Alle Kapitel von Alpha Asher's Forbidden Mate: Kapitel 81 – Kapitel 90

The dagger tried to rip my soul out through the thin thread binding us.I felt it in my teeth, in my bones—a shrieking pull that locked my gaze to the blade in Damien’s hand. The vault trembled around us, dust raining from the ceiling in soft, choking clouds. My shadows coiled tighter around my body, climbing my ribs and throat like living armor.Damien staggered, his grin faltering as the dagger bucked in his grip. Blood streamed down his wrist, dripping onto the altar in thick, dark beads. Yet he refused to release it.“Feel that?” he rasped, eyes blazing. “It knows I’m worthy.”“No,” I whispered, the word scraping my raw throat. “It knows you’re stealing.”Riven’s voice cut through the chaos. “Aria, get back!”I barely heard him. Every instinct I had was locked on Damien. On the blade. On the terrible, perfect chance unfolding in front of me.I could end this now.The thought arrived cold and sharp. If I unleashed everything—every shadow, every ounce of power humming in my blood—I

The dagger tried to rip my soul out through the thin thread binding us.I felt it in my teeth, in my bones—a shrieking pull that locked my gaze to the blade in Damien’s hand. The vault trembled around us, dust raining from the ceiling in soft, choking clouds. My shadows coiled tighter around my body, climbing my ribs and throat like living armor.Damien staggered, his grin faltering as the dagger bucked in his grip. Blood streamed down his wrist, dripping onto the altar in thick, dark beads. Yet he refused to release it.“Feel that?” he rasped, eyes blazing. “It knows I’m worthy.”“No,” I whispered, the word scraping my raw throat. “It knows you’re stealing.”Riven’s voice cut through the chaos. “Aria, get back!”I barely heard him. Every instinct I had was locked on Damien. On the blade. On the terrible, perfect chance unfolding in front of me.I could end this now.The thought arrived cold and sharp. If I unleashed everything—every shadow, every ounce of power humming in my blood—I

The dagger pulsed in my hand like a second heartbeat.I staggered back a step, my fingers tightening instinctively around the hilt as heat surged up my arm. The chamber blurred. The voices around me—Riven shouting my name, Damien cursing somewhere to my left—faded into a distant echo. All that remained was the rhythm of the blade and the dark, liquid power pouring from it into my veins.The stone floor dissolved beneath my feet.I was standing on a battlefield.Cold wind tore at my hair, carrying the metallic scent of blood and smoke. Wolves lay scattered across a vast plain, their bodies twisted in death. Above them towered figures I somehow knew were ancient Alphas, their eyes blazing with the same shadowed fire that now burned inside me. They fought like storms given flesh, claws and steel flashing as they carved through an enemy I couldn’t quite see.The dagger vibrated, and one of the Alphas turned toward me.Her face was streaked with ash, her silver hair braided tight against h

“The heir is ours to test.”The words lingered long after the Fenrir messenger finished speaking. The courtyard felt smaller somehow, the torches dimmer, as if even the firelight understood the weight of what had just been declared.Riven stepped forward, his presence a wall at my back. “You’ve delivered your message,” he said coldly. “Now leave.”But the silver-eyed wolf didn’t move.His gaze remained fixed on me—not challengingly, not mockingly. Studying.As if I were a relic he’d been searching for.“You’ve seen enough,” Riven warned, a growl threading through his voice.“Have I?” the messenger replied softly.The dagger in my hand pulsed, answering him. My shadows tightened instinctively around my arms, whispering against my skin like restless spirits.“I’ll speak with him alone,” I said.Riven turned sharply. “Aria—”“I need to know what they think they see,” I finished quietly.A tense silence followed. Wolves shifted uneasily along the courtyard’s edge. Finally, Riven gave a cu

Damien’s whisper lingered long after he disappeared into the shadows.“She’ll never choose him.”The words pressed against my ribs as I descended from the battlements, the dagger warm in my hand. The courtyard had emptied, but the tension remained—thick, metallic, waiting for something to snap.“Aria.”I turned to find Liora standing near the archway leading to the healer’s quarters. Her silver-streaked hair was unbound, falling loosely over her shoulders. Her expression was not the calm mask she usually wore.It was guilt.“We need to speak,” she said quietly.Riven stiffened beside me. “Now?”“Yes.” Her gaze flicked to the dagger. “Especially now.”Something in her tone made my stomach tighten. I nodded and followed her through the winding corridors beneath the keep. The scent of dried herbs and crushed petals grew stronger as we descended into the healer’s chamber.Liora closed the door behind us.“What is it?” I asked.She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she crossed to a low s