Inicio / Werewolf / Ruin Me, Alpha: Breaking The Enemy's Daughter / Capítulo 31 - Capítulo 40

Todos los capítulos de Ruin Me, Alpha: Breaking The Enemy's Daughter: Capítulo 31 - Capítulo 40

141 Capítulos

31

"I didn't—" The lie died on my lips as Ares's grip tightened, his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that made my knees weak."Don't." His voice was deadly quiet, more terrifying than any roar. "Don't insult me with lies. Not now."Through the bond, I felt his emotions—betrayal sharp as broken glass, rage that made my wolf whimper, and underneath it all, something that felt dangerously like hurt.Guards poured onto the observation platform, weapons drawn, surrounding us in a protective circle. Their eyes swept the darkness beyond, searching for the archer."Your Majesty," one of them started, but Ares cut him off with a sharp gesture."Search the forest line. East quadrant. Someone just tried to put an arrow through my skull." His eyes never left mine. "Find them. Alive."The guards dispersed immediately, their footsteps thundering down the stairs. Within seconds, we were alone again except for two guards stationed at the door.Ares released my wrist only to grip my shoulders, his

32

"Fair enough." Something that might have been respect flickered in his eyes. "But at least don't take any more risks tonight. Julius will be watching you closely now."We descended the tower in silence, the weight of unspoken words heavy between us. When we reached the main floor, the celebration had indeed devolved into chaos—guests huddled in nervous groups, guards stationed at every entrance."Your Majesty!" A young wolf rushed forward. "Should we end the celebration? Send everyone to their rooms?""No." Ares's voice carried across the hall, commanding attention. "We will not cower before cowards. Music! Wine! We celebrate our alliances tonight, arrow or no arrow."Slowly, tentatively, the celebration resumed. But the joy had gone out of it, replaced by nervous energy and too-bright laughter.Ares kept me close, his hand never leaving my waist as we moved through the crowd. To any observer, we looked like what we were supposed to be—a king with his marked mate, possessive and protec

33

The summons came at dawn, slipped under my door like a death sentence written on parchment.The old chapel. East ruins. Alone. —JI stared at the note, my stomach twisting. Julius wanted me to retrieve the blade. Now. Not in two months during the Blood Moon, but now.Why the sudden change in plans?I dressed quickly, my hands shaking as I pulled on travel clothes—leather pants, a fitted tunic, sturdy boots. The kind of outfit meant for moving through rough terrain, not palace corridors.A soft knock interrupted my thoughts."Come in," I called, expecting Elinor.Instead, Julius stepped through, closing the door behind him with deliberate care. In the early morning light, his features looked sharper, more predatory."Good. You're ready." His eyes swept over me appraisingly. "The chapel is three days' journey northeast. Through rogue territory."My heart sank. "Three days?""The ruins are hidden deep in the Thornwood Forest. Protected by old magic." He pulled out a rolled map, spreading

34

The Thornwood Forest was darker than I expected, the canopy so thick that sunlight barely penetrated. Ancient trees twisted overhead, their branches gnarled and reaching like skeletal hands.Ares moved through the undergrowth with practiced ease, his steps silent despite the terrain. I followed, trying to match his pace, hyperaware of every sound in the oppressive quiet.We'd been walking for three hours since leaving the castle, and he hadn't spoken a word. Just led us deeper into the forest, checking the map periodically and adjusting our course."How much farther to the Ravencrest settlement?" I finally asked, breaking the silence."Half a day if we keep this pace." He didn't look back, just kept moving forward. "We'll stop there for the night. It's abandoned now, but the structures are still sound.""Why is it abandoned?""Because everyone who lived there is dead." His tone was flat, matter-of-fact. "Rogue attack five years ago. They didn't leave survivors."The casualness with wh

35

"I'm fine." The words came out through chattering teeth."You're not fine. You're in shock." He shrugged off his coat, draping it around my shoulders despite being soaked himself. "We need to find shelter. Get you warm and dry.""The settlement—""Is still three hours away, and you're in no condition to walk that far." His eyes scanned the forest. "There should be a hunter's cabin somewhere near here. My men used it as a waypoint.""Your men." I laughed bitterly. "The ones you led to slaughter that settlement.""Yes." He didn't flinch from the accusation. "The ones who followed my orders without question because that's what soldiers do. Even when those orders are wrong."He stood, offering me his hand. After a moment's hesitation, I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. Through the bond, I felt his relief that I was accepting help, even reluctantly."Can you walk?""I'll manage."We walked in silence through the darkening forest, my legs threatening to give out with every step. But

36

The fire crackled between us, throwing shadows across the cabin walls that danced like living things. Outside, the forest had gone quiet, the kind of silence that felt heavy with watching eyes.I should have been exhausted. Should have collapsed onto the sleeping pallet and let unconsciousness take me.Instead, I was hyperaware of Ares sitting across from me, his chest bare except for the bandages I'd wrapped around his ribs. The firelight played across his skin, highlighting every scar, every line of muscle earned through violence.He'd been watching me too. I could feel his gaze even when I wasn't looking, feel the weight of his attention through the muted bond."You should rest," he said finally, his voice rough. "Tomorrow will be harder. The Dead Moors don't forgive exhaustion.""I'm not tired." A lie. Every part of me ached, screamed for sleep. But the thought of closing my eyes, of being vulnerable in this small space with him, sent anxiety skittering down my spine."Liar." But t

37

I didn't care about taking it slow or being gentle. I needed Ares's raw, primal intensity to tear through the hollow ache of grief and confusion that had swallowed my life whole. I wanted him to fuck away the pain, to fill me with something tangible, something gritty and alive in this falling-apart cabin that reeked of damp wood and lingering smoke.He pushed into me, hard and deep, one brutal thrust that burned like cheap whiskey going down, stealing the breath from my lungs and lighting up every nerve ending I had. The sharp sting felt incredible, a rough kind of pain that anchored me to those creaking floorboards, to the sweat-slicked heat of his body pressing me down. The firelight danced weakly, casting everything in shades of orange, painting his skin in sweaty, golden streaks, his muscles bunching and moving under my desperate hands.Ares went completely still, his body wound tight like a coiled spring, his jaw clenched so hard I could see the veins standing out in his neck. Hi

38

The Dead Moors looked exactly like their name—dead. Gray mist clung to everything, thick enough to choke on, and the ground squelched under my boots like rotting flesh. No birds sang here. No insects buzzed. Just silence, heavy and wrong, pressing down on my chest until every breath felt like work.Ares walked ahead, his hand never straying far from his sword. Through the bond, I felt his tension, sharp as broken glass.We'd been walking for hours. My legs ached. My back throbbed where the wolf had slammed me yesterday. But I kept moving, kept following him deeper into this nightmare landscape, because somewhere in this cursed place was the chapel. And in that chapel was the blade that would end everything.Last night felt like a fever dream now. His hands on my skin. His mouth on mine. The way he'd made me forget, just for a few hours, why I was supposed to hate him.But morning had come, cold and unforgiving. We'd dressed in silence, packed our things, and started the trek to the De

39

The journey back took two days. Two days where Ares barely spoke to me. Two days where he kept distance between us, his face carved from stone, his emotions locked down so tight I felt nothing through the bond.It was like that moment in the chapel had never happened. Like his kiss, his promise, had been a dream I'd imagined.My chest ached every time I looked at him. Every time I tried to reach through the bond and felt nothing but emptiness."Ares," I tried on the second day, catching his arm. My fingers trembled against his skin. "Talk to me. Please."He pulled away from my touch like I'd burned him. "Not now, Leah. We need to keep moving."The rejection stung worse than a slap. "But you said—""I know what I said." His voice was cold, flat. Dead. "Things are different now. We're going back to reality. To the castle. To everything waiting for us there."My throat tightened. No. This couldn't be happening. Not after everything. Not after he'd held me, kissed me, made me believe—"So

40

But he didn't die.The blade glowed brighter for a moment, then dimmed. My father slumped forward, bleeding, wounded, but still breathing. Still alive.I couldn't process it. Couldn't understand. My father was alive. He was hurt, bleeding, but alive.Ares stared at the blade in his hand, confusion flickering across his face. "What—""It didn't work," Julius said, moving forward with poorly concealed satisfaction. "The blade isn't activated properly.""But I saw—" Ares looked at me, and for the first time since we returned, I saw real emotion in his eyes. Shock. Confusion. "The blood activated it. The moonlight—""Apparently not well enough," Luciana purred from her throne. "How unfortunate."My father coughed blood, his body shaking, but his eyes never left Ares's face. "You stupid boy," he rasped. "You really thought it would be that easy?"Ares yanked the blade free, and my father crumpled to the ground. Guards surrounded him, checking his wounds, but he was still breathing. Still a

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