All Chapters of Adored by my ruthless alpha: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Zara’s POVMorning came like a cruel joke. My body hadn’t recovered from yesterday’s fight, yet Andre summoned me at sunrise. His voice thundered through the halls, dragging me out like I was nothing more than a pawn to be moved.The courtyard was colder than usual, the air heavy with tension. Warriors lined the edges, their eyes sharp with curiosity. They’d seen what happened yesterday. They’d seen me knock down one of their own. And now, they were waiting for me to fall, or for something worse.Andre stood at the center, hands clasped behind his back, expression carved from stone. But I recognized the gleam in his eyes. He was plotting something. Something dangerous.“Yesterday,” he began, his voice carrying over the crowd, “our little omega surprised us. She fought. She even landed a blow worth noticing.” His smile was sharp, cruel. “But a single spark doesn’t make a flame. Today, we’ll see if that spark burns or dies.”My stomach knotted.“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice ba

Zara’s POVThe air in the training yard was sharp with cold, though sweat already slicked down my back. I gripped the wooden staff tighter, trying to stop my hands from trembling. Three warriors circled me, wolves I didn’t know by name, but I could feel their eyes, hard and merciless, like vultures waiting for a carcass to drop.Andre watched from the shadows of the balcony, arms folded, expression carved in stone. His stare crawled across my skin like fire.This wasn’t training. It was an execution in disguise.“Ready, little omega?” one of the men sneered, twirling his staff easily.I swallowed hard and nodded, though my voice wouldn’t come. My heart pounded too loud in my chest. I knew this was another trap. Another chance for me to slip, to let the wrong side of myself show.I couldn’t afford it. Not again.“Begin,” Andre’s voice rang out, cold and sharp as steel.The first warrior lunged without hesitation. His staff cracked against mine, the force shuddering up my arms. I stagge

Zara’s POVThe morning after the council meeting, the palace felt colder. Not in temperature, but in spirit like every wall, every stone, every glance from the servants carried judgment.Whispers followed me more openly now. Servants paused in their tasks when I passed, their eyes narrowing, weighing, measuring. They’d heard Andre’s words, and that poisonous seed had already sprouted.I wasn’t just the quiet girl in the background anymore. I was the question hanging in the air.And Andre was the one who would demand the answer.By midday, a messenger summoned me to the training yard. The words alone made my blood run cold. My legs moved without my consent, each step dragging me closer to the inevitable.Marcus was already there, waiting. His arms were folded tightly across his chest, his jaw rigid as stone. He looked like a man trying to cage a storm inside himself.When his eyes met mine, his expression softened for only a breath. But the fury returned just as quickly when Andre ente

Zara’s POVThe palace had never felt so hostile. The walls whispered now, carrying rumors like a draft through every corridor. I felt them pressing in on me voices that lowered when I entered a room, eyes that lingered too long, breaths that caught in suspicion.Andre had won the first battle.And yet, Marcus held me together. His anger was a shield, but his presence was the only reason I hadn’t fractured completely. Still, every night I could feel him slipping further into rage, and I feared what would happen if he lost control.I couldn’t let him fight this war for me. Not when it was my secret drawing the knives.The council summoned us again at dawn. I knew it was Andre’s hand behind it; his needling never rested.Marcus’s jaw was a line of stone as we walked together down the echoing hall. His fingers brushed mine, grounding me, but even that touch couldn’t quiet the dread clawing at my chest.When we entered, Andre was already there, smiling faintly, as though he’d been waiting

Zara’s POVThe council chamber was a cage of stone and silence. Every step I took into it felt heavier, as though the walls themselves pressed closer with judgment. Torches flickered along the curved walls, shadows twitching across the banners of the Kingdom.Marcus strode beside me, his hand brushing mine in a quiet reminder that I wasn’t alone. But his jaw was tight, his eyes burning with a ferocity that warned me he was ready for war.Andre was already waiting, his smirk sharp as a blade. Around him, several councilors leaned forward with barely concealed anticipation. I saw it in their faces the eagerness to see me cornered, stripped, exposed.“Ah,” Andre drawled as we entered. “The King and his chosen queen. So glad you decided to join us. After all, truth waits for no one.”Marcus’s growl rumbled low, but he held himself back, guiding me toward the raised dais. My hands were cold, clenched at my sides. The note in my sleeve burned against my skin, reminding me of last night’s me