All Chapters of The Cursed Alpha Virgin Bride : Chapter 21 - Chapter 29

The silence that fell over the courtyard was absolute. Elder Thomas remained frozen, waiting for me to speak, while Valerie’s smug smile tightened, confident that her trap had closed around us.I held the broken silver amulet tightly in my fist, my mind racing. If I unleashed my true royal aura right now, the elders would be silenced, but the entire werewolf underworld would descend upon this territory before nightfall. My grandfather’s enemies would know exactly where to find the hidden heiress.Before Elder Thomas could demand a final answer from Draven, the heavy iron gates at the edge of the courtyard groaned open. The low, synchronized hum of a convoy of sleek, black SUVs cut through the tension, their tires crunching heavily over the frozen gravel.But it wasn't just a random arrival. Flags bearing the crest of the Frosthound Kingdom fluttered from the front bumpers of the trailing cars. Valerie’s reinforcement her father’s high-ranking delegates had arrived to enforce the trap.

The heavy oak doors of the mansion had barely begun to swing shut when a sharp, commanding voice cut through the courtyard, freezing the departing warriors and delegates in their tracks. "Hold those doors." From the gravel path, a sleek silver sedan that had trailing the Frosthound convoy came to a smooth stop. The rear door opened, and Cordia Whitmore the Dowager Luna and Draven’s mother stepped out. She was wrapped in an exquisite sable coat, her silver-streaked hair swept up into a flawless, rigid chignon. "Mother," Draven growled, his arm instantly returning to my waist, his grip tighter than before. The ozone scent of his anger flared, heavy and warnings. "You were supposed to be at the western estate." "And leave my house to be systematically dismantled by a pack of northern wolves and a nameless orphan?" Cordia walked forward, her leather heels clicking with absolute authority against the stone steps. She didn't spare a glance for the broken porcelain or the tension bleedi

The heavy winter snow continued to blanket the Whitmore estate, burying the courtyard in a deceptive white peace. Inside the eastern wing, the air was thick with conspiracy. Angelica stood by the frosted window of Lady Valerie’s chambers, a glass of dark northern wine resting untouched in her hand."Draven’s mother has practically handed me the key to his bedroom," Angel said, her voice dripping with venomous satisfaction. "But a physical trap isn't enough. Not yet. His wolf is too hyper-vigilant right now. If I step onto that balcony while he’s still entirely consumed by his possessive haze over Aurora, he might actually tear my throat out before his instincts realize I’m offering myself."Valerie sat at her vanity, sharpening a small silver hunting dagger with a smooth, rhythmic *scritch-scratch*. She didn't look up, her ice-blue eyes fixed on the blade. "Then we need to break that focus. An Alpha’s protective instinct is a powerful shield, but it is also his greatest vulnerability.

The suffocating weight of my royal aura still vibrated through the stone pillars of the grand hall, leaving the elders and the foreign delegates paralyzed in their seats. Angel was still trembling, her hands gripping the edge of the mahogany table as she stared at the silver Nightveil amulet in shock.I turned my head to look at Draven, expecting to see the fierce pride that always filled his golden eyes when we stood together against the court.Instead, he was completely frozen.Draven sat on the Alpha’s throne, his broad chest rigid, his jaw clenched so tightly a vein throbbed in his temple. His golden irises were completely blown out, turning his eyes a vacant black. He wasn't looking at me. He was staring straight ahead into empty space, his breathing shallow and robotic.Something was wrong.Before I could step back toward the dais, Elder Thomas stood up from the lower table. The terror that had turned his face pale only moments ago had vanished, replaced by a grim resolve. He di