Betrayed Bloodlines: The Alpha’s Final Penalty のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

"I remember that long moon at the Nightwood House," I said, a faint frown tugging at my brow. "I recall staying with you for weeks, not seeing Evelyn at all. I always assumed it was because she was busy with pack duties. I never knew it was because of me.""It wasn't because of you, Serena. It was because your mother refused to see the beast lurking in Isabella’s eyes." Granny adjusted her position on the settee, her voice dropping into that raspy, knowing growl she used for pack secrets. "Isabella went too far. You were barely eight summers old; she would have been six. Old enough to know the weight of a grudge. You had received a crystal snow globe for the Winter Solstice—the kind that played a haunting Nightwood lullaby. It was a gift from an aunt who had traveled to the High Altitudes of Europe. Isabella wanted it. Your father, bless his soul, put his foot down. He told her she was under no circumstances to touch your heirloom. Isabella had her nesting dolls, Caleb had his trainer

“I’ve got this,” Valeria growled, shoving away from the counter before I could even plant my boots on the floor. “Get out, Isabella. This is a sanctioned gathering ground for our pack’s elite collectors, and your presence is a direct violation of our truce.”“Where is my sister?” Isabella hissed back, her posture rigid, her nostrils flaring as she tried to catch my scent through the heavy layers of paint and pine. “I want to know where she is right now.”“She’s occupied with actual Syndicate business, something you wouldn't understand,” Valeria replied, blocking her path.“Occupied fucking my Alpha?” Isabella spat, her voice dripping with venom.I pulled my lips back, a low, warning rumble vibrating deep in my chest. The sheer hypocrisy of this female made my blood boil. I stepped out from the back of the Crimson Veil Gallery, letting my gaze cold-bloodedly rake over my younger sister. Her coat was unbuttoned, intentionally putting her rounded, pregnant belly on display as if it were

“Unhand her before I tear your arm from its socket, Graves.”The snarling command didn't come from a human; it was a low, vibrational vibration that rattled the glass panels of the Moonfang Dining House lobby. I didn't even have to look up to know that Caleb Turner had just shifted his massive frame into the space between us, his silver-fanged aura flaring so sharply that Lucian’s grip on my wrist instantly withered away.I took a step back, smoothing the front of the deep crimson silks Rowan had sent to the safehouse only hours before. I was still trembling, not from fear, but from the raw, suffocating proximity of the Graves Syndicate patriarchs.“You are out of your jurisdiction, Caleb,” Alpha Lucian Graves hissed, his knuckles whitening as he adjusted the cuffs of his tactical dress coat. “Serena is still bound to the protocols of my territory until the High Council processes the separation treaties.”“She’s behind Ashcroft iron now, Lucian,” Caleb countered, his chest nearly brus

“Our business in this lobby is concluded,” Rowan announced, his voice smooth and absolute. “I am escorting my family into the main hall to celebrate my lead realtor, a female who outperformed thousands of trackers across the territories to claim tonight’s primary development award.” He motioned toward his parents and sister. “Shall we proceed?”I remained silent, keeping my hand securely locked in his as we turned our backs on the four of them, leaving the Graves patriarchs sputtering insults into the empty air behind us.“McGrath—or rather, Ashcroft—we need to finalize the terms of this transition!” Richard shouted after us.“We can finalize the terms on Monday morning at precisely eight o'clock in my inner den,” Rowan called back over his shoulder without breaking his stride. “Do not dare to be late, Richard.”When Lucian made a move to pursue our line, Caleb and a specialized crew of six armored Enforcers intercepted his path, creating an impenetrable physical wall of muscle and bo

“No,” Rowan rasped, his knuckles turning stark white around the metal casing of his phone. “I completely fractured her trust.”“You mean with that incredibly bizarre, icy wall you were projecting toward Serena for a situation that wasn't even remotely her fault?” Freya snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah, you absolutely butchered the landing on that one, brother.”“Freya, do not push my temper right now.”"Then when am I supposed to call you out, Rowan? You know, I have shared a bloodline with you for my entire existence. I have never once—not a single time—witnessed your wolf act this completely unhinged over a female. You have never been this thoroughly obsessed with a tracking scent.""I am not obsessed," Rowan growled, his eyes flashing a dangerous, unstable amber in the dim light of the hall."No?""No.""Then what name do you want to assign to this behavior? Is this entire spiral still connected to her former ties to the Graves Syndicate?""Fuck no," Rowan shook his