Semua Bab The Rise Of Talullah: Bab 11 - Bab 20

The sterile scent of the hospital ward was entirely overpowered by the ancient, fading aura of the Alpha King. I stood frozen by the side of the bed, the heavy fleece blanket slipping slightly from my shoulders. The man before me was practically a skeleton, his skin translucent and his breaths rattling in his chest, yet he commanded the space with an undeniable, gravitational pull.He was my father. The thought felt too massive to hold, slipping through my mind like water."My beautiful girl," he rasped again, his voice barely more than a dry whisper. His icy blue eyes – eyes I now knew belonged to my twin brother – were glassy with unshed tears. "You have her eyes. Your mother's eyes."I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat thick and suffocating. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I had spent seventeen years calling another man 'Dad'. But as I looked down at the King, Laurel pushed forward in my chest, completely bypassing my human hesitation. She recognised him. She felt the un

The freezing wind whipped across the tarmac as Ronan forcefully shoved me behind his broad back. His large hand dropped instantly, resting on the hilt of a heavy, silver-plated combat knife strapped to his thigh.The low, guttural snarl echoing from between the parked cars did not belong to a standard Lightmaw patrol. It sounded ancient, feral, and utterly starved."Stay exactly where you are, Princess," Ronan commanded, his voice a lethal, vibrating hum that made Laurel purr in my mind.From the impenetrable darkness between a battered saloon and a medical transport van, a massive wolf stepped into the dim pool of a flickering streetlamp. It was horrifying. Its fur was patchy, matted with dried mud and darker, rust-coloured stains. Its eyes were a sickly, glowing yellow, devoid of any human rationality. A rogue.Laurel, newly awakened in my chest, did not cower. Instead, she pushed forward, an indignant, royal fury burning through my veins. How dare this filthy creature block our pat

The raspy, mocking voice echoed in the darkest corners of my mind, sending a shockwave of ice straight through my veins.I stared at the monstrous, blood-red eye of the scarred wolf. Beside the wrecked SUV, Ronan’s entire body went rigid. His stormy grey eyes widened, the muscles in his thick neck straining as he gripped his silver blades so tightly his knuckles turned entirely white."Maddox," Ronan breathed, the name slipping from his lips like a curse.The massive beast – Maddox – let out a low, vibrating chuckle that rattled the remaining glass in the shattered windows. He did not shift into his human form, clearly preferring the terrifying intimidation of his feral state.You remember me, Enforcer, Maddox purred through the mind link, his gaze flicking lazily to the matching silver scar slicing through Ronan’s eyebrow. I gave you that pretty mark when you were just a pup trying to protect the old King. I see you are still playing the loyal lapdog.Taylon did not wait for another

The ruined walls of the gamekeeper’s cottage offered little protection against the biting Hindlands wind, but the physical cold was nothing compared to the ice settling in my veins."It will kill me?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper over the howling gale outside.Ronan knelt beside me, his stormy grey eyes completely entirely unreadable, save for the fierce, protective fire burning in their depths. "Only if you let it, Princess. The blight feeds on fear and weakness. But you carry the ancient Alpha spark – the purest form of Onyxclaw magic. You are the only one who can neutralise it."I looked down at my twin brother. Taylon’s chest was barely moving now. The terrifying, pitch-black veins had crept past his collarbone, sinking deep into the skin directly over his heart. He let out a wet, rattling gasp, his eyelids fluttering to reveal only the whites of his eyes. We were completely out of time.I didn't know how to be a Princess. I didn't know how to wield magic. But as I stared

The word echoed off the damp stone walls, heavy and suffocating. Spy.I stared at the crumpled dark parchment lying in the dirt, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. The six royal guards had their weapons trained squarely on Ronan's chest, their fingers hovering dangerously over the triggers. One wrong move, one sudden breath, and the small gamekeeper’s cottage would become a slaughterhouse.Ronan did not flinch. His massive frame remained perfectly still, a solid wall of black tactical gear between me and the rifles. He did not look at Captain Kaelen, nor did he look at Taylon. Slowly, deliberately, Ronan turned his head slightly over his shoulder, his stormy grey eyes meeting mine.There was no fear in his gaze, only a quiet, absolute devotion."I serve only the Onyxclaw crown, Princess," Ronan rumbled, his deep voice incredibly calm amidst the chaos. Slowly, he loosened his grip on his silver combat knives, letting them drop to the mossy floor with a dull thud. He r