All Chapters of The Royal Mate Of The Cursed Lycan King: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

ARIA POV When Raiden said he had “a lot to explain,” I foolishly thought he would do it right then and there.But of course not.Typical Raiden — dropping a revelation in my lap and then walking off like my brain wasn’t about to explode.It’s been over an hour since I left the training grounds to wash up, and yet my hands still… glow.Glow.Like magic.I stared down at them again — faint silver still lingering beneath the skin like moonlight trapped in my veins.Magic.Me.Aria.I actually stopped mid-step before entering the closet, mentally replaying that ridiculous thought.“Magic?” I muttered to myself. “Oh please. Who am I kidding?”Maybe it was just a reaction.Maybe I was tired.Maybe Kael hit me too hard.Who in the world would look at me — Aria Hale, former nobody from Bloodfang — and think power?I leaned my back against the wall and sank slowly to the floor, drawing my knees up. The silence didn’t last long.Kaida’s voice — smooth, unimpressed — hummed through my mind.“Di

Aria POVThey had closed in on me completely now, a ring of bodies and snarling breaths.What was I supposed to do next?I had no idea. No plan. No weapon. No backup.And this one—this mountain of a man—why was he so heavy? He looked like he’d been carved out of some wild beast’s spine and given legs. Could he not get off me?What bounty did Darius put on my head for them to look this excited?“If I were you,” I snapped, breathless but trying to sound braver than I felt, “I would get off and run. Raiden wouldn’t let you survive the night if he gets you.”I had no clue where that confidence came from.Maybe hope.Maybe madness.Maybe the strange belief that Raiden would eventually find me… even if I didn’t know why.The brute above me gave a guttural laugh. “King Raiden? He has no idea you’re here. And we—” he leaned closer, breath rancid “—we’re very aware that we have you.”His grin widened, a mouth full of cruelty.“Your days of running are over, little squirrel.”Little—Squirrel?

Aria POVI can say a lot happened in the space of less than an hour.Too much.More than my mind could fully process.My lungs burned, my chest rising and falling in sharp breaths as I stared down at the vial resting in my palm.My fingers trembled—not with fear, but with the leftover surge of whatever power had exploded through me.Where did that speed come from?My wolf?Kaida?Something… more?My lips parted slowly as the realization sank in. The air around me felt charged, humming, alive—like my skin and the world were suddenly sharing the same current.I turned, still breathless, and found Raiden watching me.Really watching me.His eyes were wide, stunned but proud, like he’d just witnessed a miracle he didn’t know he’d been waiting for. The shock lingered on his face, sharpening the edges of his already fierce expression.And then—Of course.Lyra decided to ruin everything.“That did NOT just happen!” she shrieked, clutching the side of her face dramatically. “Did you just—ugh

Raiden POVFor a moment, neither of us moved.Not a breath.Not a thought.Just her—pressed between my body and the wall, eyes locked on mine like she had me pinned, not the other way around.Her chest rose and fell quickly, a soft tremble in every breath.And then—She bit her lower lip.A sharp, slow bite.The kind meant for destruction.Of plans, restraint, sanity… everything.A growl slipped out of me before I could cage it.She heard it.Of course she did.Her lips curved into a slow, sinful smile that wasn’t innocence at all.“So you do want me…” she whispered, her voice soft and dangerous, like temptation wearing silk. “Why fight it, King Raiden?”My jaw tightened.I said nothing.Couldn’t.Because if I opened my mouth, I wouldn’t be speaking—I’d be dragging her back into my arms and forgetting every reason I told myself to be careful.She tilted her head just slightly, studying my face as if she was learning every reaction I tried to hide.“You’re staring,” she murmured. “Ha

Aria POVI rolled over to the other side of the bed, hugging my pillow like it owed me comfort, until the hazy fog in my head cleared enough for me to realize I had been asleep for far too long. A slow, reluctant groan slipped out of me. I pushed myself up, limbs heavy and still warm from sleep, yet my mind already buzzing.For some reason, I knew today would be exhausting. Raiden-level exhausting. Too many questions hanging between us, too many things unsaid… and probably another long night of me collapsing into this same bed afterward.I rose and made my way toward my bathroom—slow, dramatic steps like I was walking into my own coronation. At least here, no maidens hovered around me, waiting to undress me or scrub my skin like I was a pampered pet. Not today. I didn’t have the patience.I slipped into the large bathtub and sank into the warm water with a long, relieved sigh. The heat wrapped around me instantly, loosening every muscle and slowing my breath. I leaned back, closed my