MY STEPBROTHERS, MY RUIN 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 21 - 챕터 30

The air stayed tense even after everything went still.No one moved at first.Not Thalia.Not Lyra.Not even the people watching from a distance.It was like they were all waiting to see if something else would happen.Thalia’s breathing slowly steadied.Her hands stopped shaking… little by little.But inside her…That feeling was still there.Not as wild as before.But not gone either.She swallowed slightly.“…It’s still there,” she said quietly.Lyra didn’t look surprised.“It will be,” she replied.Thalia looked at her.“For how long?”“A while.”She let out a small breath.“I don’t like that answer.”Lyra gave a faint smile.“I know.”Kael stepped forward again, his gaze still fixed on Thalia.“You didn’t lose control,” he said.Thalia frowned slightly.“That didn’t feel like control.”“It was enough,” he replied.She shook her head.“Enough isn’t good enough.”There was something different in her tone now.Not just fear.Not just confusion.Determination.Kael noticed it.But he

The sun had moved higher in the sky, but no one noticed.Time felt different in the training ground.Slower… yet faster at the same time.Thalia stood in the same spot, her breathing steady, her eyes closed again.Sweat had started to form on her skin.Not from running.Not from fighting.From control.Her fingers twitched slightly as she focused.The energy responded instantly now.Too easily.That part still made her uneasy.“Take a break,” Lyra said.Thalia shook her head without opening her eyes.“No.”“You’ve been at this for a while.”“I’m fine.”Lyra stepped closer.“You’re pushing too hard.”Thalia opened her eyes slowly.“I have to,” she said.Lyra studied her face.“You don’t have to burn yourself out to get better.”Thalia let out a breath.“I’m not burning out.”“You are.”Silence.Thalia didn’t argue this time.Because she could feel it.Her body was getting tired.Her focus slipping… just a little.But she ignored it.“I’m not stopping,” she said again.Kael, who had bee

Ember wiped her hands on her apron, ignoring the sting of soap on her cracked palms. The kitchens of the dragon palace were always sweltering, but today the heat felt heavier. The chatter of servants carried news that made her stomach twist: Prince Theron had returned from the war.She pressed a damp cloth to the counter, trying to steady her shaking hands. Omegas didn’t matter in the grand halls of dragons. Their lives were counted only in the meals they served and the pups they produced. Ember had learned long ago not to hope. Not even when her heart thumped strangely in her chest.“Ember!” a sharp voice called. She flinched and turned to see Marla, the head kitchen maid, glaring.“Careful with that soup, or you’ll ruin it,” Marla snapped.“Yes, ma’am,” Ember muttered, lowering the ladle. She hated how the omega scent in her blood flared whenever a dragon was near, making her feel like prey.The kitchens fell quiet as heavy steps echoed from the main hall. Ember froze, her ears catc

Nova was halfway through morning drills when the call came.“The Alpha wants to see you,” a guard said.The training ground went quiet for a second. A few warriors glanced at her with curiosity. Being summoned alone was not common.Nova wiped the sweat from her neck and nodded. “I’ll report now.”She walked toward the pack house with steady steps. She did not rush. She did not slow down. Inside, her thoughts were sharp.Why now?The large wooden doors opened before she reached them. Two guards stepped aside. She entered without hesitation.Ryder stood near the long table in the main hall. A large map of the territory was spread before him. Several patrol markers had been moved.He did not look up immediately.That was power. Making others wait without speaking.Nova stopped three steps away and lowered her head slightly. “Alpha.”“Report on the northern border,” he said.Straight to the point.“No rogue movement inside the line,” she replied. “But there are signs near the cliffs. Fres

Nova did not sleep.The mate bond pulsed through her body all night. It was not loud. Not painful. Just there. Steady. Alive.Every time she closed her eyes, she felt him.Ryder was awake too. She could sense it. His wolf moved restlessly on the other side of the territory. The connection between them stretched thin but unbroken.At dawn, Nova left the pack house quietly.She took the hidden path into the deeper forest. The hollow tree waited where it always did. Safe. Secret.Her hands were steady when she reached inside and pulled out the small metal capsule.This was not part of the plan.She opened it and placed a fresh note inside. The message was short.The mate bond has formed. Ryder Blackwood is my fated mate.She sealed it again and hid it back in place.Then she waited.She did not have to wait long.By midday, a shadow moved between the trees.A tall figure stepped forward from the forest line.Alpha Lucian.Her real Alpha.He wore dark clothes and no pack marks. His presen