Claimed by the Ruthless Alpha Prince のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 251 - チャプター 260

I press my fist against the desk, feeling the wood crack under the pressure. “Keep going.”“The human woman I talked to—she’s old now, but she remembers everything. She said that twenty-eight years ago, a man came into town asking questions about the Clan. About their numbers, their routines, when they traded.” Artisem pauses. “The description she gave matches Lord Theodore. A younger version of the man, but I’m convinced it was him.”Every muscle in my body tenses. “Theodore.”“More people joined him later, but they stayed hidden. Watched from the shadows. And the day after the massacre, they all disappeared.” Artisem meets my gaze. “Like they were never there.”“The servant,” I say. “What else did she say?”“She died from her wounds, but not before she told them what she had seen. The man who took Daciana had a blanket. And the mother’s pendant. The servant watched him carry the baby away.”I press my lips together, thinking. Human memory isn’t exactly reliable, but what do I really

She is almost unrecognizable as a human. Skeletal, her bones pressing against skin so pale, it is nearly translucent. Her hair is long and matted, more gray than any other color now. Her clothes are nothing but rags. Her face is hollow, sunken, aged beyond measure.She senses my presence the moment I enter.“Help,” she rasps, the word cracking. Wild. Delirious. On the edge of sanity.I can tell she is a witch. The magic clinging to her is unmistakable. But there is something else. Something is wrong.Blood. Fresh blood. I can smell it on her. I glance at her mouth. Dried blood crusts her lips, stains her teeth.What is happening here?She moans, a sound incoherent and raw, and I shake off my confusion as well as my concealment. Questions later. Help first.I kneel beside the woman, already reaching for my magic. I pour stabilizing energy into her, and I feel her body trying desperately to absorb it, clinging to anything that might keep her alive.“Who are you?” I ask, keeping my tone

My entire world narrows to that single image, and for a moment, I forget to breathe.It’s Celeste? She’s the… But how is this possible? She’s a year younger than me. How can she be?The danger my friends and I are in hits me like a tidal wave.“Selene.” My voice comes out low, urgent. “Take Elara and go.”“What?” Selene’s anger flares. “Why would we do that? She has no right to be here!”“Trust me.” I don’t take my eyes off Celeste. My voice drops even lower, more urgent. “Please. Trust me.”I can feel Elara’s gaze boring into me from behind. Then she says quietly, “Let’s go, Selene.”“Elara…” Selene protests.“Now.” Elara’s voice is firm despite the strain in it.Selene moves to help her up, and that’s when Celeste speaks again.“Where do you think you’re going, Your Majesty?”I make sure I’m blocking Elara from Celeste’s view. My heart is pounding, but my voice is steady.“Talk to me, not her. Your problem is with me.”Celeste laughs, but the sound is wrong. All wrong.“No, Daciana.

The first wolf moves with power and deadly grace, muscles rippling beneath his coat. His eyes burn with absolute murderousness. Kieran. I recognize him instantly, and relief floods through me so powerfully, I almost go weak.Beside him, another wolf nearly as large moves with deadly precision. Kael. The King. His lips are peeled back from massive fangs, a low growl rumbling from his chest that sounds like an earthquake building.The third wolf is slightly smaller but no less terrifying, his eyes fixed on the undead with predatory focus. Seth.They don’t pause. They don’t assess. They attack.Kieran hits the first line of undead like a battering ram, his jaws closing around a corpse’s neck and tearing. The head separates from the body with a wet crunch, and he tosses it aside like garbage before lunging for the next one. His movements are savage, efficient, and absolutely merciless.Kael goes for the legs, his massive jaws crushing bone like kindling. An undead guard swings a sword at

Her heart. Still beating.Hera picks it up and holds it in her palm. Black veins spider across its surface, pulsing with dark magic.Then, she squeezes.The heart bursts, spraying blood over the ground. Hera uses the blood to draw a symbol on the garden floor—intricate and ancient, glowing with power.The moment she finishes, a wave of magic explodes outward.It passes through me like a shockwave, but instead of pain, I feel… release. Whatever it is that has been coiled tight in my chest for eight hundred years suddenly unravels. The curse—the invisible chain that has bound me—simply dissolves.I gasp, staggering backward. My body feels lighter. My magic flows more freely. Everything is different, and yet everything is the same.I see Kael streak toward Elara, and I spin around.Daciana is lying where Hera left her. She’s alive. Her eyes are open. The color is returning to her cheeks, and the bond—our bond—is strong and steady again.“She’s fine,” Hera says through her exhaustion. “Sh