Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 71 - Chapitre 80

KAELEN.The biting northern wind howled through the jagged throat of the mountain pass, but I couldn't feel the freezing bite of it.I paced a ruthless, muddy trench into the earth just outside the capital's reinforced walls, every single muscle in my massive frame coiled so tight my bones ached.I violently ran a hand through my hair, gripping the strands at the roots in sheer, unadulterated agitation."How much longer is this going to take?" I demanded, the question echoing endlessly in the hollows of my mind."Too damn long," my wolf snarled back, pacing just as relentlessly against the cage of my ribs, his bloodlust bleeding into my own."I wonder how long it's going to take," I muttered aloud, not even glancing at Commander Simon, who stood completely paralyzed at parade rest a few paces beside me.Simon methodically adjusted the heavy straps of his tactical gauntlets, his cold eyes fixed dead ahead on the towering steel gates of the city blockade."It wouldn't cost us a single c

UNCLE MALACHI.“Every single second we waste lounging around this table, the enemy is tightening the leash!”My voice echoed off the cold stone walls of the war room, sharp enough to cut glass.I slammed my palm down onto the heavy oak table, spreading out the stolen, detailed architectural schematic Julian had delivered to me.A true masterpiece of betrayal.“We hold every single card,” I declared, a arrogant, triumphant grin spreading across my face as my circle of generals leaned in over the parchment. “The Vanguard thinks they are marching into a straightforward war of attrition. They have no fucking idea we are about to flank them through the subterranean aqueducts. We strike when they least expect it.”My commanders erupted into loud, eager cheers, pounding their heavy fists against the wood in fierce agreement.Pride swelled in my chest like a dark poison.Everything was finally falling into place.

VALERIA.Uncle Malachi let out a high-pitched, hysterical shriek of pure, unadulterated panic.The extinguished, pitch-soaked torch violently hissed in the dark, smoking uselessly as he swung the heavy wood blindly at the empty air, his expensive boots slipping on the slick chemical foam covering the stone floor."How audacious can you be, you fucking rat?!" he spat into the pitch black, his chest heaving with a mix of terror and blind rage.Well, we were about to find out exactly who the rat in the family was."Show him," my wolf snarled in the back of my mind, her presence heavy and suffocating. "Show him what we are."I didn't bother hiding in the shadows.I planted my boots, pulled the ancient, thrumming power from the absolute deepest depths of my chest, and let my Alpha aura violently explode outward.A blinding, ethereal light erupted from my skin, instantly illuminating the massive underground vault.The stark, silver-gold glow cast terrifying, jagged shadows against the caver

KAELEN.The heavy, metallic stench of fresh blood completely overpowered the stale, dusty air of the unused childhood bedroom.“What the hell are you doing here?” Valeria demanded.Her voice was meant to be a whip, but I could hear the microscopic, exhausted quiver fracturing the edges of her words.She didn't take a step back, nor did she try to snatch the unraveled roll of bandages from my hands.She just stood there in the center of the dark room, entirely bathed in moonlight and shadow.Her combat gear was shredded, her skin was pale, and dark crimson was steadily dripping down her left arm to pool on the hardwood floor.Yet, her chin was tilted up, her spine locked in absolute defiance.Her stubborn, infuriating fucking pride was the only thing holding her upright."She is bleeding. Fix it," my wolf snarled, pacing frantically against my ribs, driven mad by the sight of our mate in pain. "Fix her."

ELARA.The cold stone of the inner courtyard wall bit into my spine, a jagged comfort against the tapestry of fresh bruises painting my back.I tipped my head back, the impact sending a dull throb through my skull, and let the tears carve hot, stinging paths through the grime coating my face.Every breath I pulled in tasted of copper and dust.My clothes—once a symbol of my pride and status—were reduced to filthy, blood-stained rags.With the main Vanguard army and the Supreme Alpha off on their crusade in Blood Moon territory, the massive estate felt like a hollowed-out ghost town.Only a skeletal security force remained, leaving the grounds to the shadows and the low-level servants who scurried about like rats.The sharp clack-clack of cheap leather shoes echoed down the corridor.Three serving girls, arms laden with woven laundry baskets, rounded the corner.They stopped dead in their tracks when they spotted me curled in the dirt.A high, grating giggle slipped from the tallest on