Semua Bab Between Destiny's Chains and Moonlight (Book series): Bab 1 - Bab 10

Ana and the Wolf Prince Jackal or bear? Or maybe a gecko on a serious cycle of steroids?Honestly, neither my wolf nor I had the slightest clue what was currently trying to turn us into a snack. The jungle throbbed with a serrated rhythm of menace, shadows clawing at my ankles like they knew I’d trip eventually, while every rustle in the undergrowth jeered with the same cruel refrain: run faster, little hybrid, it won’t matter. All I knew was that we had to run, fast. We were fleeing the shifting freak behind us and, more importantly, the "oh-so-loving" pack we’d left in the dust. My birth pack, the Nightshade, had decided that as the Beta’s daughter, I was tonight’s special on the matrimonial menu. Apparently, I was destined to be the submissive trophy wife to the future Alpha, a guy who had the personality of a wet brick and the ego of a small sun. Lucky me. The runaway entrée of the year. ‘Run, Era, run

Desperately, my gaze ricocheted between two disasters waiting to happen: the jackal still thrashing in the waterfall like it was rehearsing for a disaster movie nobody wanted tickets to, and the towering man now blocking the cave entrance like a bouncer at the world’s worst nightclub. I was trapped between two forces of nature, two dangerous walls closing in. Lesser of two evils? Ha. Both options meant the snatching away of my hard-won freedom, but my choice had to be the path where I could simply stay alive the longest. On one hand, I had a shape-shifting shaman who absolutely meant no good. On the other, I had a Lycan who seemed to think I was the missing piece to his Royal puzzle. But if survival was the game, the longer‑lasting path was, with sickening certainty, Romani. At least the Lycan wanted me breathing, even if it was just to be a very expensive piece of furniture in his castle.

One moment, I was half-naked and vulnerable, huddled in a damp cave with a dominant Lycan Prince claiming me as his mate. One moment, I was half-naked, damp, and shivering in a cave, with a Lycan Prince looming over me like some overconfident predator announcing I was his mate. The next, I was dressed like a reluctant runway model, tucked into the plush interior of a limited-edition Maybach. The smell of leather and cologne was so strong it practically screamed money, a jarring contrast to the earthy mildew of my cave hideout. I stared out the tinted window, watching trees blur past, trying to keep my hands from shaking. The thought of returning to my old pack made my stomach twist. I could already picture my parents’ faces, grim, furious, because I had managed to evade their clutches for weeks. “Why do you seem so reluctant to return to your own pack, Ana?” Romani’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. Calm, smooth,

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. It became thick with the suffocating scent of aggression. Silas stood at the center, his chest puffed out, his Alpha aura flared to its maximum capacity. It was an impressive display for a werewolf, but next to Romani, it felt like a guttering candle trying to compete with a raging forest fire. Axel was stupid enough to be the first to react. His eyes raked over me, possessive and hungry, ignoring the man standing beside me entirely. "You found her," he hissed with a low, gravelly snarl. "About damn time. I hope you didn't damage the merchandise, stranger. Hand her over, and we might let you leave this territory with your limbs intact." I felt Romani stiffen beside me. The air temperature seemed to plummet ten degrees in a heartbeat. The casual, teasing Prince was gone, in his place was something primordial and terrifying.

Prince Romani drove with surgical precision, his hands steady on the leather wheel, his gaze locked ahead as though the road itself was a puzzle only he could solve. For a few blissful miles, the velvet smoothness of the ride almost fooled me into calm, the silence after the packhouse chaos feeling like a sanctuary. Then reality hit. The skyline of Human Town was shrinking behind us, fading into a cluster of dying lights. We were heading north instead, toward the untouched forests and the glass‑and‑steel mansions of the elites, where secrets hid behind gates and shadows. My stomach twisted into a cold knot as the truth settled in: we were not going where I had expected. “You’re going the wrong way,” I said with a rising panic I tried desperately to mask. The Prince didn’t miss a beat. He didn’t miss this one much. He spared me a glance that was far too calm. “We’re leaving for the Kingdom,