All Chapters of Claimed and Sold at the Lycan King's Ball: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

CHAPTER 22 AVA'S POV I stepped outside, and for the first time all day, Ash relaxed, her frantic pacing stopped in my mind, she was now running in the grass and whining her tail. The garden still looked thesame as it was in the past weeks I had tried to scale during my desperate escape attempt, right before the arrow had pierced my shoulder and sent me crashing back into this world. Looking up at the towering, ivy-choked stone, the ache of the fall rippled through me. The North was a cage made of stone, entirely unnatural for a Southern wolf. Southern wolves were meant for the open earth, for the endless canopy of the green valleys where the wind carried the scent of damp loamy soil and wild rivers. My mind drifted back to a morning from my youth, running alongside the elders before family politics turned me into an asset, the rich mud sinking between my paws, the absolute freedom of a sky that wasn't blocked by stone. Here, the stone walls felt like they were slowly closing in

CHAPTER 24 AVA’S POVThe royal courtyard buzzed with the kind of energy that made my stomach twist, horses stamping impatiently, nobles laughing too loud, and anticipation was thick in the air. This wasn’t just a hunt. It was a tradition. A centuries-old tradition where the Northern Lycan court paraded their strength, forged alliances, and reminded everyone who belonged at the top of the food chain. For me, the new Southern Luna, it felt like stepping into a trap wearing silk ribbons.I didn’t want any part of it. Maya had given me lessons on the importance of the hunt as a new Luna. The blood, the chase, the kill it all made my stomach turn. But if I didn’t learn, the pack would never respect me. And backing out would only feed the whispers. So I stood there in my riding habit, the heavy wool doing little to ward off the northern chill, and forced a calm I didn’t feel.“Surely the Luna can ride.” Morgana’s voice sliced through the chatter—smooth, but it stung. She sat tall on he

CHAPTER 26 AVA’S POVThe journey back to the palace was a haze of rain, pain, and Draken’s arms locked around me like iron bands. I drifted in and out of consciousness on horseback, my cheek pressed against his bare chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart while mine fluttered like a trapped bird in a cage. Every jolt sent fresh fire racing up my arm from the bite. It didn’t feel like a normal wound. It burned deeper, hotter, like something alive was crawling under my skin.By the time we reached the royal healers’ wing, I was shivering despite the blankets thrown over me. The room smelled of herbs, smoldering sage, and something sharper, almost metallic. Two older women in dark robes with their hair tight back moved quickly around me, their faces tight with worry as they cleaned the bite on my arm and tended to my twisted ankle.Draken refused to leave.He stood in the corner like a shadow that refused to be dismissed, arms crossed, golden eyes never leaving me. The healer

CHAPTER 28AVA’S POVI woke up in the royal chambers, the heavy velvet curtains drawn just enough to let thin rays of pale northern light spill across the stone floor. The room smelled of the cool sea air from the balcony mixed with the faint remnants of smoldering sage from the night before. My own chambers. Not the royal healing room or some hidden corner of the palace, but the same suffocating grand suite where Draken had pinned me against the wall during my partial shift. The massive bed still carried the faint trace of his scent clinging stubbornly to the black silk sheets.I was wearing the soft black cotton tunic Draken had changed me into during the fever. The fabric was oversized, falling to mid-thigh, the sleeves were long enough to hide most of the bandage on my arm. It smelled of him and I hated how comforting it felt against my skin. The first time he changed my clothes we'd argued about that. About him touching me without my permission but last night I was helpless. The

CHAPTER 30AVA’S POVThe folded parchment lay on the table like a coiled snake.I hadn’t touched it again after pulling it from beneath the saucer. The ink was neat, but the blood-mark stamped at the bottom made my stomach turn. *The hunt was only the begining. You won't be so lucky next time.* The words echoed in my head long after Selena and Elena had left the pavilion, their polite smiles hidden behind layers.Three days had passed since then. Three days of Draken watching me like I might shatter if the wind blew too hard. Three days of Maya hovering, of the rune stone from Madame Lira growing warmer against my skin, and of my own body stubbornly healing.I was done waiting.This morning I slipped into a simple but sturdy training gown. A deep grey wool with silver embroidery at the cuffs, high-collared to hide the worst of the mark. The fabric was practical, not decorative. Maya had woven my hair into a tight braid, but I could see the worry in her eyes when I told her I was retur