All Chapters of THE ALPHA KING'S MAID: Chapter 51 - Chapter 56

**EMILI**Alaric packed like we were going to war.Because in his head, we probably were.Three horses, two pack mules, provisions for a week, enough weapons to invade a small country. Damián checked the arsenal with the expression of someone counting bullets the way others count sheep. Enzo hauled sacks of food while whistling a tune only he knew. And Lyra oversaw everything with her arms crossed and that general’s expression that made the twins move twice as fast every time she walked by.Silas sat on a log with his bag of books, pale as milk, trying not to look like the weakest link in the group. Without his wolf, he still couldn’t shift, which meant he traveled as a human—slower, more fragile, more dependent. He hated it. You could see it in his tight jaw and in the way he gripped his books, like the knowledge he carried made up for the strength he lacked.—Are you bringing the whole library or just half of it? —I asked, sitting beside him.—I’m bringing what I need. Which happens

**ALARIC**The forest changed after midday.The trees grew older, thicker—trunks that would take three men to wrap their arms around. The light turned greenish as it filtered through the canopy, and the air grew heavy. My wolf bristled, not with fear but recognition. The same reaction we got near altars or ruins. Something ancient slept in this land.Damián felt it too. He glanced at me from the flank, and through the bond came a single word: *“Careful.”*The horses grew restless. Emili’s snorted and sidestepped. She stroked its neck, murmuring something that calmed it instantly.*“She handles animals better than people,”* my wolf said. *“Especially us.”*We pressed on for another two hours. The terrain sloped upward, rocks scattered between the trees, the path narrowing until we moved in single file.The bond vibrated.Damián. Northern perimeter. The message came through clearly: *“Movement. Three bodies. Wolves. Not vampires.”*I raised my fist. Instant silence.—Wolves —I said unde

EMILIThe fire crackled, and Enzo was telling the worst ghost story I had ever heard in my life.“...and then the wolf opened the door, and the grandmother wasn’t the grandmother—she was a vampire wearing a wig...”“Enzo,” Lyra said, “if you don’t shut up, I’m going to be the monster in your story.”“It’s a classic.”“It’s garbage. Sit down and stop ruining the night.”We were gathered around the fire, two hundred meters from the cave entrance. The altar was still down there, pulsing, and I could still feel the lock in my chest standing open like a hum that wouldn’t fade. But up here, under the stars, with the group around the flames and the smell of roasted meat drifting through the air, I could almost pretend it was a normal night.Almost.Alaric was beside me, leaning against a fallen log with his legs stretched out, my back resting against his chest. His arm wrapped around my waist. Possessive, warm, present. Every time Silas moved or spoke, Alaric’s fingers tightened slightly aro