All Chapters of Bride of the Beasts: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

ANWEN'S POVThe grass was cool beneath my knees, damp with the evening dew, but I barely noticed.All my attention was on Fenric—on the way he sat before me, so still, so impossibly tall that even seated, I had to reach up to cup his face in my hands and draw him down to where I waited.He didn't resist.Those silver-gray eyes of his—intense, predatory, endlessly watchful—never left mine as I pulled him closer.I could see the careful restraint. The lingering trace of wildness in his gaze. But it no longer came from the full moon's madness.It came from want. From desire. I pressed my lips to his.I started gentle, coaxing, silently urging. I moved my trembling mouth against his, soft and seeking. For a moment he remained still, letting me claim the moment.Then his lips twitched into a small smile, and finally parted them for me.When he finally kissed me back, I deepened it immediately, mirroring the hunger I'd learned from them—nipping at his lower lip, letting my tongue explore t

ANWEN'S POVFenric's words barely registered before his hands gripped my hips and lifted. My feet left the ground, dangling in the empty air, and I had no choice but to wrap my arms around the trunk, hugging the tree for stability as he hoisted me higher. My legs kicked uselessly, grasping for leverage and finding none.He adjusted me, lifting until I felt the hard, heavy length of him pressing against my thighs, aligned now with my entrance. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for what was coming, my fingers digging into the bark until I felt splinters bite into my palms."Remember," I heard him say behind me, his hand tightening its grip on me. "You asked for this."Then he pushed forward, just the tip, but it was still too much. A choked cry escaped my lips.He was too large, too thick, stretching me in ways that felt impossible. The pain was immediate and blinding, stealing my breath, making my vision spark white at the edges. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, my body stru

FENRIC'S POVWe stayed like that for a long moment. The oak's rough bark pressed into my back, but I barely felt it—not with Anwen's warmth resting against my chest.The knot hadn't softened. Not even a little. We're still locked together, joined in a way that made my possessive instincts sing. I let my eyes drift shut, exhaustion pulling at me, lulled by the steady thrum of her heartbeat against my own.Then the ground trembled.A low vibration rumbled through the earth and into my spine. The air shifted next, growing thick with heat, carrying the scent of smoke and fury.I smiled against her hair.They were coming.The tremors intensified. Branches shuddered overhead, and the forest's smaller creatures fled into the undergrowth.I knew that particular brand of rage. That heat.Brammon and Rhydan were tearing through the forest, tracking us by scent and fury.Judging by the force of their approach, they were absolutely livid—likely terrified out of their wits after discovering I'd br

RHYDAN'S POVBrammon and I stormed out of Blackreach the moment Wells delivered the message. We didn't even bother putting on shirts. We just moved, already bracing ourselves for whatever news Corbin had dragged himself here to deliver.Fenric caught up with us on the spiral staircase, his heavy footsteps echoing behind ours. Without a word, the three of us descended together.We passed through the fortress gates and headed straight for the heart of the labyrinth, where Corbin was waiting. He stood in the middle of the clearing, brushing black feathers from his shoulder, his expression an odd mix of amusement and confusion."What the hell is all this?" he asked, sweeping an arm at our surroundings. "For a moment, I wasn't sure this was still the Minotaur King's labyrinth."I followed the gesture, though I already knew exactly what he meant.This was the first time Brammon had allowed anyone into this part of the labyrinth since construction began.Even knowing what he'd been building

ANWEN'S POVI remained sitting upright against the headboard, my breathing still uneven as the name echoed through my mind like a bell struck too hard."Azara."I whispered it again, softer this time, testing how it felt on my tongue.It felt strangely familiar, enough to make my skin prickle. I could have sworn I'd heard it before—perhaps in passing, perhaps in a book, perhaps whispered somewhere I'd paid no attention to at the time.I squeezed my eyes shut and searched my memory, following the thread wherever it led.At first, there was nothing but fragments of the dream—the layered voices, the woman's gentle smile beneath the ancient fir tree, the soft glow surrounding her.Then, little by little, another memory began to surface.Liberation Night. The celebration that fell on my birthday.The very same night the last Radiant had been killed.My eyes flew open.That was where I'd heard the name.The traveling troupe had performed the tale of the Scions' rebellion against the Radiant