Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed by the Alpha Beast: Kabanata 181 - Kabanata 190

Caden POVIt is afternoon by the time the mission finally winds down.Between Ryder, one of the royal warriors, and me, we're able to rescue two females who have only just come of age. We find them drugged, bound, and hidden deep inside a cave, most likely waiting to be dragged away later by their captors. We don't find anyone else in the cave, so we assume the wolves we fought earlier were the ones responsible. Perhaps we killed them during the initial fight. Perhaps they fled.Either way, we search the entire area before we're satisfied that there is no one else hiding nearby.The two girls remain unconscious when we finally leave the cave, so we carry them with us until we regroup with Zach and the others near the entrance of the town that appears to be under some kind of secret attack. Their relatives rush forward the moment they see them, relief and gratitude written all over their faces as they take the girls from us.Zach doesn't give us much time to stand around.He orders Cyr

Caden POVThe amusement is gone from Kerris' eyes now. My shoulders stiffen slightly as I notice this."By whom?" she asks. "Have you decided?"Shit.My mind immediately goes to Gwen.Gareth must have told them enough about her. He may have told them everything about his plans for her to become my Luna. Or perhaps he's told them that Marissa will be the one bearing my children while Gwen takes the public position.Either way, I don't like where this conversation is going. I should've kept my mouth shut and kept eating."You don't have to answer me, Alpha Caden," Kerris continues when I don't immediately respond. "It looks like you don't have an answer yourself."Her eyes hold mine. "Your... Luna and your fated mate are living side by side. That should help you decide quickly, don't you think?"My pulse jumps.So that's why they allowed the move. That's why Marissa was taken from her cottage and placed in that house. It was all calculated. Deliberate. To pressure me. And force me to c

Marissa POVI'm somewhat disappointed when Milo doesn't stick around longer. He has to get back to work. He'd said he was only passing by and wanted to check on me, especially after learning that my “crush's” Luna is now living right next door. He had even laughed about it, trying to make the whole situation sound less suffocating than it feels. I was somehow grateful for his little jokes.He had been around when my meal arrived, so he stayed and shared it with me. For a little while, having someone to talk to had made the new house feel less strange. Less like a beautiful prison.Now, our conversation is over.I walk him to the door, still smiling faintly at something he'd said. Then movement near the entrance catches my eye. My smile disappears.Caden Stone.My heart seems to forget its rhythm. As usual. For once, I'm thankful that I'm not allowed past the door except when heading to work.I step back immediately and turn around even before the door clicks shut behind me. I head ba

Marissa POV“You don't get to send me away.”I stand up so suddenly that the mattress shifts behind me. Fury surges through me. At Caden. And his mother. And at this suffocating situation, and most of all at myself for still feeling this strong pull toward him despite everything.I am determined to fight it no matter what.“Don't you come close to me!” I warn.He doesn't stop.Almost as if my warning is a challenge, Caden keeps moving toward me, his gaze fixed on mine. A deliberate, predatory advance. Until I'm backing away without even realizing it, my spine eventually meeting the wall behind me. He has me crowded against the wall now, his body a solid wall of heat and muscle. “Why?” His voice was low, rough. “I have every right to.” His lips hovered a breath from mine. I stood rigid, every muscle locked.“Does your mother know you’re here?" I ask, my voice breathless and shaking. "What does your Luna think about this? I heard she doesn’t have a clue yet—she won’t carry your childr

Gwen's lips part as if she wants to ask why.I don't give her the opportunity.Seconds later, her door closes behind me while my mind is already working.Gwen cannot be far from me. My mother, Zach and Kerris were right about that.I've already compelled her to keep quiet, but that doesn't mean I can pretend the risk no longer exists. The farther she is from me, the higher the risk of "error."At the same time, I cannot have everyone assuming she's going to be my Luna.That means I need another solution. Fast. I rub the back of my neck, trying to think of something. That's when Ryder walks through the small gate.“Alpha,” he calls out the greeting. "I learned you came this way."“Beta Ryder.”His brow furrows immediately.Because I almost never call him that formally. He knows it too. Before he can ask what's wrong, I reach for the mindlink.'Do you have a girlfriend?'His eyebrows shoot up. 'No. Why?''What about a mate? Fated or chosen?'His response comes too quickly.'Goddess for