She turned and walked away. Her back was straight. Her hands were shaking. She shoved them in her p

Chapter 20

"The girl knows."Knox's voice carried through the door of his private quarters. Aria pressed her back against the cold stone wall, barely breathing. She'd followed him from the dinner hall after noticing him slip away early, claiming a headache.She shouldn't be here. Darius would lose his mind if he found out. But she was tired of waiting for other people to gather information. Tonight, she was gathering her own."She confronted me in the gardens." Knox's tone was clipped. Annoyed. "Bold little thing. Asked me to stop watching her."Another voice—one Aria didn't recognize. Deeper. Rough. Like stone grinding on stone."Does she know about us?""Not specifically. But she knows I'm interested in her bloodline. And if the kings are feeding her information—""The kings don't know enough to be a threat. Not yet." The rough voice paused. "But the witch does. Seraphina has been guarding that knowledge for centuries.""Then we deal with the witch.""You don't deal with Seraphina Ravencrest.

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