Semua Bab The Alpha Betrayed Mate: Bab 1 - Bab 10

5 Years Ago.The moon was full above Silver Crest, hanging low enough that it felt like it could hear my thoughts. Its light spilled across the stones of the terrace, turning the ancient walls pale and watchful. I sat with my knees drawn close, my cloak loose around my shoulders, feeling the quiet weight of the night settle into my bones.Selene leaned against the balustrade beside me, her gaze fixed on the training grounds below. Even at this hour, Clay and his warriors still sparred, their movements sharp and tireless. He trained them like he trained himself. Without rest and without complaint. “He doesn’t even know how powerful he is when he’s quiet,” Selene said softly. I heard the smile in her voice before I saw it. “Most men boast. Clay doesn’t. He just stands there like the world already belongs to him. Like the wolf-god blessed by the moon goddess herself.”I allowed myself a faint smile. “That’s what unsettles people. He doesn’t need to demand loyalty. It comes to him.”Sele

Five Years AgoThe clinic smelled of crushed herbs, clean linen, and fear that refused to fade.I sat on the edge of the narrow bed, my hands folded tightly in my lap as if holding myself together by sheer will. The healer moved quietly around me, checking for wounds she already knew were not there. No blood. No broken skin. Yet I felt as though something inside me had been torn open and left exposed to the night.“You’re unharmed,” the healer said gently. “Physically.”I nodded but did not speak.Selene stood nearby, arms crossed loosely, her posture relaxed in a way that felt almost unnatural given what had happened. She watched me closely, her gaze sharp, assessing, before softening it into concern whenever the healer looked her way.“She went into shock,” Selene said smoothly. “Anyone would, after something like that.”The healer glanced at me again. “Shock passes. But some things linger.” Turning to me, she asked, "What really happened?"I finally lifted my eyes. For a moment, th

Five Years AgoThe council chamber had not felt this tense in years.Clay stood at the centre of the circle, shoulders squared, jaw set. Clay, as usual, looked cold, as if the events of Silver Crest did not affect him. Around him sat the council elders, men and women whose fur had long since silvered, whose voices carried the weight of tradition and law. Warriors lined the edges of the chamber, silent but alert, hands never straying far from their weapons.Elder Karl struck his staff against the stone floor once.“The beast attacked within our walls,” he said. “Inside the royal chambers. That alone is an insult we cannot ignore.”Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room.“It fled into the forest,” he added. “If we do nothing, it will return. Or worse, others like it will follow.”Clay took a step forward. “Sending warriors blindly into the forest is not wisdom. It’s pride.”Several elders turned sharply toward him.“The forest you speak of is not empty land,” Clay continued, his

5 Years Ago Elder Torin came to me at dusk, when the royal chambers had settled into their uneasy quiet. I remember thinking, as I watched him cross the threshold of my sitting chamber, that men like Torin never came without intent. He did not waste steps or words.  I rose out of courtesy, though my instincts told me to remain still. His eyes gazed over me, assessing, measuring, as if I were no longer the girl he had known since childhood but a piece on a board he had been studying for years. “Zanny,” he said, inclining his head. “You look well.” It was a lie, and we both knew it. “You didn’t come to comment on my health,”

5 Years Ago Clay came to me at dawn. Not with the thunder of an Alpha or the certainty of a warrior, but quietly, like a man who knew he stood on fragile ground. I had not slept. Silvercrest was still wrapped in that uneasy half-light where the moon lingers too long, and the sun hesitates to show up. I was on the eastern balcony, watching the forest breathe. The Dark Forest looked calm from here, almost innocent, but I knew better now. I had seen what moved within it. I had felt the pull of old magic brushing against my skin, testing me. I heard Clay before I saw him. His steps were measured, slower than usual. When he stopped behind me, he did not speak at once. &ldquo