All Chapters of Escaping the Alpha, Claimed in the End: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

102 Chapters

Chapter 21: If She Dies, You Die

Ryder’s POVAmelia’s body was broken, blood soaking through her clothes. Her breaths came shallow, her skin almost colorless. My chest tightened until it hurt just to breathe.I scooped her into my arms, ignoring the blood soaking into me, and sprinted back toward the pack house.“Doctor! Now!” I barked the second I burst through the doors.Servants scrambled. The doctor came rushing in, his face going grim the moment he saw Amelia. “Set her down!” he ordered.I laid her gently on the bed, my hands shaking for the first time in years.The guards dragged Camille in soon after. Her face was pale, her lips trembling, her eyes wide with fear.“Alpha—” she started quickly, her voice cracking. “I only wanted to protect the Pack. She’s not one of us, she’s from Silverlight! I thought—”“Silence,” I snarled, my voice sharp enough to make her flinch. Rage boiled in me, hot and merciless. “You dared to touch what’s mine. You nearly killed my mate. For that—” I straightened, my tone absolute. “C

Chapter 22: The Ritual

Ryder’s POV“Alpha, you must understand—this ritual carries great risk. If it fails, she won’t survive… and neither will you.”“I don’t care,” I said instantly, my voice low and steady. “If there’s even the smallest chance, I’ll take it.”The witch studied me for a long moment, then gave a single nod. “Very well. But once we begin, there is no turning back.”“Start now,” I demanded.She motioned for space, and the doctor stepped back. Servants hurried out of the room, leaving only the three of us. The witch opened the small satchel she carried and laid strange items across the table: a silver dagger, a black stone bowl, dried herbs tied with twine, and a vial of clear liquid that shimmered faintly under the candlelight.“Lay her flat,” the witch instructed.I adjusted Amelia gently onto her back. Her skin was ice-cold, her breaths shallow. My chest twisted painfully, but I forced my hands to stay steady.The witch lit the herbs, their smoke filling the room with a bitter, earthy sme

Chapter 23: The Dance

Amelia’s POVThe first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Kara slumped in a chair by my bed, her head against the wall like she hadn’t slept in days.When I shifted a little, she jolted awake. “Amelia!” She grabbed my hand, eyes wide with relief. “You’re awake. Finally.”My throat was dry, and my voice came out scratchy. “What… happened?”Kara’s smile softened, but there was worry in her eyes. “You were in a coma for a week. Camille… she nearly killed you. Ryder carried you back and refused to leave your side.”A sharp ache went through me at the memory of Camille’s claws, her rage, the blood—my blood—everywhere. My hand shook, and Kara squeezed it gently.“It’s okay,” she said quickly. “You’re safe now. Ryder saved you.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “The doctor said something strange, though. He thinks you might be a healer. That’s why you survived wounds no one else could.”“A… healer?” I echoed, confused.Kara nodded. “And not just that. He was shocked you healed so fa

Chapter 24: Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Amelia’s POVMy wolf’s voice was bold—a little smug. What, you don’t like that I interrupted your moment with our mate?Her words startled me so much I accidentally nipped Ryder’s lip.Ryder pulled back just enough to search my face. “Baby? What’s wrong?”“I—my wolf,” I whispered. “She’s talking to me.”He didn’t panic. He slid his hand down my arm and laced our fingers. “Come on. Let’s get some air.”He guided me down the stone steps and across the garden, then past the hedges to the open training field. He set his jacket over my shoulders. “We’ll keep this between us,” he said, then sent a mind-link to the pack: “Field’s closed. No one comes out here right now.”Finally, my wolf said, amused. Room to breathe. Hi, handsome. Her voice warmed when she felt Ryder near. Ours. So handsome.Heat climbed my neck. “She, um… thinks you look good,” I mumbled.Ryder’s mouth twitched. “Happy to pass inspection.” He took a step back. “What’s her name?”I hesitated, listening. The answer came fa

Chapter 25: His Doom

Amelia’s POVMy mouth went dry. I knew he was only guessing, but the room still seemed to tilt.Relax, Lyra said, amused. You’re not going to explode.I swallowed and looked down at the painting again. The woman under the moon. The glowing hands. The crescent mark. It all felt too close.Samantha turned another page and pointed to a line of notes in simple handwriting. “These refer to moon-thread—violet light within silver eyes. It shows up rarely, and only in wolves tied to certain blessings.”Mike leaned in beside her. “It mentions healing by touch,” he said. “And faster recovery after severe wounds.”“That fits what we saw,” the gray-haired healer added. “Her body repairs itself without heavy medicine.”Lucas stood with his arms crossed, eyes scanning the margin notes. “What about time markers?” he asked. “How often does this ‘moon-thread’ appear?”Samantha moved her finger farther down the page. “Here. ‘The moon-thread returns with the long count.’ It lists years… four hundred and

Chapter 26: Blackpine

Ryder’s POVI smelled her before I stepped into the library—that refreshing mix of fresh herbs, wildflowers, and morning air that belonged to spring alone. Normally, her scent calmed me, like new grass after rain. But tonight, there was something sharp under it, almost metallic, like crushed nettle. Distress. Pain.She was standing motionless by the window when I entered, a roll of parchment clenched in both hands. Sunlight cut across her cheek, but she looked pale anyway.“Baby,” I said quietly.She blinked and set the parchment down like it was something sharp. “I’m fine,” she murmured.She wasn’t. Her fingers were cold when I took her hand. I rubbed warmth into her knuckles and let the silence sit a second.Alpha, the elders are assembled, Lucas’s voice brushed my head through the mind-link.Of course they were.I kept my eyes on Amelia. “I have to deal with something,” I told her, low. “Lucas will stay with you.”She gave a small nod, brave on the surface, wrecked underneath. I wa

Chapter 27: Scars

Ryder’s POVWhen I pushed my door open with my foot and set her gently on the couch, she looked up at me with wide eyes. “You brought me to your room?”“Yeah, I did,” I said simply, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “I brought my mate and Luna to my chambers.” I leaned closer, my lips grazing the shell of her ear. “Nobody will dare come in here. Is my baby scared?”Her whole face went tomato red in an instant. She stuttered, “Y-You’re… impossible.”I chuckled low in my throat, the sound vibrating against her. Sliding down beside her, I whispered, “Good thing you like impossible.”Her lips parted like she wanted to argue, but instead she sank into the cushions with a huff, muttering, “Impossible,” again.For a while, silence stretched between us. The fire crackled in the hearth, and the cool night air drifted through the windows. The sweet, refreshing scent of Amelia wrapped around me, mixing with my own. The blend filled the room until I could almost imagine burying my face i

Chapter 28: The First Lesson

Amelia’s POVThe night blurred after Ryder kissed me. I didn’t know how long we stayed like that—clinging, kissing like we were the only ones left in the world. At some point, exhaustion dragged me down, and I must’ve fallen asleep wrapped in his arms.When I woke the next morning, sunlight spilled across Ryder’s room, warming the sheets. For a second, I forgot where I was. Then I felt the soft weight of his arm over me, the steady rhythm of his breathing at my back, and everything came rushing back.The prophecy. Lucas’s confession. Ryder’s truth. That kiss…My chest squeezed. He’d told me everything, trusted me with the worst parts of his past—and it made me feel steady and shaken all at once.“Morning, baby,” Ryder murmured, his voice rough with sleep.Color rushed to my face. “Morning.”He pressed a kiss against the back of my neck before finally pulling away, stretching like the big wolf he was. “I’ve got a meeting to handle. Stay here as long as you want. Lucas will check in on

Chapter 29: Warning

Amelia’s POV“Hey… hey, c’mere.”Ryder’s voice barely carried. He edged a step closer, palms up, like he was coaxing a stray.“You didn’t hurt me, okay? Look at me. I’m right here.My eyes dropped to his forearm—still red, still angry-looking where I’d burned him. It wasn’t healing. Not fast enough.“I did,” I said quietly, the words barely catching on my breath. “You don’t have to pretend.”Ryder followed my gaze, then shook his head like I’d just missed the point entirely.“This?” He lifted his arm slightly, like it barely registered. “It’s nothing.”I shook my head hard, shame burning my throat. “You should stay away from me. I almost—”Ryder stepped closer, voice low but steady. “So what if you caused some fireworks? Isn’t that why we’re training?” His hand brushed my arm, grounding me. “You’re learning, baby. Obviously you’ll make mistakes. Accidents happen. That’s part of the process.”The way he said it so matter-of-factly almost made me believe him. Almost. But the words from

Chapter 30: Leaving Pawmoon

Amelia’s POVThe first thing I felt in the morning was warmth. Ryder’s arm was heavy around my waist, his chest pressed against my back. His breathing was slow and even, steady like the whole world moved in time with him.For a few seconds, I stayed still, pretending I hadn’t woken yet. It was too easy to sink into the safety of him, his scent wrapping around me—pine, smoke, something that was just Ryder.“Awake?” His voice rumbled low against my hair.I blinked, caught. “…Maybe.”His arm tightened slightly, pulling me closer until I fit snug against him. “Liar,” he murmured, amusement warming the edge of his tone.Heat crept up my face. “You’re ridiculous.”One corner of his mouth lifted. “And lucky for me, you don’t seem to mind.”I rolled in his hold until I was facing him. His hair was a mess, his jaw rough with sleep, but his eyes—gold and steady—were wide awake. “You should rest more,” I whispered. “You’ve been working too much.”He shook his head, brushing a strand of hair from

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