บททั้งหมดของ CLAIMED BY MY STEPBROTHERS: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

RONAN'S POV"LEILA!"My howl tore through the forest, desperate and furious. Hours of searching. Hours of following trails that went nowhere, scenting the air for any trace of her.Nothing.She was gone. Vanished like smoke.And it was tearing me apart.I shifted back to human form in a clearing, my body trembling with exhaustion and rage. We'd been running for six hours straight, pushing ourselves beyond normal endurance.Still nothing."Ronan." Maddox appeared beside me, also shifting back. His eyes were wild, his control hanging by a thread. "We need to regroup. Figure out our next move.""Our next move is finding her!" I spun on him. "We don't stop. We don't rest. Not until…""Not until what?" Alec emerged from the trees, his expression carved from stone. "We've searched every inch of pack territory twice over. The trail is cold. Whoever took her knew how to hide his tracks.""Then we search again!" I was shaking now, the incomplete bond pulling at my chest like fishhooks. "We kee

ALEC'S POV The journey to Riverbend territory took us through some of the most treacherous terrain I'd ever crossed. Dense forests gave way to rocky cliffs, then to marshlands that reeked of decay and death. Perfect defensive geography for a pack that wanted to remain isolated. Perfect for an Alpha who had enemies. We stopped at the border as the sun climbed higher, the heat already oppressive despite the early hour. A line of scent markers made it clear we were entering claimed territory, and unwelcome guests would be dealt with harshly. "How do we do this?" Maddox asked, staring at the invisible boundary. "Just walk in and hope they don't tear us apart?" "We announce ourselves properly," I said. "Request an audience. Show respect even if we don't feel it." "Respect for an Alpha who might be as bad as the one holding Leila?" Ronan's voice was tight with barely controlled rage. "Respect for survival." I pulled out a white cloth from my pack, the universal signal of peaceful inte

RONAN'S POV Three days. That's how long Garrett said it would take for his spies to position themselves properly. Three days to spread the right rumors, plant the right seeds of doubt. Three days while Leila was trapped with Corvus. Every hour felt like torture. We'd been given quarters in Garrett's fortress—rooms that felt more like prison cells than guest accommodations. Guards watched our every move. We weren't prisoners, exactly, but we weren't free either. "I hate this," Maddox growled, pacing our shared room. "Sitting here doing nothing while she's out there." "We're not doing nothing," Alec said from his position by the window. "We're gathering intelligence. Learning about Shadowpine's defenses. Preparing for the extraction." "We're waiting," I corrected. "While Garrett's spies do the real work." "Because we don't have a choice." Alec's voice was tight with frustration. "We can't infiltrate Shadowpine ourselves. We're too recognizable. Too connected to Leila. The moment

DANE'S POVSilence."You can't," I said. "Because there weren't any. We hunted them because of fear. Because of prejudice. Because it was easier to kill what we didn't understand than to question our own hatred.""This is madness," Magnus breathed. "The Alpha has been compromised. We need to remove the hybrid from his presence. Cleanse whatever magic she's used to—""Touch her and I'll rip your throat out." The words came out deadly quiet, but everyone heard them.Magnus took a step back."You would kill your own pack members?" Silas demanded. "For a hybrid?""For my mate." I let my wolf rise to the surface, let them see the silver glow of my eyes. "Yes. Without hesitation. She's mine. Fate chose her for me. And I will protect her with everything I have.""Even if it destroys the pack?" another voice called from the crowd. "Even if it tears apart everything we've built?""Even then."More gasps. More horrified expressions."Then you're no longer fit to lead us," Magnus said. "An Alpha

LEILA'S POVI stared at him, my heart pounding so hard I was certain everyone in the room could hear it.Those silver eyes. That face. That body that radiated power and danger in equal measure.Every instinct I had was screaming at me to run. To get as far away from this man as possible.But another part of me, a deeper, more primal part, wanted to move closer. To touch him. To feel those strong arms around me again.I crushed that impulse ruthlessly."I need everyone to leave," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Now."Dane's expression flickered with hurt, but he nodded. "Of course. Whatever you need."He gestured to Harry and Selene, who filed out reluctantly. The door closed with a soft click, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.And the lingering scent of him. Pine and earth and something uniquely male that made my hybrid nature purr with satisfaction.I grabbed a pillow, pressing it against my face to block out the smell.This was impossible. Absolutely impossible.I co