Semua Bab The Alpha’s Bane : Bab 81 - Bab 90

The dining hall was quiet, save for the soft clink of cutlery and the thumping of boots on the ground as wolves strolled in. Kael sat at the head of the Elites’ table, his cloak dropped loosely over his chair. He rarely joined them for meals, but when he did, the room always felt heavier. No one spoke in the hall. But, when the Alpha was present, no one tried to whisper. Aria walked in late.Her boots tapped softly against the floor as she entered the hall, her eyes sweeping past the room quickly. She could feel him. His presence filled the space even without words, like a weight pressing against her chest.But Kael didn’t look at her. Not once.Her jaw tightened as she took a sit at the Shadows’ table, Mira and Lira on either side of her. She kept her expression blank, but inside, that silence was chaos. “He didn’t even glance at you?” She hit her plate louder. “Is this about the training? Did I push too far? No. He’s not winning this. If he wants to play cold, fine. Two can play

Kael stood by the window, one hand brushed the stone frame, the other at his side.The chamber was silent except for the faint hum of the night beyond the windows. A soft knock came at the door.“Enter,” Kael said, his voice low. The door creaked open, and Beta Darian stepped in. He shut it quietly behind him and stepped further into the room. “You dismissed everyone so quickly after the panel, I thought you might want company.”Kael didn’t look back. “Or you thought I needed a leash.”Beta Darian gave a short, humorless laugh. “Something like that.” He stepped closer, his boots made muffled sounds against the rug, and stopped a few feet away. “You look sick.” “I’m not,” Kael said without turning. “You don’t have to be,” Beta Darian said simply. “Your face gives you away.”Kael finally turned from the window, leaning back against the stone wall. His arms folded across his chest, his gaze cold and sharp. “Say what you came to say, Darian.”Beta Darian didn’t flinch. He had known Ka

Aria’s boots hit the damp earth with muffled thuds as she ran back towards Nightfang. The chatter of rogue lands were far behind her. She adjusted the strap of her twin blades at her hips, tugging her cloak tighter around her shoulders. She enjoyed every moment with Ruby. Every hug, every story, every laugh. “Nine years old already,” she thought with a faint, bittersweet smile.Now, the only thing waiting for her was the long run back to Nightfang… and him.She bit her lip at the thought.“Stop thinking about him. Stop it, Aria.”The could barely see through the canopy, but she knew these woods. She moved on instinct—leap over that fallen log, duck beneath that low branch, weave past the snare traps. Shadow had once taught her. But this time, instinct failed her.Her boot caught on something—wire? Root? She didn’t know—and she launched forward, hitting the ground hard. Pain lanced through her left arm as something sharp tore into her skin. She hissed through her teeth, rolling to he

The whispers started before dawn.Maids carrying laundry through the halls exchanged quiet glances. Guards at the gates paused mid-conversation when they saw her return before daylight, escorted by the Alpha himself. No one said anything outright, the Alpha’s last command about gossip still lingered like a warning. But their silence carried its own weight.The breakfast bell tore through Aria’s sleep. She shifted beneath the blanket, the soft pull dragging her fully awake. For a moment, she didn’t recognize the room.Not her room.Her pulse quickened. She turned her head, and nearly flinched.Kael sat opposite her, in a chair just a few feet away, elbows on his knees, his posture tense but controlled. His eyes were on her the second she opened her eyes. “You’re awake,” he said, his voice low, like he’d been waiting for her to open her eyes.Aria blinked at him, still sleepy. “I… yeah.”He leaned forward slightly. “Don’t move.”“Why…” she started. But he was already reaching for her

Aria walked out of Kael’s chamber with her hood pulled low, though it felt useless.The corridor was very bright, too open. She kept her head down, her hands shoved into her cloak as if she could hide the chaos in her chest. Every guard she passed looked at her, not for long, not enough to question her, but she could feel their eyes.They weren’t whispering, but they weren’t unaware either. Their stares made it clear, they knew something. She could almost hear their thoughts—on seeing why the Alpha had been with a rogue before dawn. They didn’t stop her.Of course, they wouldn’t. The Alpha had brought her in himself.She kept moving, her steps quick and quiet, until she reached her room door. She slipped inside, shut it fast, and leaned against it like she’d been running from something. Her chest rising and falling sharply. Her room felt suffocating.Her hands were shaking.“How?” she thought. She pressed her palms to her face, trying to steady her breathing.“How can the Moon do t