Semua Bab To Love The Hunters Daughter: Bab 21 - Bab 30

EvelynI stood outside Rafe’s door, heart pounding so hard it felt like it might shake me apart. The bond thrummed in my veins, a steady, magnetic tug that made me want to reach for him — even if everything between us felt jagged and raw.Before I could second-guess myself, the door opened from the inside. Rafe stood there, framed in the dim candlelight, his presence so solid and commanding it stole my breath.He took one look at me, dark eyes searching, and stepped back to let me in without a word. The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt it — the bond pulsing with a low, steady heat that made my breath catch.He moved to the window, half-lit by the moon, the harsh lines of his face etched with exhaustion and a guarded wariness.His room felt like stepping into him. The air was heavy with his scent — cedar and smoke and something deep and wild, wrapping around me like a second skin. It was almost

RafeEvelyn’s scent still clung to my skin long after she’d slipped from my arms. Moonlight poured across the empty space where she’d been, mocking me with its cold purity while I burned.I stood there, fists clenched, replaying every second of her lips on mine — the way she’d gone pliant beneath me, the startled gasp when my hand closed around her throat, the taste of her tongue, warm and sweet and defiant.I had nearly lost myself. Nearly taken her right there, against the door, on the floor, wherever I could hold her tight enough that she’d never leave me again. It was a dangerous thing, this bond — wrapping around my ribs, coiling through my veins, tightening like an iron snare whenever she was near.Even now, I could still feel her on my tongue, a ghost of sweetness that made me half-mad. Her scent, soft and feminine and undeniably hers, was woven through my clothes, steeped in my skin.Damn it.A savage need rolled through me, clawing at every ounce of control I’d fought so hard

EvelynThe morning sunlight was harsh, stabbing at the edges of my skull like little knives. I winced as I rolled over, groaning. Apparently, Mara hadn’t exaggerated about that drink being “stronger than what humans could handle.”Still, when I thought back to the river — to laughing until my sides hurt, to opening up to Rafe in the quiet of my room — I didn’t regret a thing.I dragged myself up and washed, taming my hair into a loose braid before stepping out. The corridors felt different now. Less threatening. Familiar faces passed me in the halls, and though not everyone smiled, the suspicion in their eyes had eased.Mara found me before I could even think about hiding.“There you are!” she barked. “You’re helping today.”I blinked at her. “Helping with what?”Talia stepped up behind her, smirking. “The usual boring pack business. Unless you’d rather stay in bed, princess?”I snorted. “No, I’d rather be useful.”“Good.” Mara shoved a basket of supplies at me. “Let’s go.”We spent t

RafeThe hours between morning and dusk crawled like wounded prey, every minute weighted with the waiting.I went through the rituals in silence — plunging my hands into a barrel of freezing water, scrubbing until my skin went numb, tracing protective runes on my forearms with a ragged piece of chalk. The war paint felt heavy on my face as it dried, a mask to hide the fear I could never show.Nothing stilled the storm.Calder had challenged me.And he had done it over her.The pack was gathering before the sun had even begun to sink, eager, tense, hungry for blood. I could taste their excitement on the air, sharp and metallic.I stepped into the ring as the sun bled its final colors across the courtyard. Cassian stood off to one side, arms crossed, his face carved from granite, but there was worry behind his eyes.Don’t let this break you, he thought, and I felt the echo in our bond.

EvelynThe morning felt heavier than any before, pressing against my skin like an omen. Word of the fight had torn through the keep like wildfire, leaving only smoldering whispers and half-hidden stares in its wake.I sat on the edge of the bed, letting the echoes settle in my chest. Out there, somewhere, the pack was talking — about me, about Rafe, about whether he was still fit to lead because of me.No. I wouldn’t hide from this.I stood, braided my hair quickly, and stepped into the corridor. Mara was already waiting, arms crossed.“You’re up early,” she noted.“Couldn’t sleep.”“Yeah.” She sighed. “You should know… Calder’s supporters are still stirring shit. Some think the Alpha has lost his edge.”My stomach twisted. “Because of me.”Mara hesitated, then nodded. “You know how wolves are,