All Chapters of When the Wolf Disappeared: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

I don't know how long I drifted before Theron caught up with me."Elara!"His hand closed around my wrist, yanking me to a stop. He was breathing hard, his dark eyes wild with something close to fear. "Do you have any idea where you're going?"I looked up. The treeline loomed ahead—gnarled, ancient, wrong. I'd almost walked straight into the Forbidden Woods."You're carrying a Pureblood pup." His voice dropped, but the tremor cut through anyway. "Kaelan's Pureblood. You're Pureblood. That should guarantee nothing—this child is a miracle this Pack hasn't seen in a hundred years. And you're just going to throw it away?"I opened my mouth, but he kept going."You know what it cost him." Theron's grip tightened. "You were told you'd never conceive. Kaelan told his family he didn't care—that he'd rather go childless for eternity than lose you. He hasn't spoken to them in six years. Six years, Elara. He burned that bridge for you."He searched my face, desperate. "If you hurt yourself, you h

"Don't bother."Kaelan's turn toward me stalled mid-motion. Confusion flickered across his face.I spelled it out, one word at a time. "I don't need your pity ceremony."I looked at him.Handsome. Tall. The kind of man who stopped traffic. Still made my heart stutter.But I'd never let him break me again."Pity?" His expression darkened. "You conspired with Theron. Told me you were carrying my pup. Fainted. Stayed unconscious for a full day and night. You did all of that for this ceremony. Don't pretend otherwise."A bitter laugh escaped me.He thought that was manipulation. All of it."Playing hard to get?" His voice softened—condescending. "Enough. Stop this."He reached out. Rubbed my head the way he used to. Then seemed to think better of it, pulled his hand back, cleared his throat.Beckett jogged up, clutching a bouquet of Moonlight Flowers."Alpha. The flowers you wanted." He held them out. "Fresh from the Moonlight Garden. Just picked."Kaelan took them. Extended them toward me

Kaelan walked in. Pulled the silver blade from his belt and pressed it against the doctor's throat."What illness does she have?"The doctor's legs gave out. He hit the floor, hands up."None! She's not sick! Seraphina was never sick!"His voice cracked, words tumbling out."Those records are fake. The silver sickness is fake. She's been perfectly healthy this whole time."A gasp. Then more."The pregnancy is fake too. She made me forge the report. She said if you acknowledged the pup, the mating ceremony would have to happen."Kaelan lowered the blade. Turned to Seraphina.Her face was paper-white. But her chin still lifted."Yes. I lied. So what?" Her voice shook, but she forced the words out. "What does she have that I don't? I'm better for you. More understanding. More worthy of being your mate."Kaelan backhanded her across the face.Seraphina flew off the bed. Hit the floor hard. One hand pressed to her cheek, she stared up at him, disbelief flooding her eyes."Why?" Kaelan looke

The next few days, Kaelan didn't leave.He checked into the hotel across from my place. Every morning, he stood outside the studio waiting for me to finish work. Every evening, he stood outside my courtyard waiting for me to come home.He didn't speak. Didn't come close. Just stood there.That evening, I walked out of the studio and he blocked my path again."Elara. Five minutes. That's all I'm asking."I stopped. Looked at him.He drew a breath. "Seraphina's been in the cells for a month. Over three thousand lashes. I had them remove her womb."His voice flattened."I threw her out across the border. She'll never come near you again. Ever."He reached into his jacket."The mating ceremony ring. I kept it. The ceremony never happened. Not without you."He opened the small box.I looked at the ring. Felt nothing."Are you done? I'm leaving."I walked around him.---That night, I lay in bed and heard something outside.I pulled back the curtain. Kaelan stood outside the courtyard gate,