Violet CLAW의 모든 챕터: 챕터 61 - 챕터 70

"I can't believe you actually showed up," I said, leaning against the frame of the heavy oak door as Noah pulled me inside the Pierce estate."I told you I'd hunt you down if you made me wait another ten minutes," Noah laughed, his navy-blue sweater making him look more like a relaxed Beta than a high-ranking warrior. "Get in here. The elders have been asking for the Mercer girl all night."I followed him into the great hall, where the scent of roasting meat and cedar filled the air. It was a proper pack gathering—chaotic, warm, and loud."Is that Ivy?" Gideon Pierce called out from his armchair by the hearth. "Come here, girl! We were just debating if you'd inherited Richard’s stubbornness.""Merry Solstice, Elder Pierce," I said, bowing my head respectfully. To my shock, three different elders pressed small, silk-wrapped bundles into my hands—Solstice blessings.We sat down to a feast of venison, root vegetables, and honey cakes. Noah was relentless, piling my plate high as if he ex

"Is a single word too much to ask? Or is the High Alpha simply too occupied with his empire to acknowledge my existence?"Cole had vanished like a ghost after that moonlit Solstice morning. Not a scent, not a shadow. I haunted the penthouse, counting the hours until the fifth day of the holiday arrived with nothing but the sound of the wind for company.I finally snarled at my phone, typing a message with trembling thumbs: [If you’ve decided the hunt is over, just say it. This disappearing act is beneath you.]The message went through. And, like every other one before it, it sank into a void of silence. I threw the phone across the bed, my heart hardening into a knot of ice.Fine. Ignore me. When you come crawling back to my bed, I’ll be the one who’s gone cold.I threw myself back into my shifts at Pacific Heights. The sixth day of the holiday brought a flood of wounded pack members and emergency cases. The exhaustion was a mercy; it kept the image of his grey eyes from burning behin

"He looks half-starved," I thought, my heart doing a traitorous leap. "Does he even have time to breathe, or is he just too busy preparing for a life with someone else to remember to eat?"The elevator doors had barely finished sliding open when I saw him. Cole. It had been nearly eight weeks of silence—eight weeks of me trying to scrub the scent of cedar and dark musk from my skin and my memories. He stood there, the undisputed High Alpha of the West Coast, looking sharper and more lethal than ever, yet there was a gauntness to his face that made his amber eyes seem twice as predatory."Good afternoon, Ivy," he said, his voice a cool, detached rasp that made the hair on my arms stand up. "It’s been quite some time."I adjusted the strap of my bag, my fingers digging into the leather to keep from trembling. I’d spent two months convincing myself I was over him. I’d worked double shifts at Pacific Heights until my vision blurred, spent my weekends helping Gabe navigate the legal remain

"If I have to sell my soul to pay for a piece of jewelry I didn’t even want to touch, then so be it. But don't think for a second that putting me in a cage will make you any more of a Luna."The air in the ballroom of the Ryder Family Gala felt like it was thickening into lead. I stood there, my fingers trembling as I gripped my phone, staring at the screen. A million dollars. That was the starting price for a sapphire relic like the one Jane Yoris had worn. I felt the walls of the world closing in—the same walls that had crushed my father, Richard Mercer."In that case, the Enforcers can deal with you," Sara Yoris sneered, her eyes gleaming with the triumph of a predator who finally had its prey cornered. She reached for her own device, ready to summon the pack police."It’s just a trinket, Sara. There’s no need to hunt Ivy down over a broken stone. Let it go."William Yoris stepped from the shadows of the pillars, his voice weary. I saw the way he looked at me—a flicker of the same

"Are you pledged to him?"The golden hue in Cole’s eyes flared, hunting for a lie as I struggled in the shade of the jungle. I met his gaze with a sharp, defiant smile."He respects my scent, Cole. He doesn't force a claim. He provides for the pack and makes sure I’m fed and sheltered without making me beg for scraps of his attention. Compared to an Alpha who thrives on silence and riddles, it wasn’t hard to choose him."I didn't give him the satisfaction of a direct 'yes,' but my words bit like a challenge. Cole’s fingers dug into my chin, his grip tightening with a sudden, possessive heat that made me wince. I snarled, wrenching my face away from his hand."Alpha Ryder, I assume a wolf of your stature has too much pride to play the role of a secret lover to another man’s mate."I didn't wait for his roar. I turned and bolted back toward the huts, leaving him standing in the shadows, his aura so heavy with gloom it felt like the trees themselves were wilting.By the time the moon beg