All Chapters of The Dangerous Alpha Stepbrother Wants Me: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

REIGN'S POV"Both," I say simply. "We work every angle we have. We don't stop until she's free."Selene checks her watch. "We have ninety minutes until the auction starts. Reign, if you're going in, we need to prep you now. The invitation is keyed to specific magical signatures. I'll need to modify it to read as you.""Do it."While Selene works on the invitation, Phoebe pulls me aside."This is insane," she says quietly."I know.""You could die. Melvanie could have you killed the second you approach Sonya.""I know that too." I meet her eyes. "But Sonya's in there, Phoebe. Bound and collared and probably terrified that we've given up on her. I have to let her know we haven't. I have to give her something to hold onto.""Even if it kills you?""Even then." I grip her shoulder. "She sacrificed everything for me. For everyone. The least I can do is risk my life to give her hope."Phoebe's eyes glisten with unshed tears. "She's really lucky to have you.""No. I'm lucky to have her. And

REIGN'S POVMy wolf snarls, itching to shift, to tear my father's throat out. But I force myself to stay still.How the hell did my father know?Garrick walks away before I can respond, the amulet now in his possession."What did he say?" Sonya presses."He wants to meet. Says he knows about my plans.""It's a trap.""Obviously." I turn to face her fully, taking in every detail. The shadows under her eyes. The way she holds herself like she's expecting an attack. The chains glowing faintly at her wrists. The faint bruises on her arms where someone gripped her too hard. "How bad is it?" I ask quietly. "With Melvanie?""It's..." She swallows hard, and I see her fighting back tears. "I'm okay. For now. But Reign, you need to leave Prague. If she finds out you're here, if she realizes we made contact...""Let her find out. I'm not leaving without you.""You don't have a choice. The contract won't let me leave, and if you try to force it, the kill spell activates." The tears spill over no

SONYA'S POV"I made a few arrangements, Sonya. Hired some creatures in the Shadowlands to ensure any quests for magical blades end in failure. Or death. Whichever comes first." Melvanie cocks her head. "Did you really think I wouldn't have contingencies? That I'd just let you and your mate search for a way to break my contracts without interference?""You're a monster.""I'm practical." She turns away, walking back to her throne. "And now, Sonya, we need to discuss your punishment."The chains on my wrists flare bright purple, and pain explodes through me.It's unlike anything I've ever felt. Not just physical pain, though there's plenty of that. It's deeper. Like the magic is reaching into my very soul, tearing at the essence of who I am.I scream, my knees buckling."That's level one," Melvanie says conversationally, like she's sharing a fun fact. "The contract has ten levels of punishment built in. Each one progressively worse than the last. Right now, you're experiencing what happ

REIGN'S POV"You're lying." My voice cracks. "You're bluffing.""Am I? Think about it, Reign. Melvanie knows you'll come for Sonya. She's not stupid. She's been collecting for centuries precisely because she's smarter than everyone who's tried to stop her." My father checks his watch, the move casual and devastating. "So she'll move her prize acquisition somewhere even I don't know about. Somewhere so hidden, so protected, that even your mate bond won't help you find her."Through the bond, I feel Sonya's fear spike. Something's wrong.She's running out of time.We're running out of time."What's the guarantee you want?" The question drags out of me, flat and resigned. "Because you're not exactly trustworthy, and I'm not stupid enough to make a deal based on a handshake.""An unbreakable oath. Witnessed and bound by an elder of the Council of Ancients." He pulls out his phone again, already dialing. "I already have Seer Elric on standby. He's three minutes away."What? How the…Of cou

REIGN'S POV"How did it go?" Phoebe blurts out immediately. "Did you get close enough? Did the crystal work?"Right. The tracking crystal.I nod, some of the weight lifting off my chest. "Yeah. I got it on her. Made contact during the auction, planted it against her neck. She has no idea it's there."Selene's shoulders sag with relief. "Thank the goddess. At least we'll be able to track her movements now, even if Melvanie moves her to a different location.""About that." I move to the table where all the maps and documents are spread out. "My father gave me the exact coordinates of Melvanie's facility. We don't need to track her anymore. I know where she is. And we're going to get Sonya out tonight."Phoebe's eyes widen. "Wait, what? How did you get Garrick to just hand over that information? What did you have to promise him?"The question hangs in the air, heavy with implications.I don't want to answer. Don't want to see the disappointment in their eyes when I tell them what I've do