Semua Bab The Alpha king and the Hunt: Bab 21 - Bab 30

Kaelen…The most damning discovery came as dawn bled into the world. In a hollow near the water we found an altar, and on its stone a smear of ink and blood arranged in a sigil the old priests used to call storms. It was not random runes but a pattern: a center point ringed by smaller crescents—the same twisted crescent from the bundle. Surrounding it in a shaky, human handwriting were words in the old tongue: Obey. Protect. Feed.Magic with language as its backbone. A conjuration of service.Step by step: rune, altar, sigil, ritual remnants. Someone had been building a ritual here—an altar of obedience.I felt small in that hollow despite the body I occupied. The magic was older than dynasties, older than the pacts we taught ourselves to fear. Whoever wielded it had reach. Whoever orchestrated this had knowledge enough to bind beasts and men with spells that gripped and healed and commanded.We took a sample—burnt bark, spun thread, the cooked hide—and wrapped it in cloth. Lyra’s han

Aria ........She cut me off with a look as old as the hearth. “You never do. Magic that wakes is most dangerous when it is angry and untrained. We hide it. We learn it. We control it. Or we burn.”“Burn?” The word felt like a promise and a threat both.She nodded once, then stood, measuring me with a mother’s steady gaze.“We hide. We learn. We become small shadows until we grow.”We left Serena piled on her pallet, breathing, mumbling curses at the light. Mara had gone to fetch a poultice and a story to mask the truth; my mother had told her it was a bump, that an old stone and a tired woman made for unfortunate accidents. In the meantime, we swept and scrubbed until the kitchen smelled only of bread and rosemary again, as if the night’s violence had been a dream.When I finally washed my hands in hot water, the skin around my palms shimmered faintly for an instant—like damp metal in lamp light—and then it was gone. Only the memory remained: the raw surge, the taste, the power. It

Aria….“Aria, what do we do?“ Maya said, sitting beside me.I sighed because I had no idea either when selene stirred, finally opening her eyes since months. “Do not be scared ___we will win,” she said. “I don't think I want to win,” I said. “Why?“ Maya said “I don't want to be Luna___of the Alpha kingdom no less,” I said. “Aria,"the king caught you during the hunt. I don't think you have a choice, “ Maya said. I walked out and stomped into the forest. I was still thinking when I saw a man. He was wearing a cloak, and he held a dagger in one hand and he was facing the river. I hid among the trees watching him, he knelt in front of the river and I saw he was holding a little pup in his hand.The pup looked unconscious. I gasped as he took his long teeth and bit into the pup, sucking the blood of the pup.“Girl what are you doing? ___ run now” selene said I turned immediately and ran, I looked behind and saw the man with the cloak chasing after me with an unnatural speed, I kep

Aria’s POV)....The training yard looked bigger when you weren’t just watching from the sidelines.The ring of packed dirt stretched wide, wooden posts marking the sparring space, and practice weapons lined neatly against the fence. Warriors moved in pairs across the yard, sparring, running drills, or just beating the life out of straw dummies. The thud of fists and clash of wooden blades filled the air like a battle song.And in the middle of it all—my brother, Elias.He twirled his practice sword in a flashy circle, sweat dripping down his forehead, his grin far too smug for my liking. He looked exactly like someone I’d regret asking for help.I squared my shoulders anyway. “Alright. I’m ready.”Elias arched an eyebrow. “Ready? To trip over your own two feet?”“Ready to punch you in the face,” I shot back.From the sidelines, our father let out a booming laugh. “This is going to be entertaining.” He leaned against the post, crossing his arms, his gray-streaked hair catching the sun.

Aria....The courtyard had been transformed into something for for a match.Torches lined the high stone walls, their flames dancing in the crisp morning air, smoke curling up. Wolves stood everywhere—warriors, nobles, servants—watching in taut silence. The air vibrated with expectation, with judgment, with hunger for spectacle.I saw the faces of my Stormfang pack members, they all looked at me with__pity I drew in a slow breath, trying to steady the pounding in my chest. My white hair caught in the wind, glimmering faintly under the rising sun, though I’d bound it high and tight so it wouldn’t betray the trembling of my hands.The horn blared a final time, and then the Beta appeared.Varric.The Beta of Kaelen’s people stepped onto the raised platform at the center of the courtyard. His cloak, deep crimson trimmed in silver thread, billowed as he moved, and his sharp, hawk-like eyes scanned the gathered crowd before settling on us—the contenders.I looked at my contenders Serena