Lahat ng Kabanata ng HE REJECTED ME, SO I TOOK HIS CROWN: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

KAELEN.The harrowing echo of the disgraced maid’s wailing screams finally faded down the vaulted corridor, leaving the grand hall trapped in a suffocating, reverent silence.I stood dead in the center of the obsidian crest, my calloused hands resting heavily on the hilt of my sheathed broadsword, entirely frozen in place.I could not help but be in staggering, borderline terrified awe at how Valeria had just handled the pack’s domestic matters.It was brutally efficient.It was surgically calculated.And it was executed with a bone-chilling, sociopathic coldness that would make even the most seasoned, bloodthirsty Vanguard warlords think twice before crossing her.She didn't lean on me.She didn't glance my way to seek my Alpha approval.She had simply stepped flawlessly into the violent vacuum of power and dictated a sentence that completely shattered her enemies without a single drop of wasted blood on the marble.Slowly, gracefully, Valeria turned her head toward me.The pristine,

JULIAN."Look at the noble Silvercrest heir now," a Vanguard warrior sneered, leaning heavily against the wooden post of the armory as I dragged myself past the secondary courtyard.He spat a thick, brown glob of tobacco directly into the mud, landing mere inches from the toe of my frayed, oversized burlap shoe."Hey, untouchable trash! You missed a spot on the western kennels! The Supreme Alpha doesn't like his hunting hounds sleeping in your filth!"A chorus of harsh, guttural, barking laughter erupted from the group of low-level pack members loitering near the stables.They stared at me with mocking, sadistic eyes, entirely and visibly amused by the pathetic sight of a former high-ranking royal wolf reduced to a common, nameless laborer."Maybe he needs a whip to his back to help him move faster," a female scout jeered, tossing a handful of sharp gravel directly at my spine."Move it, rat!"My bleeding, blistered hands tightened around the cracked wooden shaft of my rusted shovel u

VALERIA.The toxic, heavy-metal cocktail of nightshade and bismuth was a literal acid fire burning through my central nervous system, but I ruthlessly anchored my gaze to Kaelen's throat.I locked my violently trembling knees beneath the heavy layers of my midnight-blue gown, absolutely refusing to let him see the suffocating panic clawing at the inside of my chest.I cleared my burning throat, forcing my voice to maintain its smooth, impenetrable aristocratic cadence."To what do I owe this unprecedented honor, Alpha? I was under the impression you were far too occupied tearing your own territory apart to grace my doorway."Kaelen didn't answer immediately.He stood there for what felt like an agonizing eternity, his massive, towering frame completely consuming the narrow stone corridor.His golden eyes raked critically over my face, lingering suspiciously on the cold sweat gathering at my temples and the unnatural, corpse-like paleness of my lips.There was a dangerous mixture of in

KAELEN.The dying embers in the massive stone hearth cast long, jagged shadows across the dark mahogany panels of my study.I stood completely frozen in the center of the room, my chest heaving, the heavy air suffocatingly thick with the volatile, suffocating weight of my own restless pheromones.My Beta, Gary, stood near the heavy oak doorway. His head was bowed, his scarred hands clasped tightly behind his back. The dead silence between us was absolutely pregnant with the catastrophic failure he had just delivered."Say it again," I rasped, my voice a lethal, vibrating baritone that physically made the crystal decanters on the side table violently rattle. "Say it one more fucking time, Gary."Gary swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. His jaw tightened as he forced himself to look up and meet my murderous, burning gaze."We made sure all the women within our territory were tested, Alpha. Every single one. From the high-born noble houses down to the laundry girls and the lower se

UNCLE MALACHI.The freezing mountain wind howled across the high terrace of my obsidian quarters, but it did absolutely nothing to cool the ambitious fire burning in my veins.I took a slow, deliberate sip from my porcelain cup, the bitter, scalding black coffee grounding me as my dark eyes swept over the sprawling Blood Moon training grounds thousands of feet below.Everything was finally, flawlessly clicking into place.The board was set.The old Supreme Alpha of the Shadow Vanguard had been successfully assassinated, his heavy bones currently rotting beneath the mountain soil.And my pathetic, weak-willed brother—the current Blood Moon King—was currently hacking up his failing lungs in the royal wing, his blood souring with a mysterious illness. He would soon be declared medically unfit to rule.The throne was practically empty.It was just waiting for its true, visionary architect to finally claim it.Click.The heavy, soundproof glass doors behind me glided open.Marcus, one of m