All Chapters of THE COLD WOLF'S MATE : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Liora’s POVI watched Elara storm away, her footsteps echoing through the stone corridor like the stubborn thud of a heartbeat that refused to die. She was furious—good. Let her burn with it. Let her sink into that fury and isolation now that she’d finally realized the gilded cage Kael kept her in wasn’t protection—it was possession.I lingered by the door to her old room, fingers brushing the frame. For a brief moment, I remembered the first time she had been dragged in here—meek and shaking, clutching her old dress like it was armor. That version of Elara had known her place. That Elara hadn’t looked me in the eye, hadn’t dared to call me by name.But now? Now she strutted around in silk and silver, her lips curved in defiance and her voice laced with a dangerous sort of confidence.That wouldn’t do.I turned on my heel and made my way toward the far end of the servant wing, where the walls grew narrower and the scent of coal and damp stone clung to everything. Past the laundry room

Elara’s POVThe next day came too quickly. My arms still ached from yesterday’s washing, and my head throbbed from the confrontation, but there was no room for weakness in this place—not when people like Willow and Raven were watching and waiting for any opportunity to tear me down again.I got up before dawn, slipping out of the servants’ quarters before anyone could see me. The halls were still cloaked in silence. The only sounds were the soft creak of my worn-out slippers and the occasional crackle of torch flames licking against stone walls. I needed a moment to breathe—away from the accusing stares and hushed whispers.I ended up at the side garden—one of the places not frequently visited at this hour. It was tucked behind the eastern wall, sheltered and quiet, the flowers blooming in spite of the suffocating palace walls. I liked to think of this spot as a pocket of defiance—fragile, but stubbornly alive. It reminded me of myself.I crouched by the lily bushes, letting my finger

Elara’s POVI sat in Kael’s chamber, my fingers curled around the glowing pendant like it was the only thing anchoring me to reality. The flames in the hearth danced in the silence between us, casting shadows on the walls and deepening the hollowness in my chest. My heart thudded against my ribs—too loud, too wild—like it knew something I didn’t.I couldn’t breathe.The words he had spoken felt like daggers tearing through every piece of truth I had ever clung to. Not an omega. Not just a servant. Not even the daughter of the man I believed had died for me.I was something else—something Kael was afraid to name. Something even the Alpha King had hunted. Something cursed and chosen.Chosen.The word felt like mockery in my head.I stared down at the pendant in my hand. The silver looked dull, worn down by time and secrets, but the rune at the center pulsed like it was alive. Like it recognized me. Like it belonged to me. My fingers traced the edge absently, my heart caught between disb

Kael’s POVI’ve faced witches who could peel the soul from a body and wear it like silk.I’ve faced men who’d slit your throat with a smile.But nothing—nothing—has ever turned my blood to ice like watching Elara vanish before my eyes.One moment she was there, the next… gone.No, not gone. Taken.The air in the tannery was wrong. It was thick, warped. Like the world itself was breathing against my skin. My hand went to my blade, my other gripping the pendant at my throat. The runes carved into it flared, fighting something unseen.“Elara!” My voice tore into the gloom, but it sounded smothered, swallowed.The man wearing her father’s face didn’t flinch. His eyes were pools of black, his smile stretching like it belonged to something with too many teeth.“You’re too late, Alpha,” he said, his voice silk over steel.“Bring her back.” I took a step forward, the floor groaning under my weight.“She’s going where she belongs.” His head tilted, almost curious. “Did you really think you cou

Kael’s POVThe forest was breathing.Not in the way trees swayed or leaves whispered, but in a slow, deliberate rhythm. It was like the entire place had a pulse. I could feel it under my skin, in my head, in the space between each thud of my heart.My grip tightened on my sword, but the damn thing kept flickering — solid one moment, transparent the next.“Elara!” My voice cracked the heavy silence, but the forest swallowed it up like it didn’t want her name spoken here.A shadow darted to my left. I swung — steel sliced nothing but air.I didn’t care. I wasn’t leaving without her.My mind felt… off. Every sound was too sharp. Every movement left ghostly trails. The scent of her was everywhere — too sweet, too vivid. I caught a glimpse of her up ahead — her pale dress, loose hair — moving between the trees.“Elara!”She didn’t turn. She walked deeper into the woods, into the mist that curled like living fingers.I followed, my boots sinking slightly into damp earth. The deeper I went,