บททั้งหมดของ The Alpha’s Bane : บทที่ 151 - บทที่ 160

The control in him snapped. He caught her jaw in his hands, kissing her with a force that left her dizzy. His grip was no longer tentative, his hands roamed freely now, one pressed at her back beneath her shirt, the other climbed to the nape of her neck, tangling in her hair.Her fingers moved over his chest, fumbling at first, then bolder. She traced the hard lines through the fabric, then slipped beneath it, determined. His muscles tightened at her touch, his breath catching in his throat. When her hand pressed flat against his bare chest, right over his pounding heart, he stilled.“Do you feel that?” he asked hoarsely, his lips hovering over hers.She nodded, her fingers splayed against him. “It’s the same as mine.”He kissed her again, slower this time, their breaths mingling, their lips brushing slightly. Then, as though the chair was suddenly too small to contain the heat sparking between them, he shifted.In one smooth motion, Kael rose, lifting her with him as if she weigh

The first thing Aria felt was warmth. Not just the kind that came from the blanket over her, but the kind that came from Kael’s body beside her. His arm was wrapped loosely around her waist, his chest pressed against her back. His breathing was slow, deep, steady.For a while, she didn’t move. The world outside their small room was still quiet, no footsteps, no voices, just the faint morning air finding its way through the curtains. It was strange, almost unreal, to feel peace again.She turned slightly, careful not to wake him. Kael’s face was half-hidden by a lock of his dark hair, his jaw relaxed, his expression calmer than she had seen before. The lines that usually sat between his brows were gone.Aria reached out and brushed the hair away from his face. Her fingers lingered there, tracing the edge of his cheek. His skin was warm. Kael stirred a little, his arm tightening around her waist before his eyes opened slowly. For a second, he just looked at her, as if he needed to mak

Sun rays spilled faintly through the curtains, a reminder that the morning had come whether they were ready or not.Kael sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, his eyes lost somewhere around the stony ground. Aria watched him from where she stood, wrapping a loose strip of cloth around her arm. The silence between them wasn’t heavy, but it wouldn’t stay silent for long.Kael ran a hand through his hair while exhaling slowly.“I wonder what’s happening in Nightfang right now,” he breathed, his voice low. Aria glanced at him. “You mean what Darian’s doing?” she asked. Kael nodded. “He was always smart. Careful. If he’s sitting on that throne, he’s already twisting the council, the elders, everyone.”He straightened, then he turned to face her slightly, his jaw tight. “Every day we stay here, he cements himself as Alpha.”Aria pulled her cloak over her shoulders and walked toward him. “Then we stop him before that happens.”Kael gave a short, humorless laugh. “You make it so

Kael woke first.For a moment, he just watched her. Aria lay with her back turned, her shoulders rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. The faint morning light slipped in through the torn curtain, soft against her skin.He knew she hadn’t slept much. She’d been tossing earlier, her breaths too uneven for sleep.Kael reached out, brushing his fingers gently down her arm. “You awake?”Aria shifted a little but didn’t turn. “Have been for a while,” she murmured.“I figured,” he said. He moved closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him. His chest pressed to her back, and for a few seconds, neither of them said anything.“You didn’t sleep,” he said quietly.“I tried,” Aria replied, her voice low. “My mind wouldn’t stop.”Kael rested his chin on her shoulder. “About the council?”“About everything,” she admitted. “Nightfang. The rogues. What comes next.”He exhaled slowly, his breath brushing her neck. “You don’t have to carry all of that alone.”She turned s

“You may begin,” Elder Moren said. His voice was dry and hard, carrying easily through the hall. The old wolf’s grip tightened on his staff as he leaned forward, eyes like sharpened steel fixed on Kael. “Explain yourself.”The words hung between them, heavy as stone.Kael’s jaw moved once before he spoke. “The truth you were never told,” he started, voice even. “Nightfang’s fall began not with rogues or Silvermane rebels, but with Darian’s betrayal.”A ripple went through the chamber. Several elders shifted in their seats, murmuring. One of the younger ones frowned. “Beta Darian? The man who fought by your father until his last breath?” Kael inclined his head once. “The same.”Moren’s brow furrowed, deep lines cutting through his face. “You accuse your own blood?”“I accuse the one who destroyed my pack,” Kael replied. His tone didn’t rise, but each word struck clean and hard. “He orchestrated the slaughter of Silvermane, forged lies that branded their survivors rogues, and then use