All Chapters of THE LYCAN KING’S CLAIM: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Elara POVI woke to the sound of my own breathing.For a long moment, my eyes stayed closed, and I just lay there, feeling the weight of the air pressing gently but strangely against my skin.The air around me was familiar and in the same way foriegn.It wasn't the scent of my pack I remembered running to..The air was warm.I was lying on my bed and in my room back at the Lycan Kingdom.My lashes fluttered open at once.I jerked upright, the sheets sliding off my legs. A dull ache throbbed at the back of my head as I tried to sit fully.My breath hitched. My throat felt tight.What…?What happened?The last thing I remembered was arriving at my house to see my mother.Her face soaked in tears and her body shaking uncontrollably.“They made me do it… They made me…”Then the darkness soon followed.I dragged a shaky hand through my hair and swung my feet off the bed, the panic surging through me.My mother. My father.I needed to find them and now!I had no idea how I got here, or who

Elara POVThe knock on my door was soft but it snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts like a splash of cold water.“Come in,” I muttered, dragging a hand over my face.The door creaked open, and a young maid stepped inside holding a silver tray.She kept her eyes down, avoiding mine. It was as if even breathing too loudly in my presence would get her punished.“Your dinner, my lady,” she whispered.The smell hit me first, that unmistakable scent of warm bread and pancakes.“I’m not really hungry,” I said, pushing myself upright on the bed.She kept her gaze lowered, her voice barely above a breath. “His Majesty insisted that you eat. He said you must regain your energy.”Of course he did.What a control freak.Still… she crossed the room and placed the tray on the table beside me.She moved quickly, arranging the plates for me, even if I didn't ask.When she finished, she stepped back, bowed, and turned.The door clicked shut behind her.A suffocating silence returned in the room.I

Aldric’s POVI slammed the door behind me so hard the echo vibrated through the entire suite.For a moment, I just stood there, my chest rising and falling, my hands trembling so violently I had to clench them into fists.This wasn't just because of rage. No. Rage I could control. I’d been trained on that since I was old enough to walk.This was different.This felt like someone had shoved a hand into my ribs and twisted it.I moved toward the balcony doors without switching on a light.The darkness in the room was like a second skin to me.The night air outside was cold and sharp.I slid the balcony doors open, stepped outside, and lit a cigarette swiftly and deliberately.I placed in my mouth, the first inhale flowing through my lungs with a bitter satisfaction, then slowly I exhaled, the smoke curling up in the air.My jaw tightened as the memories and regrets of earlier hit like wave.I should’ve grabbed Jonas by the collar the second I saw his hands on her.I should’ve snapped hi

Elara’s POVThe tears began to flow uncontrollably down my cheeks.My hands were still pressed against Seraphina’s bloodied chest, trying in vain to stop the blood from soaking through her clothes, trying in vain to keep her with me.“Stay with me, please,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “You’re not leaving me, not now… not like this.”The smoke stung my eyes, making it hard to focus, but I could see everything around us.Just then, a limping shuffle drew my attention.One of the guards who had been riding with us had survived, though he bore his own injuries badly.Blood had soaked through the side of his uniform, and his face was pale, lips trembling and eyes wide with shock.He approached us cautiously, taking in the sight of the Lycan Kings mother's state.“Call Aldric,” I ordered, my voice trembling but sharp. “Tell him what happened. Tell him she’s hurt… tell him now!”He hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding, pulling out his phone with trembling hands.“Yes, ma’a

Jude POVThe pack house felt too quiet that evening.Every corridor was busy with preparations for the next day, yet all I felt was a cold weight tightening deep in my chest.Tomorrow I was supposed to stand before my pack and bind myself to Lily Matthews, the woman chosen… by the council, by my mother, by duty, to be my mate.And yet the only name that continued to ring in my head was hers.Elara.The moment I stepped into the private dining room reserved for the Night-Before Ritual, I smelled jasmine and honey.Lily’s favorite scents.The ancestral cloth was spread across the table and the candles were lit.She had already arranged a quiet, warm and intimate setting for us.Wow she really out did herself.And for a moment I wished desperately that I could give her what she deserved… someone fully present to her, someone who gives her his undivided attention.“Jude,” she said softly.I turned slowly.She stood across me in a pale cream dress, her blonde hair curled nicely and her eye