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All Chapters of The Alpha’s Bastard Bride: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

200 Chapters

11

"You actually thought those corporate wolves at the arena would let a stray from the Expanse keep a job?" Vespera Crowe mocked, leaning back against the leather sofa in the reception hall.I stood just inside the threshold of the Nightbane townhouse, my blood running hot under my skin as the rejection call from the Frost-Fang corporate offices echoed in my mind. I didn't answer her. My eyes locked onto her wrist, where a pristine jade bracelet caught the morning light. It was the exact piece my mother, Selene, had shown me in her velvet box before Darius stripped our lineage and threw us into the outer wild."That doesn't belong to you, Vespera," I said, my voice dropping into a low, warning growl."Everything in this den belongs to the ones who stayed behind while you were rotting in the dust, Lyra," she sneered, running a manicured claw over the polished stones. "How is life with your crippled Alpha? Is the mighty Blackthorne leader everything you hoped for, or does he treat you lik

12

"Did that Expanse stray actually dare to breach my inner sanctum?"Kaelen’s deep rumble echoed through the doorway of the study as he strode back inside. He marched directly toward the heavy obsidian desk, his eyes locking onto a fresh stack of hand-scribed parchment. He snatched the papers up, his amber gaze scanning the translation. The characters were flawless, written with a steady, striking elegance that carried a distinct, northern pack authority.He gripped the edges of the sheets, his brow furrowing as the impossible realization settled into his mind. Did this exiled female actually possess the rare gift to decipher the ancient tongue of the Duskwild Expanse?It felt entirely absurd.Just as he was about to thrust the documents back onto the desk and track her scent through the estate to demand an explanation, a small slip of parchment fluttered from between the translated pages. A concise, handwritten message was scrawled across it:I apologize for entering your private chamb

13

"Eight years in the red dust of the Expanse leaves marks you can't scrub off with a polite answer, Alpha," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I forced a hollow smile. "I decoded the script because it kept me alive. Let's leave it at that."Kaelen’s jaw tightened, his golden gaze raking over my face. Even with my scent masked by the bitter winter moss, my racing pulse was betraying the old trauma bleeding through my shield. "Step closer, Lyra."I hesitated, taking a slow, agonizing step toward the edge of his massive desk. He slid a thick, bound folder across the dark wood, the emblem of the Ironvale Frost-Fangs embossed on the corner."Since the Expanse dialect is so effortless for you, decode this trade roster," Kaelen commanded, his voice a low vibration that made the glass on his desk hum. "The northern border clans signed it, but my front office claims the dialect is unreadable."I reached for the parchment, my fingers brushing against the bold text. "The front office? I w

14

"You're tracking my scent into the corporate arena just to interrogate me about the front office logs, Alpha?" Elowen hissed, her claws catching the edge of the velvet booth as she tried to master her rising panic. "I did it because she’s constantly circling your territory! If she embeds herself into your roster, the bond between you two will only solidify. I’m terrified you’ll let her back into your mind."Kaelen leaned back against the leather frame of the booth, the daylight from the massive glass windows illuminating the stark, sharp lines of his face. He propped his chin on his fist, his amber eyes burning into her with a terrifying, assessing silence.It was as if he were staring at a complete stranger—not the female who had allegedly dragged him from the silver-poisoned snow when they were pups and crafted the remedy that saved his line."You've known my nature since our first hunt," Elowen whimpered, tears finally spilling over her lashes as she realized her corporate manipula

15

"I just processed the medical release for the Nightbane female," Alistair said, his voice cutting through the quiet hum of the Silverclaw Wing as he stepped back into the corridor. "She needs her mother, Kaelen. Her wolf is too weak to endure the recovery alone."Kaelen stopped mid-stride, his fingers tightening against his leather grip. "Is the pup in danger?""The vitals have stabilized, but the emotional strain is depleting her reserves. She specifically requested Selene’s presence."Kaelen pulled out his device, tracking Selene Nightbane’s signal through the pack network and transmitting the infirmary’s coordinates. "Get to the Moonshadow Infirmary immediately. Lyra is asking for you."On the other end of the line, Selene’s breathing turned instantly erratic, her maternal scent spiking with panic even through the digital connection. "What happened to my girl? Did the Blackthorne line break their pact?""She is resting," Kaelen answered, his voice dropping to a gravelly, flat regis

16

"What are you doing here?!"Kaelen’s voice tore through the heavy air of the Silverclaw Wing like a rogue’s battle cry, vibrating with a dark, primal rage that made the hairs on my arms stand up. The sheer dominance rolling off his aura made my wolf cower, but I forced my chin up, turning my head toward the shadow blocking the corridor light. His amber eyes burned into mine, glittering with a dangerous intensity that sent a shiver straight down my spine. "What did I say last time? How dare you ignore my directives!"I instinctively stepped back from Alistair’s hold, my palms slick with a cold sweat. In the agonizing seconds after my mother collapsed, the frantic pounding of my heart had drowned out everything else; I hadn't even realized how tightly the healer had been anchoring me against his chest."I..." I began, my throat tight as I scrambled to defend myself, but before I could utter another word, Alistair stepped firmly between us, his fingers wrapping around my wrist in a prote

17

"Mmh..." I gasped against his mouth, my hands flattening against his broad chest as I shoved him away with every ounce of strength my wolf could muster.At the same instant, Kaelen seemed to snap back to reality, taking a sharp step backward as his breathing turned ragged. He stared at me with an expression of pure, unadulterated disbelief, his own fingers rising to touch his jaw. What did I just do? Elowen had spent weeks trying to scent-mark his furs, yet he hadn't felt a single spark of desire to cross her boundaries. But the moment this thin, defensive Nightbane female defied him, his instincts had completely overridden his logic, demanding he claim her voice. He felt entirely stripped of his control.Aside from that horrific, nameless night during the winter thaw at the Crimson Fang Lodge, no male had ever laid hands on my skin. The sudden intimacy left me feeling violated and exposed, my wolf snarling in absolute outrage."How dare you!" I hissed, my voice trembling with a toxic

18

"If your palms pushed her, your mouth will yield an apology to this pack line!" Kaelen’s growl dropped an octave, the sheer, crushing weight of his Alpha aura rippling through Ember Hall. Yet, the absolute ice in his tone wavered, his amber eyes flickering with a sudden, uninvited hesitation as he locked onto the rigid, unbroken curve of my posture. My wolf refused to bow to his command."Kaelen, please, my balance simply failed because the ice-grips on these boots are spent," Elowen rushed forward, her fingers wrapping around his leather-clad forearm to break our standoff. She looked up at him, her pale eyes shining with a masterfully conjured layer of unshed tears. "It was entirely my own clumsy footing, Kaelen. I merely lost my stride on the polished slate. The Nightbane female did nothing but react."Kaelen’s gaze drifted downward, tracking the steep, dangerous spike of her heels. It was an absurd choice of footwear for a pack house built on mountain stone, yet his golden eyes shi

19

"The Nightbane line doesn't break under pressure," I said, forcing a calm, reassuring smile to clear his worry. "I will manage my system."Alistair remained quiet for a long beat before rising to his feet. "Press the priority line if her breathing hitches."I watched his broad shoulders disappear down the Silverclaw Wing. We had shared years of survival in the Duskwild Expanse, yet he kept his own family history locked behind an iron vault; I knew nothing of the lineage that had produced such a powerful healer. He was carrying a profound burden today, and it wasn't just my mother's status weighing on his mind.Suddenly, Alistair stopped at the end of the hall, turning back with a tight, dangerous glint in his eye. "I ran a scent check on the courtyard walls before the cleanup crew arrived, Lyra. The neighbors didn't organize that harassment on their own. Someone paid them in raw silver to execute the shaming and splash that red paint."I nodded slowly, my jaw locking. "I suspected as

20

“Get off me, Kaelen,” I gasped, my fingers knotting into the thick fabric of his shirt collar as the phantom scent of silver and burning timber choked my mind. “Luna... don't leave me in the dark... please...”The suffocating grip of the nightmare fractured. My vision cleared, revealing the sharp, lethal contours of Kaelen Blackthorne’s face hovering inches from mine. His ice-blue eyes, heavy with an unsettling intensity, stared down at the hands pinning him to my mattress. The absolute silence of the Alpha’s Shadow Chamber pressed in on us, heavy with his cedar-and-leather scent.“Lyra?” His voice dropped to a low growl, the raw vibration traveling straight through my palms.Reality crashed back. I ripped my hands away from his collar, pressing myself into the sheets as the phantom heat of my fever faded into exhaustion. My eyes clamped shut, cutting off the sight of the pack leader who held my leash. I heard the slow, deliberate rustle of his leather jacket as he stood up, his heavy

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