Semua Bab REBIRTH OF THE STORMWOLF: Bab 31 - Bab 40

The day of the Alpha’s Ball dawned heavy, like the sky itself had been holding its breath all night.I wasn’t ready. Not for the spectacle, not for the stares, and certainly not for Karen’s smug smile that I knew would be waiting the moment we stepped foot into Darkclaw territory. My nerves coiled tighter with every tick of the clock.But I had my armor—the midnight blue dress. Sleek, elegant, powerful. For three weeks, I had convinced myself that maybe, just maybe, I could walk into that ballroom and keep my head high if I wore it. It had become my shield against the storm I knew was coming.So when I walked into my room to change and found my wardrobe doors flung wide open, the inside barren, the dress missing…My heart sank.I froze, staring at the empty space where the dress had hung. My breath hitched. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating—that maybe my nerves had made me forget moving it somewhere else.But no.It was gone.Cold dread pooled in my stomach, followed swiftly

The chandelier lights scattered brilliance across the grand hall, casting everyone in a glow that looked too perfect to be real. The music had shifted—slower now, sweeter, violins and pianos weaving a melody that practically begged couples to take the floor. My palms were damp against the silk of my gown, but I forced my spine straight as Kristen’s voice brushed close to my ear.“Dance with me.”It wasn’t a request. It was the kind of low, confident command that slipped past defenses and made refusal impossible. His hand extended, palm open, waiting. The weight of a hundred eyes pressed on me, but his gaze alone kept me from crumbling.I let my hand rest in his. Heat sparked immediately, traveling up my arm as he guided me to the center of the room. A hush rolled through the crowd—some curious, others scandalized. Kristen’s choice of partner tonight had not gone unnoticed, and I could practically feel Narvia’s glare stabbing holes into the back of my head.His hand pressed lightly aga

The hall still rang with echoes of violence. The scent of blood clung to the marble floors like a stain that could never truly be scrubbed away. Wolves in their fine suits shifted uncomfortably, their eyes flickering between the sprawled bodies of the assassins and me. My pulse thundered in my ears, yet the one moment replaying itself again and again wasn’t the fight.It was that wolf.The assassin who should have slit my throat instead dropped to one knee before me. His head bowed as if I were someone… something… worthy of reverence.And every Alpha in the room had seen it.A silence fell, heavy and suffocating. The air was thick with dominance, a room of Alphas radiating suspicion like blades aimed at my throat. My skin prickled, and I swore I could feel my wolf stir restlessly inside me—yet she wasn’t there. She had never been there. That, too, made the bow inexplicable.Karen was the first to strike. Her voice cut the silence like the crack of a whip.“You all saw it,” she said, h

The troubles of the night was long behind us leaving only chaos and shadows dancing along the stone walls. I sat curled in the far corner of Kristen’s study, my knees pulled to my chest, staring at nothing. I hadn’t expected him to summon me here tonight, not after the exhausting chaos of the ball, not after the whispers that still clung to me like smoke.But Kristen had been waiting.The silence stretched between us, heavy, unrelenting. I could feel his gaze on me—steady, searching, almost suffocating. At last, his voice cut through the quiet, deep and roughened by restraint.“Eliana.”I flinched at the way he said my name, like a man walking a thin line between patience and frustration.“Tell me the truth.” His jaw ticked, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the desk. “What is your involvement with Damon and Karen? Why do they look at you as if they know you better than anyone here?”The question sliced through me, dredging up wounds I had buried beneath scars. My

I woke to the soft rays of dawn bleeding through the curtains, the warmth of the morning sun brushing across my face. For a moment, I lay still, wrapped in the heavy silence of Kristen’s chambers, listening to the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing beside me. My heart stuttered at the realization that I was not dreaming—last night had been real. His arms had held me, his lips had claimed mine, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I had allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, I was wanted.I shifted slightly, and his arm tightened around me in his sleep, pulling me closer against his chest. My breath hitched as his lips brushed my temple unconsciously. Heat coursed through my body, scattering my thoughts. I knew I should pull away before I melted entirely, but my body betrayed me. I turned slowly to face him, drinking in the sight of his strong jawline, the soft shadow of stubble, and the serenity etched into his expression as he slept.Before I could stop myse