Lahat ng Kabanata ng Claimed by the Lycan King : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Vera's Pov I didn't understand what any of it meant. But when I opened my eyes and found Dante staring at me, his face etched with worry and awe, all of that faded into background noise. “Dante,” I said. I threw my arms around him before he could even respond and sobbed hard against his chest. “I was so scared. I got lost and couldn't find my way back and everything was dark and I was all alone –”"Shh, I've got you." His arms came around me, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe but I didn't care. "You're safe now. I'm here.”“I'm sorry,” I gasped, between sobs. “I'm so sorry for what I said at the party. I was just…I just felt so overwhelmed and you weren't listening and I –”“No,” he pulled back enough to cup my face and made me look at him. “Don't apologise. You're right. I should have considered your feelings before throwing that big party. I know being the center of attention terrifies you. But I was so focused on doing something special that I didn't stop to consider

Vera's Pov The words hung in the air between us, poisonous. I regretted them the instant they left my mouth but there was no unsaying what I’d already said. Dante finally looked up from his book, and my breath caught in my throat.Dante finally looked up from his book and I gasped.His eyes were no longer gold. They were pure red. The hybrid had taken over completely and I could see fury radiating from every line of his body as he slowly, deliberately closed the book and set it aside.“I–” my voice came out small, “Dante, I didn't mean –”He rose from the chair and walked towards me and I found myself backing up until my spine hit the wall behind me.Great. I'd pushed too far. I’d said the one thing that would break every patience he was clinging on to.He was going to hurt me, or maybe even kill me and it was all my fault for having no control over my temper. I squeezed my eye shut, waiting for the pain that would come when his hands tightened around my throat or his claws tore

Vera's Pov The colour drained from Dante's face as Sofia's words registered. "Bratva?" I asked, looking between them. "Who are they?”"Our rivals," Sofia said tersely, her hand already on her phone. "Russians. Ruthless. They've been trying to take over our territory for years.”Dante was already moving, crossing to his desk and pulling open a drawer. He extracted two guns, checking them before tucking them into his waistband."Ring the alarm," he ordered Sofia. "Get everyone inside. Lock down all entry points. I want patrols doubled on every perimeter.”"Already on it." Sofia's fingers flew across her phone screen."No one wanders outside," Dante continued, his voice taking on that commanding edge that made people listen without question. "No exceptions. These men don't take prisoners. They don't negotiate. If they find someone alone, that person dies. Understood?”The weight of his words settled over me. "Understood," Sofia confirmedDante's expression softened when he turned to m

Vera's Pov The gun was pointed directly at my face.I could see the barrel, dark and cold, the finger tightening on the trigger. Time seemed to slow down. Every second stretched into an eternity.I braced myself for the impact and squeezed my eyes shut.The gunshot echoed through the air and I froze, every muscle in my body tensing as I waited for the pain to come but nothing happened. There was no pain, no blood and no darkness. Slowly, I opened my eyes. The armed man lay crumpled on the floor in front of me, blood pooling beneath his body. His gun had fallen from his hand, clattering uselessly against the ground.And standing between us, gun still raised, was Dante.I didn't stop to think, I just moved. I rushed forward and threw myself into Dante's arm. My entire body shook uncontrollably. I'd been trying to act strong and to face the danger without falling apart. But the truth was, I'd been terrified. "You're okay," Dante murmured, wrapping his arms around me tightly. "You'

Dante's Pov Her question broke something inside of me. The thought of Vera dying, of losing her, of not being able to save her was unbearable. My chest tightened painfully, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe.I looked down at her pale face and the blood seeping out of her wound and felt real fear. "No matter what," I said firmly, gripping her hand tighter, "I promise you that nothing like this will ever happen to you again. I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe. Always.”But Vera shook her head as her eyes struggled to remain focused on me. "You can't promise that," she whispered. "Situations like this... they're inevitable. Danger will always find us. You can't always be there.”I wanted to argue and tell her that she was wrong but deep down, I knew she was right."Then promise me something else," Vera said, her voice barely audible now. "Promise me you'll help me train. Help me become stronger. So that if anything happens, if you're not there, I can protect myself. I can protec