All Chapters of Moonbound: The Alpha's Claim: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Sitting in silence, Elena studied Ryan's calm demeanor. She didn't know what she had expected, but it certainly wasn't this creature sitting before her, lost deep in self-reflection. She searched his face for any hint of what he had alluded to....my Alpha wasn't the only one who died...What did that even mean? Roland would have known the whole story, wouldn't he? How could they have missed such an important detail when investigating the events of the Blood Moon?Ryan stood, breaking her chain of thought. He turned to walk away and said, "Rest. You'll need your strength."He left her alone in the small circle of light created by a single battery-powered lantern. Next to it were packages of additional batteries, should she need them. It was interesting to see the faint traces of care and concern that shone through his stern demeanor.Once he was gone, Elena grabbed the lantern and examined the space she was in. She was only lightly chained, which meant there were other protections in

The silence was deafening as Ryan led her through the caves. The seer's final words echoed through Elena's head, "She will be your undoing..." She didn't understand what it meant, but the words held tremendous weight. Elena carefully watched Ryan. His breathing was sharp, and his eyes were unfocused. The tension was thick in the air between them, and it held his body rigid. She barely recognized the man walking next to her. He no longer had that carefree swagger that defined his personality. His internal struggle played across his face, clear to Elena....he doubts...this is dangerous... Lyra struggled across the wards. In her corner of the caves, Ryan backed her into the corner. With Elena nearly pinned to the wall, he snapped the chains closed around her wrists with quiet authority.He looked her dead in the eye and said three chilling words, "This changes nothing."Without another word, Ryan turned and left her in the barely illuminated space. She leaned back against the wall and

Ryan sagged against the cave wall, breathing hard. The air around him was suddenly freezing, and each ragged breath released a small cloud of fog that rose in front of him. All around him, the walls were closing in as the whisper coiled through his skull like wisps of smoke. "Choose your side..."Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and fisted his hair with both hands. No, he would not bend. He didn't need help. He didn't need her power, the seers, or that mysterious voice in the dark that felt like old magic and an even older hunger. No matter how much he tried to deny it, one truth kept returning to the surface: Elena had almost commanded him.The memory of her voice shook him to the core. Even now, it made his heart crash painfully against his ribs. He had definitely felt something—an almost instinctive dip in his strength. He was pulled toward her voice in a way that should have been impossible. Ryan ran a shaky hand over his face and sucked in a shaking breath. He felt his control slippi

Once they had Elena back behind the walls of the manor, Gail and Damien wrapped her in blankets and secured her in his rooms. They all sat in the sitting room in tense silence. Lucien continued to pace beneath Damien's skin, agitated and angry. He wanted retribution for what happened to his mate.Elena took a shaky breath. It still felt strange to be outside the wards. Breathing even seemed different to her. It was freer, less oppressed, and more in her own control. The silence in the room was weighing on her. When she could no longer take it, she finally spoke. "That thing with Ryan…it wasn’t him."Neither Gail nor Damien argued with her. After a few seconds, Gail cleared her throat and said, "Those wards weren’t made by wolves. They are an ancient type of magic rarely used today. They are designed to block spirits, guides, and outside interference."She paused while they digested that information, concern rising on their faces. As they waited for her to continue, Esther appeared in

After another sleepless night, Elena decided it was time to learn more about her mother and her own abilities. Moonlight poured across the cushions—nearly full, silver-bright, almost watchful. She drew Maria’s Book of Shadows into her lap and traced the familiar leather cover with trembling fingers. The first few pages were simple spells and rituals Maria must have learned when she first started. She ran her finger down a page with her family tree. It outlined all the witches before her mother, tracing them back for centuries, listing their special abilities and strengths. But the moment she turned the page, the air changed.The parchment resisted her, stiffening beneath her fingertips. The ink wavered, rippling like she was looking through heat. Lines blurred, folded inward, and dissolved into unreadable shadow.“What…?” Elena whispered.She flipped to the next page. Same reaction. Words pulsed out of focus, almost shrinking from her. Another page — the ink recoiled entirely, as th