All Chapters of THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE TO THE ALPHA KING : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The wounded rider collapsed before anyone could catch him.Thea knelt beside him, checking his pulse. "He's alive. Get a healer.""No healers," the rider gasped. Blood bubbled on his lips. "Can't trust them. The Silver Court might have compromised them too.""Then we'll do what we can ourselves." Vera grabbed water and bandages. "Tell us what happened. Everything."The rider coughed. Winced. "Three days ago, we sent a supply convoy to the eastern settlement. Food. Medicine. Building materials for the refugees.""I authorized that mission," Rowan said."The convoy never arrived. We sent scouts. Found the wagons overturned. Guards dead. And the refugees who were traveling with the supplies..." He trailed off. "Gone.""How many?" Lyra asked."Thirty-two. Mostly families fleeing from territories where the mind-binding spell had already spread. They were coming to us for safety." His eyes filled with tears. "We failed them.""You didn't fail anyone," Rowan said firmly. "The Silver Court di

They ran through the Frostwood with death at their heels.The massive shadow wolf moved like liquid darkness. Faster than anything natural. Its howl echoed through the trees, calling more shadow creatures to the hunt."Split up!" Rowan shouted. "Make it harder to track us all!""No!" Lyra grabbed his arm. "That's what it wants. To separate us. Pick us off one by one."A smaller shadow wolf lunged from the left. Thea's sword passed through it harmlessly. The creature reformed and attacked again."We can't fight them!" Vera dodged another strike. "Normal weapons don't work!""Then we run until we find something that does!" Cael led them through a gap in the trees.They burst into another clearing. Smaller than the last. No exits except the way they'd come.Dead end.The massive shadow wolf stepped into view. Blocking their escape. Behind it, dozens of smaller creatures circled, waiting."Trapped," Thea said grimly. "Perfect."The shadow wolf's mouth opened. Seraphine's voice poured out,

The gates sealed behind Lyra with a sound like breaking bones.Rowan slammed his fists against them. "Open! Let me through!"The silver metal didn't even vibrate."They're sealed by magic," Cael said. "We'd need Seraphine's permission to enter now.""Then we break them down." Rowan drew his sword."With what? Normal weapons won't work on Silver Court magic. You saw what happened with the shadow wolves."Rowan struck the gates anyway. His blade bounced off harmlessly. He struck again. And again. Fury and desperation in every blow."Stop." Thea grabbed his arm. "You're wasting energy.""She's in there alone. With Seraphine. With whatever trap is waiting.""And she chose that. You heard her." Thea's voice was hard. "You lied to her. Used her. Now you have to live with the consequences."Rowan's sword dropped. He stared at the closed gates. "I didn't mean for it to happen like this.""Then what did you mean?""I meant to tell her. Eventually. When the time was right." He turned. "But ther

Lyra stared at Seraphine. "I'm not your heir.""Not yet. But you will be." Seraphine gestured and the chamber doors opened. Cold wolves filed in, forming a circle. "First, you must prove yourself worthy. Show the court that you carry the bloodline. That you're more than just a wolf with delusions of grandeur.""I don't need to prove anything to you.""No. But you need to prove it to them." Seraphine pointed.Through the doorway came more figures. Not cold wolves. Real wolves. Living, breathing. Their eyes were normal but their postures were tense. The hostages.Lyra's heart jumped. She counted quickly. Thirty-two. All alive. Standing in a line behind Seraphine's throne.And in front, three small figures.Children. Six, eight, and ten, just like the message said. Dirty, scared but alive."Now you understand," Seraphine said. "You want to save them? Prove you're strong enough. Prove the bloodline runs true. Pass my trial and they go free. Fail and..." She snapped her fingers.One of th

Two crowns of fire faced each other.White and corrupted silver. Light and twisted shadow.Lyra's burned pure. Seraphine's writhed like something alive and wrong."You can't win this," Seraphine said. Her crown pulsed with each word. "I've had eight centuries to master my power. You've had minutes.""Then why are you still talking?" Lyra's hands glowed with white flame. "Just attack already.""Because I'm reconsidering my strategy." Seraphine's corrupted crown dimmed slightly. The cold wolves backed away. "Killing you would be wasteful. And I've never been wasteful.""What are you saying?""I'm saying perhaps we can reach an arrangement." Seraphine gestured and the flames died. Both crowns remained but were no longer threatening. "You want your mother free. I want your power contained. We both want the prophecy broken.""The prophecy says I'll destroy you.""One version of it, yes. But prophecies are slippery things. Interpretable." She moved closer. Not aggressive, almost friendly. "