All Chapters of CAGED, CLAIMED, AND FATED: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONEThe dining hall is warm. Soft. Almost inviting.His mother pours tea with practiced elegance, steam rising from the delicate porcelain cup. She smiles at me, genuinely smiles, like I'm someone worth smiling at.It's unsettling."So tell me, Elena," she says, setting down the teapot. "Where are you from? What family do you come from?"I glance at Dante. He's sitting across from me, his expression unreadable as he cuts into his food.This is a test. It has to be.She asked me this same question earlier. Called me trash when I answered. Demanded Dante get rid of me.But she doesn't remember that.Her eyes are genuinely curious. Kind, even.Do I tell her the truth and risk her remembering? Risk her turning cold again?Or do I lie?"I..." I pause, my fingers tightening around my napkin. "I don't have a family. Not anymore. My uncle raised me, but he's... he's not someone I maintain contact with."She nods, like this is perfectly reasonable."And your pack?" she asks gent

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREEThe car ride is silent at first.Just the hum of the engine. The blur of streetlights passing by. The sound of my own breathing.Then I explode."I'm tired!" The words burst out of me like they've been building pressure for days. "I'm tired of all of this, Dante! I don't care if you lock me up. I don't care if you kill me right now. I don't care if you sell me. I don't care what you do to me anymore!"His hands tighten on the steering wheel. I watch his knuckles turn white from the pressure.Good. Let him be angry. I'm past caring."But I think it's about time you understand something," I continue, my voice rising higher with each word. "There are certain things you don't force. You don't force love. You don't force desire. You don't force connection or feelings or any of it. Because at the end of the day, I don't belong to you and you don't belong to me. We are two separate individuals. You are a stranger to me, and I don't know why you're just...just all over me

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE"Did you say De León?" Ariel's voice changes completely. Her grip on my hand tightens.I nod slowly, confused by her reaction."Elena." She stands up abruptly, pacing now. "Oh my god. Elena, do you understand what you're saying?""What do you mean? Do you know him?""Do I know him?" She laughs, but it's not a happy sound. It's terrified. "Who doesn't know the De Leóns? They're one of the most ruthless families in the entire continent, Elena. They own almost every oil and gas company. Their power cuts across different sectors. They have influence everywhere."My stomach drops."I... I didn't know that," I say quietly."You didn't know that?" Ariel stops pacing and stares at me. "Oh my god. You do not understand what I'm talking about. The De León family is an aristocratic family, Elena. They're what you call old money. They have influence across kingdoms. England, the Arab kingdoms, everywhere. They're literally one of the most powerful families in the world."She s

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN He pours a glass. A full glass. All the way to the brim.And slides it across the table to me.I stare at it.I'm not a drinker. Never have been. The few times I've tried alcohol, I've gotten drunk embarrassingly fast.But I need this extension.I need my scholarship.I need my future.So I pick up the glass.And I gulp down the entire thing in one go.The whiskey burns going down. My eyes water. My throat feels like it's on fire.But I finish it.I set the empty glass down with shaking hands.One of the other professors laughs. "Oh my god! You must really like whiskey. How about we give you another one?""No, I..."But Professor Harrison is already pouring. Another full glass."I'm so sorry, professors," I say quickly, my words starting to slur slightly. "But I really want this extension, not this. I'm...I'm just here for the assignment."Professor Harrison leans forward. I notice him shifting his chair closer to mine."Baby girl," he says, and the pet name make

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINEI’m still sitting on Dante’s lap. And everything is getting worse. So much worse I think I’m going to die from it.My skin is on fire. Not fake. Not pretty words. Real fire. The silk of my shirt feels like knives.My jeans are cutting into my thighs. Every breath hurts. Every second without touching him hurts worse. I need. Fuck, I need. I don’t even know what. I just need it now. The aphrodisiac is killing me. It’s in my blood. In my bones. It pulses through me and makes my vision blur.My heart is beating too fast. I can hear it in my ears. In my throat. In my fucking fingertips. My body moves on its own. It lunges for him. Because he’s heat. He’s the only thing that might stop the burning. I slam my face into his neck. Inhale. He smells like cedar and smoke and something wild.Something that doesn’t belong in this car. Something that belongs in the dark with teeth. My wolf wakes up. I haven’t felt her in days. Not since he kidnapped me. S