All Chapters of THE ALPHA'S ASSASSIN MATE: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Third person limited (Serna’s eyes)Ironfang infirmary, the night of the blood eclipseThe eclipse came without warning, a red ring around the moon like the gods had slit its throat and let it bleed across the sky in slow deliberate pulses that made the wards scream and die one by one until the room was lit only by that sick light pouring through the high windows and turning everything the color of old blood. Serna felt it in her bones the second it started, the bond mark on her forearm (the one she’d burned into her own flesh the night the curse locked them in) ignited like someone had pressed a branding iron to her skin and left it there until the flesh blistered and peeled. She was already on the floor between the cots, had been for three days straight, refusing to leave even to piss or eat or breathe anything that wasn’t the air they breathed, and the healers had stopped arguing days ago, just stepped over her when they needed to check the drip lines, the heartbeat runes, the sil

Third person limited (Serna's eyes)Ironfang infirmary, six days after the pillow incident"Heartbeats still strong, both of them, actually stronger than yesterday which is—" Elira had her hands spread on Lyra's belly, that little swell that Serna kept pretending wasnt there cause thinking about it made her chest hurt.Serna was wedged in her spot between the cots, had Aziel's hand in hers cause his fingers felt colder today and that was probably nothing but also maybe something. "Both heartbeats, you mean Lyra and Aziel or—""I mean four heartbeats total, Lyra's, Aziel's through the bond, and—" Elira stopped talking, her whole face went weird, eyes popping wide. "Oh shit.""What, whats shit, why are you making that face?" Sernas voice came out higher than she meant it to."Her belly just—did you SEE that?" Elira pulled her hands back fast then put them right back, pressed down gentle."See what, I didnt see anything, whats WRONG?" Serna was already moving, tripped over her own feet g

Third person limited (Serna's eyes)Ironfang courtyard, noon the day after Tarian died"Bring them OUT." Serna's voice echoed off stone, loud enough that people three buildings over probably heard it.The three officers stumbled forward with Rhea's knife at their backs, hands bound with leather cord that cut into their wrists. Captain Ferris, Lieutenant Donal, some third guy whose name Serna hadn't bothered learning."This is MADNESS, you can't just—" Ferris tried to pull away but Rhea kicked his knee sideways and he went down hard."Shut up." Serna looked around the courtyard, at maybe fifty wolves gathered watching with faces that ranged from horrified to hungry. "More of you need to be here, go GET them."Nobody moved for a second. Then Kaelin limped forward with her shoulder wrapped in bloody bandages and started grabbing people, shoving them toward the courtyard center. "You heard her, MOVE."They came slowly, reluctantly, til the courtyard was packed with maybe two hundred bodi

Third person limited (Serna's eyes)Ironfang infirmary, two days after Kaelin saw the twitch"Serna." Elira's voice came out weird, high and thin. "Serna look at her NECK."Serna jerked awake from where she'd dozed off against Lyra's cot, neck cramping. "What, what's wrong with—"She saw it. Thin silver line running from Lyra's bond mark down toward her collarbone, catching lamplight like mercury."Holy shit." Serna was on her feet before her brain caught up. "Is that BLOOD?""I don't know, I've never—" Elira pressed her fingers to the silver line, pulled them back wet. "It's warm, it's—oh gods it's getting worse."The line was spreading, branching sideways across Lyra's throat like tree roots. More silver pooling in the hollow of her collarbone."Get Rhea." Serna grabbed a cloth, pressed it to Lyra's neck. "GET RHEA NOW."Elira ran, feet slapping stone, and Serna pulled the cloth back to look. More silver underneath, seeping from the bond mark itself like someone had opened a tap."O

Third person limited (Serna's eyes)Ironfang rooftop, two days after everyone heard the heartbeats"You SOLD it." Serna had the healer by the hair, dragging her up the stairs toward the roof access. "You sold information about the twins.""I didn't—I was just TALKING, I didn't think—" The healer's name was Maris or Maren or something, Serna couldn't remember and didn't care."Talking to who?" Serna kicked the roof door open, pulled Maris through. Wind hit them hard, cold enough to sting."Just—just some of Tarian's old officers, they wanted to KNOW if the Sleepers were—" Maris tried to dig her heels in but Serna kept dragging."And you TOLD them." Serna's voice came out flat. "Told them about the pregnancy, about the twins being alive.""They already KNEW, everyone knows after—after you played the heartbeats for the whole fortress." Maris was crying now, snot running into her mouth."They knew BEFORE that." Rhea appeared at the roof door with a piece of paper. "Found this in her quart