CAGED, CLAIMED, AND FATED のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 151 - チャプター 160

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREEThe walk back to the SUV felt like traversing a mile through knee-deep mud, even though it was only thirty yards.The freezing rain poured over my head, pasting dark strands of hair across my forehead and soaking through the heavy fabric of my coat until it felt like a weighted lead shroud. Every breath I pulled in tasted like metallic ash. Behind me, I could hear the faint, low crunch of gravel as Dante walked back toward the main mansion with Isabella Vance’s silk-draped hand resting on his arm, but I didn't turn around.If I turned around, I knew the universe would collapse entirely.Seraphina opened the passenger door for me, her hands trembling as she reached out to steady my elbow. I didn't acknowledge her touch. I climbed into the leather seat, staring straight ahead through the water-streaked windshield. My skin felt clammy, entirely drained of color, and the violent, agonizing heat that had been thrashing beneath my ribs just ten minutes ag

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIXThe quiet inside the master bedroom was so profound that even the hum of the city four hundred feet below seemed to disappear.Dante remained on his knees at the edge of the mattress, his broad forehead pressed into the side of my cold legs. His heavy hands clutched mine with a desperate, crushing strength, his tears soaking into the dark fabric of my sweater. He poured every drop of his dominant, apex heat toward me, trying to force his syndicate energy through our broken connection, but the golden thread was dead. His power washed over my skin like warm water over carved stone, sliding off without leaving a single trace.Seraphina stood in the open doorway, her shadow stretching long across the floorboards under the pale grey light filtering through the sheer curtains. The silver blade in her hand hung low at her side, forgotten. Her ice-blue eyes were fixed on my face, watching the slow, unnaturally rhythmic rise and fall of my chest."She isn't re

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-EIGHTThe petrified omega wolf towered over my unmoving human form like a phantom guardian forged out of winter and ash. Its fur bristled with tiny, jagged crystals of white frost, and its luminous, pale-amber eyes carried zero recognition. To this wild, wounded entity, Dante and Seraphina were not the two sovereigns who had held me in the dark they were the intruders who had brought the poison that destroyed our world.A terrifying roar erupted from its throat, a sound so loud and jagged that the black stone beneath our feet cracked open, spilling rivers of dark, frozen mist into the air.Seraphina hit the jagged ground hard, sliding ten feet across the stone before regaining her footing. She crouched low, her obsidian silk robe whipping violently in the gale, her vampire aura flaring blue to fight off the freezing backlash."Dante! Get back!" Seraphina yelled, her voice straining against the howling wind. "It isn't an omega anymore! The petrification ha

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTYThe floor-to-ceiling windows of the Grand Sovereign master suite framed a cityscape transformed by the late-afternoon sun breaking through the lingering storm clouds. The grey fog had dissipated, giving way to golden light that spilled across the polished hardwood floors and bathed the room in radiant warmth.The remnants of the blood-binding ritual had been cleaned away. The black candles were snuffed out, the shattered glass discarded, and the silver runes washed from the floorboards. Yet the atmosphere inside the penthouse was entirely different from the heavy, suffocating silence that had held us captive for days.The bond between the three of us sang with a clear, resonant frequency. It was no longer a fragile tether pulled taut by fear and hidden motives. It felt like a forged steel cable, pulsing with a seamless exchange of Dante's intense, possessive fire, Seraphina's deep, ancient composure, and my own fully integrated omega clarity.I stood in t

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWOThe lingering quiet of the penthouse master suite was a stark contrast to the brilliant, glittering noise of the summit below. The heavy oak doors had closed behind us, cutting off the endless drone of subservient executives, eager investors, and humbled coven representatives.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass, staring out at the expansive grid of city lights that stretched all the way to the harbor docks. The night sky was clear, the storm clouds completely swept away by the high-altitude winds.A warm, heavy hand settled onto my shoulder, large fingers sliding smoothly over the silk of my blouse to rest against the curve of my neck. Dante stepped up behind me, his broad chest pressing against my back, his signature scent of rich leather, amber, and rain enveloping my senses instantly."You dominated that floor tonight, little human," Dante growled softly into my ear, his rough jaw brushing against my temple. "The Vance directors looked like they