All Chapters of The Awakening of Slave: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

70 Chapters

Chapter 51: Silk and Steel

Senna’s POVI woke up in a bed that was too soft. That was the first thing I noticed. I didn’t notice the ceiling above me, or the quiet. I didn’t notice the unfamiliar scent of something clean and floral.I noticed the bed.It was so comfortable and lush, like being on a cloud. That’s how I knew I was somewhere very unfamiliar.I pushed myself up too fast. Pain flared through my side, like sharp knives. It was enough to make me suck in a breath.“Right,” I muttered. My wound came flooding back to me. It was still there, although it was heavily bandaged and not nearly as painful as it had been.Looking around, the room came into focus slowly. It had high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows that were draped in heavy, burgundy fabric. The walls were lined with polished wood. The entire room had a soft light that didn’t flicker or shift.Where the hell was I?I swung my legs over the side of the bed and carefully tested my weight before I stood up. The floor felt cool under my feet.“

Chapter 52: The Terms

Kalev’s POVShe was in the west wing when I found her. I was furious that no one had told me she’d woken up. I had wanted to be there when she did. Apparently, she’d been awake for a while.Walking into the library, my eyes landed on her and I gasped.The servants had done a good job. She looked like a completely different person. They’d bathed her and dressed her up. She wore a long dress that swept across the floor. Her hair was curled and piled on the top of her head.It was hard to believe this was the same woman who’d shot arrows across the beach.Senna was sitting near the tall windows. Her posture was rigid despite the softness of everything around her. She didn’t look like she belonged there. She stared out the window, a hardened look on her face.“You’re supposed to be resting,” I said.She didn’t turn her head.“Yes, I know. I’ve been told that several times,” she replied. “It hasn’t become more convincing.”I stepped further into the room, closing the door quietly behind me

Chapter 53: The Cage

Senna’s POVThe physician arrived early the next morning.He came with two attendants and a case of instruments that looked too polished to have ever been used in the kind of place I came from. His clothes were immaculate. His expression was carefully neutral as he approached the bed.“Miss Senna,” he said. “I’ve been asked to assess your condition.”“You can assess from there,” I replied. I knew why he was there. It had to do with my wolf. My wound had already been looked after. He was coming to inspect me because I had a flora wolf.He didn’t smile.“Unfortunately, that won’t be sufficient. I need to…perform a physical exam,” he told me, clutching his medical bag. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he looked a little scared of me.There was no point in arguing. Besides, he was only doing his job.“Fine,” I said. “Make it quick.”He stepped closer, his movements efficient but cautious, like he was aware I might decide to make this difficult at any moment.“Remove the bandage,” he instr

Chapter 54: The Ledger

Kalev’s POVThe Council chamber felt smaller than I remembered. Or maybe I was just seeing it differently now.I entered the room with my head held up. I knew what this meeting was about. They were going to strip me of my privileges.However, the moment I sat down, I was shocked to hear the head of the council say something else entirely.“Your Architect privileges will be restored,” he said, his tone measured, careful. “With appropriate oversight.”“What,” I snapped at him.“You heard me, Kalev,” he said, his face and voice firm. “I know this is not what you were expecting. However, the people have spoken and the entire capital was enamored with the games this year. Although the events do not sit well with us, we would be amiss if we pulled your position. The people would not be happy. It seems you’ve become a bit of a hero in their eyes. So we are not forcing you to step down. Instead, you will resume your position with oversight.”His words landed heavy on me. I didn’t want to do t

Chapter 55: Running Free

Senna’s POVThe estate was too quiet. Not the kind of quiet that comes from peace, but the kind that is built. Everything was managed, controlled, and curated. Nothing ever felt out of place. Even the air seemed filtered.I hated it.By the third day, I knew the layout of my wing well enough to move through it without thinking. By the fourth, I knew where the guards stood even when I couldn’t see them. By the fifth, I stopped pretending I wasn’t being watched and started looking for the places where I wasn’t.That was how I found the woods.They weren’t hidden, exactly. They were just…less maintained than the rest of the grounds. I stumbled on them by accident, down a path that lead right into them. The path narrowed, the stone giving way to fresh earth. Then to uneven ground where roots broke through the and leaves gathered.No guards stepped out to stop me. I expected them to, at any moment. But I just kept walking, away from the estate, and right into the woods.The trees grew thi

Chapter 56: The Room

Kalev’s POVShe didn’t ask to see it. That was why I brought her.The Architect’s room sat at the far end of the east wing, behind a door that most of the estate staff pretended did not exist. It required more than a simple key. It was a series of biometric locks and coded access. Only someone with the right authority could enter.Over the past week, Senna and I had talked a bit. There were times when it seemed like she was letting her guard down. But then other times it would just snap right back up. She went into the forest everyday. And she spent most of her nights with Thistle.I was still trying to track down Korrigan and Isolde. But I wasn’t getting very far. Everyday she asked about them though.I decided to show her the architect’s room because there were things there I wanted her to see. I really thought that, slowly, with time, I could earn her trust. The forest had been the first step.This was the second.Senna stood beside me as I keyed in the final sequence. Her express

Chapter 57: Taking Aim

Senna’s POVThe courtyard was empty at dawn. That was why I chose that time.The invitation had spilled out of me before I’d had time to really think it through. There was something about that control room, and seeing everything that Kalev had done to try to alter the games.Truth be told, my heart had softened towards him a bit in that moment. Just a bit. But enough for me to invite him to my training session.The days at the estate felt endless. There was literally nothing to do. The maids took care of everything. It was a far cry from my life back home, where I had to hunt and cook and clean.It was boring though. And we could only go for runs so many times in the forest. So I’d decided to resume my training with my bow and arrow. I wanted to stay sharp, since I was no longer hunting.As I walked across the training area, the stone was cool under my feet. The sky above was just beginning to lighten. The first hints of the sun caught the edges of the estate walls.I stood at the far

Chapter 58: The Well

Kalev’s POVEndrick did not knock. He just came right into my private study. That was my first sign that something was wrong.I’d been sitting by my fire, humming happily to myself. Senna was letting her guard down. I’d seen in in her eyes. I honestly believed that I was getting through to her. I was in it for the long-haul, however long that took. Eventually, she’d forgive me. She wouldn’t forget. But she’d forgive.Endrick barged into my study. He stepped inside with a file in his hand and a look on his face that told me there was something seriously wrong.“You’re going to want to see this,” he said.“That’s what you said last time,” I replied, though I was already standing.“And I was right.”“This is bad, Kalev,” he said flatly. “Really bad.”He set the file down on my desk with a controlled sort of care, like it might explode if he wasn’t careful. The seal on it was older than most of what we dealt with now. The seal was waxed, stamped with a crest I had only ever seen in the d

Chapter 59: Scentless

Senna’s POVThe dress alone felt like a trap.It fit too well. The fabric was too soft. The whole thing was too structured in a way that moved with me instead of against me. Someone had taken careful measurements for this. Someone had adjusted every seam. The entire design was something that made me look like I belonged here, at the estate. Like I was nobility.That was the last thing I wanted. To look like I belonged.I stared at my reflection for a long moment. Verity shifted faintly. She could already smell them. The people flooding into the ballroom downstairs for the gala. There were too many people. Too many unfamiliar scents. Too much noise.She whined and covered her head with her paws.“We’ll manage,” I said. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get through this.She didn’t argue.The gala was already in full swing when I arrived.Light spilled from every direction. Crystal fixtures overhead cast sparkles onto the floor. The polished surfaces reflected the light, glowing. The room was full

Chapter 60: Recognition

Senna’s POVI moved away from Viktor, crossing the ballroom floor. Verity started to settle the further away from him I got. I was halfway across the room when I felt a hand on my back.“May I?” It was Kalev’s voice. He was standing in front of me, looking devastatingly handsome in a formal suit. His eyes shone under the lights of the ballroom. His lips tugged into a half smile as he held out his hand to me.Our mate bond pulsed, stronger than it ever had. Verity whined happily, sensing Orrin.The word came out before I could stop it.“Yes,” I said, almost breathlessly.Kalev stepped onto the floor. His posture was noticeably stiffer than Viktor’s had been. His hand settling at my back with a kind of careful hesitation.“You don’t dance,” I said, resisting the urge to smile.“Not well,” he admitted. For some reason, I found that funny.“Well,” I replied. “That makes two of us.”We started to dance. If what we were doing could be called that.There was none of Viktor’s effortless contr

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