Semua Bab The Man I Once Refused: Bab 11 - Bab 18

The night air lay heavy over the abandoned temple, thick with the scent of moss, wet stone, and a hint of smoke from torches long extinguished. The surrounding forest seemed to lean closer, its twisted branches clawing at the sky, as if eager to witness the events unfolding within the ancient structure. Amelia Whitford paused at the temple’s threshold, her gloved hand brushing against the carved stone. She had spent her life in the safety of her father’s estate, moving through ballrooms and drawing rooms, but nothing in her sheltered upbringing had prepared her for this the raw, suffocating power that seemed to pulse from the walls themselves.Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she surveyed the shadows dancing across the ruined courtyard. Her mind raced with every story she had been told as a child about this place: tales of queens whose blood had been said to bind the land, kings who had vanished within these stones, and whispers of powers that slept, waiting for the one with the rig

The forest surrounding the ancient temple seemed to hold its breath as dawn failed to break the horizon. Thick mist curled between the gnarled trees, muffling sounds and casting everything in a gray, uncertain light. Amelia Whitford lay in Ryan’s arms, pale and trembling from the power that had surged through her the previous night. Even in sleep, the golden flecks in her eyes glimmered faintly, betraying the awakening force within her veins.Ryan did not dare move, nor did he dare lower his gaze. He had watched Amelia transform in ways that terrified and awed him, and he knew without a shadow of doubt that the world outside would never be the same for either of them. His mind replayed the battle against the first Shadowborn again and again, the way it had loomed like a nightmare given shape, and how Amelia unconscious and terrified had instinctively commanded it to halt.“She’s awakening faster than anticipated,” Aro said quietly, stepping from the shadows, his presence eerily still,

The dawn broke reluctantly over the horizon, a pale, silvery light filtering through the mist that still clung stubbornly to the forest surrounding the ancient temple. Amelia Whitford rose slowly from the small bed of cloaks and sheepskin where she had been resting, the ache in her limbs a harsh reminder of the night’s battles. Her golden-flecked eyes reflected a new awareness, a recognition of the power that coursed relentlessly through her veins. She had awakened forces she barely understood, yet somehow, instinctively, she knew she could harness them.Ryan Blackthorne was already awake, perched on a jagged stone near the temple ruins, his eyes scanning the thickening forest with hawk-like precision. Even in the soft dawn light, the angles of his face were sharp, his expression a mixture of exhaustion, vigilance, and determination. He looked every bit the man Amelia had once refused, yet now more commanding, more alive than she had ever remembered.“You’ve been watching the forest f

Night had fallen over the ancient fortress, casting long, flickering shadows across the battlements. The moon, pale and wan, barely penetrated the thick mist that curled around the outer walls, giving the courtyard an otherworldly, almost spectral glow. Amelia Whitford stood atop the highest tower, the wind tugging at her skirts, golden flecks in her eyes glowing faintly with the pulse of her awakening power.Ryan Blackthorne was beside her, shoulders tense, eyes scanning the darkened forest. His energy flared subtly, a protective aura surrounding him, though he knew instinctively that tonight would be unlike any battle they had faced before. The Shadowborn had sensed Amelia’s presence they had felt the strength within her and now the real siege was beginning.“They’re coming,” Amelia whispered, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. She could feel it in the air, the vibrations of the forest itself. The creatures were approaching, countless in number, coordinated, and intelli