All Chapters of Claimed by the Ruthless Alpha Prince: Chapter 211 - Chapter 220

Daciana glances at me, and I see the fear there. The questions she’s afraid to voice.“How long have you been having those dreams?” I ask softly.Her breath catches.“What do you mean?”“The nightmares. The dreams about Elara. How long?”Daciana is quiet for so long, I think she won’t answer. Then:“Since the day I first saw you.”Everything in me goes cold and hot at once.“I usually wake up,” Daciana continues, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I took sleeping herbs last night. I couldn’t wake up. I couldn’t…” She stops, swallowing hard. “I saw you in it. You were there, trying to reach her.”“What did you see?” The question comes out rough, but I need to know.As she begins describing the vivid details of the different dreams, details even I didn’t know, breathing becomes difficult. Every word is a knife sliding between my ribs.When Daciana finishes, she looks at me directly.“You’re not surprised, are you? Who is Elara? Why is she in my dreams?”“Have you had nightmares like

I stare at the basket sitting on my threshold.Roasted chicken, still warm, wrapped in cloth. Fresh vegetables. A small loaf of crusty bread. Yesterday, it was meat sandwiches with thick slices of beef. The day before, a lamb stew filled my room with its rich scent for hours.Kieran.I sigh and pick up the offering, retreating back into my room before anyone can see me. Before he can see me, if he’s somewhere nearby, watching.It has been a week since his confession. Seven days since he told me we’re fated mates and my entire world was upended.Seven days of hiding in this room, trying to ride out the effects of the bond that is suddenly awake between us.I set the basket on my table and sink onto the edge of my bed, pressing my hands to my chest. My heart feels different now. It’s as if it has woken from a long slumber, beating with a rhythm that isn’t quite my own. My wolf is different, too—excited, restless, happy in a way that makes my skin crawl because I know it’s not real.Thes

The wolves settle around us, forming a protective circle. A few rest their heads on my legs. Others lean against Kieran’s back. We’re all mourning together.“She protected me,” I finally whisper when I can speak. My voice is hoarse, wrecked. “At all times. From the moment I arrived. She was always there, always watching over me. But I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t—”Kieran says nothing. He just holds me tighter, one hand moving to my hair, his fingers gentle against my scalp.I cry until I have nothing left.“I will find whoever is responsible,” Kieran says, his voice low and deadly. “And I’ll kill them.”I want that. I want the person who did this to pay. But something doesn’t make sense.“Why target her?” I ask, my voice hoarse from sobbing. “Nobody knows I can communicate with these wolves. Nobody knows they—”“Somebody clearly does,” Kieran interrupts. His jaw is set, his eyes fixed on the grave. “They know of your roots.”I freeze. “My roots?”He hesitates, and I see a flicke

The afternoon sun filters through the canopy as I make my way into the woods, following the path I’ve walked twice before. The wolves know I’m coming—I can feel them tracking me through the trees, silent and watchful. I need answers. I need to know what happened to her, who did this. For Daciana’s sake.The grave comes into view, marked by the stone I helped place and the flowers that Daciana left. They’re wilting now, but somehow that makes it more poignant. More real.I kneel beside the grave, feeling the earth beneath my knees. The wolves emerge from the shadows, surrounding me in a loose circle. They aren’t threatening me; they’re just… watching. Waiting to see why I’m here.“I know what I’m about to do borders on forbidden,” I say to them quietly, my hand hovering over the stone. “But I need to understand. I need to see.”The largest wolf—the new alpha of this small group—tilts his head, amber eyes fixed on me.“I will protect Daciana,” I continue, the words feeling like a vow. “

Daciana’s blood.Rage explodes through me, fiery and absolute. Someone has hurt her. Someone has made her bleed. Someone is going to die.I break into a full sprint, following the scent deeper into the gardens. Past the manicured hedges and flowering trees, toward the section reserved for noble families. The section I specifically told the servants Daciana shouldn’t have to deal with alone.Voices reach me first. High-pitched, mocking laughter that makes a feral sensation rise in my chest.“—should have known your place, honestly—”“—presumptuous little nobody—”“—actually thought you could stand beside him? What, his pet?”More laughter.I round the corner, and the scene before me makes every rational thought evaporate.Daciana is on the ground, her hand pressed to her side where blood seeps through her fingers, dark against the fabric of her warrior uniform. Her face is white with pain, but her jaw is set, defiant even now. Even when she is bleeding and outnumbered.Surrounding her