All Chapters of CLAIMED BY MY ALPHA STEPBROTHER.: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

AZRIELI should never have agreed to this madness or trusted her to listen. The chances of Seraphina waiting for me patiently were slimmer than our odds of surviving that attack. If I had been even a second late, I would have lost her. What on earth was she thinking?She went on about saving others and my injury, and I couldn't let myself feel angry at her. If only she realized that the sole reason she was alive was that I had shielded her right away. The force of the plane's crash could have crushed her, and that metal strip that tore through me would have killed her. Yet here she was, upset that we couldn't help others.I didn't respond to her. My nerves were still rattled from everything, and it didn't help that she was leaning into me, her sweat amplifying her scent. I didn’t even notice when she lifted my shirt, still trying to persuade the wolf that this situation wasn't an opportunity but rather a disaster.I froze as soon as I felt her fingers on my skin, my eyes snapping open

SERAPHINA"Hide," Azriel whispered, tugging me behind a big tree.I stared at him. "Hide? Are you kidding me? We need to run.""So you get spotted and take a bullet to the head?" He scoffed. "Very smart."I wanted to argue, but the sound of footsteps shut me up. I pressed my back against the tree trunk, Azriel shielding me with his body.The footsteps stopped. Then started again. I heard voices and peeked around the tree.Three men in black masks swept their gazes across the island. Their footsteps drew closer, and I froze in fear, not daring to breathe out loud. I leaned into Azriel, my fingers digging into his shirt.His heart was pounding, and he shifted a little, distancing himself from me.I pulled away from him immediately and hugged myself tighter.The men moved past us, their boots crushing dry leaves. One of them stopped. Turned. Looked right at our tree.I stopped breathing.He stood there for a long moment. Then he spat on the ground and walked on.I didn't move until the f

SERAPHINA.I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. Azriel was still asleep next to me, and I was afraid to move. What if yesterday had just been a dream? What if he woke up today and kept his distance again?He had said he was scared of hurting me, which was ironic since he was the only reason I was still alive.His eyes slowly opened, and I quickly shut mine."You're awake," he mumbled, his voice still thick with sleep. "No need to pretend that you're not."I turned slowly and opened my eyes. "How did you know?""Your breathing changed." A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "It wouldn't be that heavy if you were actually asleep."I laughed as I sat up. "You never cease to amaze me."He smiled and stood up too, offering me his hand. "Come on, we need to start the day."I took his hand and let him pull me up, my heart racing with excitement.We didn't mention the kiss, but he seemed more open now, less distant than before. He still flinched when I leaned in too closely, but he wasn

AzrielOld Maren laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling. She set down her wooden spoon and wiped her hands on her apron, her eyes on me."When you've lived as long as I have, young man, you just know." She tapped two fingers against her temple. "There's a feeling in your bones when danger walks in. A kind of coldness. These people—" she gestured vaguely toward the huts, "—they don't have it. I've been wrong before, but never about someone who meant us harm. The heart has a way of showing itself, if you know where to look."I studied her face, searching for any hint that she was joking. She seemed sincere, but I'd met plenty of sincere people who'd led others to their deaths."Besides," Kofi added, leaning against his wooden stick with an easy shrug, "those terrorists never venture this far. And they never travel alone—always in packs, always armed to the teeth. We especially watch for groups of people and avoid them." He straightened, squaring his shoulders. "A man and a woman, ex

AzrielI knew the moment she looked away that something was really fishy.I'd started having doubts the moment I heard the men's explanation about what was probably going on in Millbrook.Thinking back now, I'd been a fool. A school assigning a student to a place like Millbrook? It was insane.Sending a student straight to hell under the guise of a school project wasn't something the school would ever approve of. Besides, with the terrorists continuously taking down anyone who tried to enter, there was no way the school didn't know. It wasn't public knowledge, yes. But the government knew, and all schools would have been informed.It all made sense now. How she'd begged dad not to contact the school. The desperation in her voice."I don't know what you're talking about," she replied quickly, her voice pitched high and tight. "The school posted me. I had no choice. It's not my fault, Azriel, I swear—""Seraphina."I could see the tremor in her lower lip, hands had curling into fists at