All Chapters of Bride Of The Beast: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

55 Chapters

Chapter Eleven: The Hunt

The "Blood Feast" was held in the smaller dining hall.I sat at the center of the long, dark table, surrounded by the Alphas of the Council. They didn't speak to me. They just watched, their eyes tracking the way my throat moved every time I swallowed a sip of water. I wore the most restrictive gown I had—a deep crimson silk that I hoped would hide any flush of nausea or heat.Beneath the table, my hands were clamped together so tightly my knuckles were white.A servant placed the plate in front of me.My stomach recoiled. The meat was thick, barely seared on the outside, and swimming in a pool of its own warm juices. "The Prince's mate must share his hunger," the oldest councilor said, his voice cutting through the silence. "To deny the kill is to deny the wolf. Eat, Your Grace."I picked up the knife. My hand trembled just a fraction, but I forced it still. I thought of Denis’s advice: Don't chew. Just swallow. I cut a small, dripping piece. Eilís was already seated to my right.

Chapter Twelve: The Letter

The next morning, Denis didn't give me the luxury of a slow recovery. I could still feel the meat turning in my stomach.He arrived at my chambers while the mist was still thick against the glass, carrying a wooden practice stave. He didn't look like a playful attendant today, I didn't know Denis could look this serious."The Council thinks you're spending these two days praying," Denis said, kicking the door shut. "In reality, you’re going to learn how not to die. They're going to starve Eilís, make sure he is incoherent before the hunt.”So it'd be easier to kill me. I finished in my mind. Whatever way they could get rid of the human bride.“Eilís isn't the only thing in the Black Ridge. There are younger wolves, scavengers, and guards who might 'accidentally' lose their way. If you look like an easy kill, someone will take it.""What am I supposed to do against a wolf with a stick?" I asked, hefting the stave. It felt light."You aren't fighting them, Raven. You’re redirecting them,

Chapter Thirteen: A place of Quiet

The second morning was quieter than the first, the kind of heavy, suffocating silence that usually precedes a storm. I had spent the dawn hours standing in the center of my room, letting Calani adjust the binders until I could only take air in short, measured sips. My ribs ached with a dull, constant throb, but the silhouette in the mirror was convincing, a slender, fragile girl with skin like porcelain.The meat from the night before still sat heavy in my gut, a reminder of the "beast" I was expected to satisfy. I needed to get out of the room. The walls felt like they were closing in, the stone sweating cold moisture, and the cloying smell of the rose-water and lead-white powder was starting to make me nauseous. I thought of a place to go, somewhere no one would bother me. The solarium came to mind. Feeling suddenly grateful to Denis for showing me the place, I told Calani I was going there to "pray," a lie that the guards at my door accepted with bored, dismissive nods. Not that

Chapter Fourteen: The Hunt Begins

I was standing beside the pack. They were frantic, pulling at their clothes in excitement for the hunt. How many of them wanted me dead? How many didn't care if I survived or not?I hit my lip when I saw Eilis held down beside the king. His wolf was just as ferocious as it had been at the wedding.I inhaled deeply and braced myself. I won't know the outcome until I try.The horn’s final note bled into the wind, leaving a silence so sharp it felt like it could cut. I didn't wait for the echoes to die. I turned and plunged into the treeline, the heavy velvet of my skirts catching on the first frost-brittle thicket I hit.I hiked my skirts up, the hidden stave bumping rhythmically against my thigh. My breath came in ragged, shallow stabs as the binders constricted my chest. I needed to reach the western slope.I had barely cleared the first mile when the wind shifted. A low growl vibrated through the trunk of a pine to my left. I skidded to a halt, my boots churning up the frozen mulch.

Chapter Fifteen: Imprint Of The Wolf

The transition was a violent, wet sound of shifting bone. Within seconds, the heavy weight of the wolf’s fur was gone, replaced by the slick, hot skin of a man.I breathed a sigh of relief, but then held my breath when he looked up and smiled. A sudden flash of the night he claimed me came to mind. This wasn't Eilis, this was the Wolf.He didn't move to get off me. Instead, he stayed pinned to my chest, his fingers digging into the dirt on either side of my head. He looked at me with a lazy, cruel satisfaction."The Prince is a fool," he rasped. "He thought he was protecting a delicate little thing. He almost let you freeze because he was too afraid to hunt you."I tried to shove his shoulder, but it was like pushing against solid stone. "The hunt is over. Get off me." My body trembled, my mind refusing to see beyond the fear of that night.He laughed, a dry, grating sound. He reached out, his thumb tracing the line of the claiming bite on my neck, pressing just hard enough to make the

Chapter Sixteen: Panic Attack

EILISI knew what my father wanted when he summoned me into his room. I wasn't surprised to see my sister. She sat next to him, her eyes taking me in with gentle surprise.“You look relaxed for someone who just hunted his bride.” She said, I narrowed my eyes.“And you didn't attend my wedding.” I replied.She waved it off. “It was a ruckus anyway.”My father coughed and we both stopped talking to face him.“You can get back to your reunion later, and that's when I'm finished with my questioning.”“Questioning?” I asked back, looking at my sister then at my father.“Don't act like you're surprised.” Aria snorted, “you should know the old man would have questions as to why your ‘Human Bride’ is still alive.”I flinched, holding back the wince, it felt like she'd reached across and slapped me.“I'm listening.” I told my father.“How is she still alive?” He began.I shrugged. “By pure luck?”“Don't give me that, I'm asking as your king.”“Then this conversation should be happening in the t

Chapter Seventeen: A glimpse into the past

My ribs were still tender from the morning’s frantic panic, yet the routine had begun again. Lead-white, binders, silk.I was sitting in my shift when Calani brought another letter. This one didn't have the heavy, official wax of my father’s seal.It was closed with a blue dab of wax, and the handwriting was an elegant, looping script I recognized instantly.My heart stopped.Raven,I know what Father told the village. I know he said the fever took you on the road to the border. But I saw the way he looked at the gold when it arrived, and I saw the way he burned your old tunics in the courtyard. I feel guilty knowing you are there as a replacement for me, so I am coming to Caravia to see you and put my mind at rest. I’ve told Father I’m going to visit a distant cousin in the foothills, but my carriage is already turned North. I need to see the 'Princess' for myself. I need to know if my brother is truly dead, or if he’s just wearing the crown I was supposed to bear.Wait for me. I’ll

Chapter Eighteen: Suspected

The red silk was heavy and stiff. Calani spent a long time pinning my hair up, her fingers moving fast while I sat there with my mind elsewhere. The letter was gone—burned in the hearth—but the words were still stuck in my head."Don't fidget," Calani muttered, adjusting the high collar. "You need to look like you belong at that table.""I'm trying," I said. My ribs still ached every time I took a deep breath, a reminder of the chase.When I finally walked into the Great Hall, the noise was the first thing that hit me. It was the sound of hundreds of people eating, drinking, and shouting over each other. The King sat at the center of the high table. Beside him was a young woman I hadn't seen before. She looked young, with the same sharp features as the King, watching the room with a look of total boredom.Eilís was already seated. He looked different in formal clothes—stiff and uncomfortable. He was staring at a silver goblet in front of him like he wanted to break it. As I approached

Chapter Nineteen: Camden South

Eilis stood up from his seat. “Raven, come with me. There's someone I'd like you to meet.”I stood up quickly, knowing this was an opportunity to leave Aria’s presence.I followed him as he led me towards the densest part of the crowd. He walked towards a man leaning casually near one of the marble pillars. The man was looking too relaxed for someone standing in the king’s celebration hall.Tall, broad-shouldered, blond hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. Gold eyes flicked toward us and brightened immediately as they landed on Eilís.“About time,” the man said, grinning. “I was starting to think you’d abandoned me for court politics.”Eilís snorted. “Camden, behave.”Camden’s grin widened as his gaze slid to me.“This,” Eilís said, and there was a subtle shift in his voice, “is Raven.”Camden inclined his head respectfully. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”I raised an eyebrow to match his energy. “Only good things, I hope.”He laughed, “Depends on who you ask. Which tells me you’re

Chapter Twenty: Guilt

I pushed the door open and shut it quickly behind me, my heart hammering a rhythm against my ribs that I couldn't slow down. I had told Eilis to let me see Mirabel alone and I was glad he agreed. How could she even be here when I received her letter this morning?I didn't even look toward the bed before I saw her.Mirabel was standing by the window, her hands knotted together in the fabric of her cloak. She looked exhausted, the fine silk of her traveling hood pushed back to reveal hair that was tangled from the wind.She turned when the latch clicked. Her eyes went wide, tracking me as I moved into the center of the light. She just stared at the heavy silk of my dress, the gold weight of the necklaces, and the thick layer of makeup that masked my skin."Raven," she whispered.I didn't move toward her. I stayed near the door, my hand still resting on the wood. "What are you doing here, Mirabel? How did you even get past the gates?"She didn't answer the question. She stepped forward, h

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