Lahat ng Kabanata ng Lycan King's Cursed and Rejected Mate: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

MAYAAt that moment… I would have gladly chosen the shifters, but they seemed to shrink back as if they were scared of Mr Dupree.The alley fell into an eerie silence as Mr Dupree's imposing figure loomed at the entrance. My eyes darted between him and the shifters as my body grew tense with surprise and wariness.What is he doing here? And why are the shifters looking scared all of a sudden? He was a human; if anything, he should be the one backing away from them. "Why is no one answering me?" Mr Dupree chuckled; even that sounded sinister. "Is there a problem here?"The leader of the shifters shook his head. "No, there is not. We were just leaving," he muttered, raising his hands in defense.I watched as they turned and hurried away. As they disappeared from my line of vision, I found myself alone with Mr Dupree. A new kind of unease quickly overshadowed the relief I felt at the shifter's departure. I forced a nonchalant smile as I stepped back, trying to suppress the urge to run.

KAELThe cool mountain air slipped through the cracked window, stealing the warmth from the room but doing nothing to douse the fire raging in my chest. I stood at the arched pane with my palms braced against the stone sill, staring down at The Fangridge. Those jagged peaks that had guarded our pack for centuries. How many times have I stood here, certain of my path? And now? Now I’m holding a rival Alpha’s heir in my dungeons because I can’t let go of a ghost.Finn. The name scraped against my thoughts like claws on iron. I’d dragged him here four nights ago and chained him. I was convinced he knew where Maya had vanished to. Or maybe I was only trying to convince myself, because even if I denied it, I knew she left because of me. I could’ve stopped her, could’ve chosen her over everything else, but I didn’t, and it ate me from the inside. My knuckles whitened against the ledge. I could still see her face that night. I could still see her wide eyes that were filled with something wo

MAYAThe house was too quiet.The kind of quiet that presses against your eardrums and makes the blood in your veins sound like a drumline. I lay on my back in the middle of my bed, sheets kicked to the floor and tank top twisted up under my arms. My skin felt like it had been dipped in molten glass.First day of heat, and it’s already trying to kill me.Nanny’s voice floated in from the hallway. “Will you be alright by yourself?”I wanted to laugh. No, Nan. I’m a walking pheromone bomb, and the only thing keeping me from humping the furniture is sheer spite. Instead, I rolled onto my side, pressing my thighs together so hard my muscles trembled. “I’ll be fine,” I croaked. “Just… lock the door on your way out.”She hovered. I could smell her anxiety. “Humans are working on suppressants,” she said, fluffing pillows I didn’t need. “After graduation, we’ll find a clinic. There has to be a way.”I nodded into the pillow so I wouldn’t have to meet her eyes. Because science totally understa

MIRIAMI hunched over the scarred wooden desk in my cramped office behind the café. The hardcover notebook was opened in front of me. My pen scratched across the page:‘Excessive heat. Heightened arousal. Day-one symptoms mimicking day-three.’I underlined it twice, then flipped back through the cycles. Last month: mild fever along with manageable cravings. The month before: barely noticeable. But this? This was a wildfire.What changed? The question gnawed at me. Maya had promised to tell me everything about Ashbourne, but she’d clammed up tighter than a vault. I have to know what happened. What are you hiding, Maya?A knock rattled the door. I slammed the notebook shut. Sarah’s head poked in, “Mrs. Grayson? Someone’s asking for you at the counter.”I put the notebook in the drawer and locked it with trembling fingers. Panthers again? I sighed. I’d sent three limping home this week. My knuckles still ached. “They give you any name?”“Didn’t give one. Just… insistent.”I cracked my ne

MAYAMy fingers trembled slightly in his firm grip as I took his hands. What does he mean by expelling the energy? The question swirled in my mind, but the heat already building low in my belly drowned out any real curiosity. He guided me gently but purposefully to the full-length mirror propped against my bedroom wall, positioning me right in front of it. My reflection stared back. Xander stood behind me. His hands rested lightly on my shoulders. His breath was warm against my neck, and I could feel the familiar warmth creeping back into my body. The heat I’d thought had subsided for good after last night’s relief was coming back.“Look at yourself, Maya,” he murmured, sending shivers down my spine. “See how beautiful and desirable you are… Even the almighty White Throne Leader couldn’t resist you.”My breath hitched. How does he know? I was sure I hadn’t mentioned Kael’s name, let alone his title. The White Throne—Ashbourne’s heart. Panic flickered, but the surge of arousal pushed