All Chapters of The Lycan Kings and their Wolfless Luna: Theirs to Ruin : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

King Aiden's POVThe healers arrived within minutes but it felt like hours while I knelt beside Aria's unconscious body with my hands hovering uselessly over her because I didn't know if touching her would make things worse. Dr. Marcus pushed through the door first with his medical bag already open and his face set in the kind of grim determination that made my stomach drop."Move aside," he ordered without ceremony.I shifted back but didn't go far because leaving her side felt impossible right now. Ryker stayed rooted to his spot on her other side with his hand still pressed against his own chest where his mark connected him to her suffering. Caden stood at the foot of the bed with his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle jumping beneath his skin.Dr. Marcus placed two fingers against Aria's throat to check her pulse before pulling back the collar of her nightgown to examine the mark. His expression darkened immediately when he saw the black veins spreading outward from wher

Aria's POVThe morning light filtered through the curtains in pale strips that did nothing to warm the cold knot in my stomach. I sat on the edge of my bed with my hands folded in my lap because keeping them still was the only way to stop them from shaking. The mark on my neck throbbed with a dull ache that had become constant over the past few hours, a reminder that time was running out whether I wanted to face it or not.Nora had brought breakfast an hour ago but the tray sat untouched on the dresser because food felt impossible when my throat was tight with anxiety. She'd looked at me with those worried eyes before leaving, probably sensing that something had shifted during the night while I'd tried to run and failed spectacularly.Ryker had been waiting at the border like he'd known exactly where I'd go and when I'd get there. He hadn't said much, just stood there in the moonlight with his arms crossed until I'd finally turned around and walked back on my own. The defeat of that m

King Aiden's POVPain exploded through my skull when I opened my eyes to find myself staring at the ceiling from an angle that meant I was still on the floor. Everything hurt, from my ribs that screamed with each breath to my back that felt like someone had taken a hammer to my spine. The last thing I remembered was reaching for Aria before something hit me hard enough to turn the world sideways."Don't move," Ryker's voice came from somewhere above me. "Dr. Marcus thinks you cracked a rib."I ignored him because ignoring medical advice was something I did well when more important things demanded attention. Pushing myself up to sitting sent fresh waves of agony through my torso but I gritted my teeth against it until I could see the bed where Aria lay with Caden still hovering protectively over her."What happened?" I managed through the pain."You got thrown across the room by our mate's power," Ryker said while crouching beside me with a hand on my shoulder probably to keep me from

King Ryker's POVHela moved closer to where I held Aria against my chest with her white eyes somehow seeing more than any normal gaze ever could. She circled us slowly like she was examining something in a museum instead of a person, humming occasionally in what sounded like satisfaction mixed with concern."Remarkable," she murmured while reaching out to touch Aria's shoulder where silver fur had been moments before. "I'd read the histories but seeing a Spirit Wolf in person makes those dusty texts seem inadequate.""What exactly is a Spirit Wolf?" Caden demanded with his arms crossed tight over his chest. "Beyond the obvious power display we just witnessed."Hela settled herself into a chair that someone had righted after the earlier energy blast with movements that suggested she planned to stay awhile. "Spirit Wolves are the original wolves, the first of our kind to walk this earth. They predate pack structures, Alpha hierarchies, all the systems we've built over millennia. In the

Aria's POVI woke to shouting that echoed through the castle walls loud enough to penetrate even my exhausted sleep. My wolf stirred immediately inside my mind, no longer trapped behind a seal but present in a way that still felt foreign despite knowing she'd been there all along.They're here, she said with something like anticipation in her mental voice. Your father and the one who thinks he owns us.I pushed myself upright in bed despite every muscle screaming protest. The past day of partial transformations combined with emotional upheaval had left my body feeling like I'd been trampled by horses. Still, the shouting outside meant I couldn't stay hidden in my room pretending none of this was happening.Nora appeared in the doorway before I could attempt standing on my own. She carried fresh clothes over one arm while her face showed worry that had become permanent since my wolf awakened."You should stay here," she said while setting the clothes on the bed. "Your father is downsta