Alle Kapitel von Claimed and Sold at the Lycan King's Ball: Kapitel 41 – Kapitel 50

CHAPTER 41DRAKEN'S POV“One Blackthorne was never accounted for.”Kael’s words dropped like an iron anvil into the center of the war room, but the sound didn't reach my ears. It was drowned out by the sudden, deafening roar of my own blood rushing through my skull. I stood still, a frozen statue beneath the flickering torchlight, forcing every muscle in my frame to lock. On the surface, I was the War-King. Untouchable. Unmoved.Internally, I was in a warzone.Mine, Fenris howled against my ribs, his claws tearing at the fabric of my consciousness with a feral desperation. Take her right here. Mark her. Pull her back into the dark.The bond was overheating through my veins, and the proximity of the woman standing just a foot away from my shoulder was making it fatal. Ava’s lavender scent and sharp Southern fire—flooded my senses, blurring the lines of the ledger before me. Every shallow breath she took bled directly into my chest. I could feel her heart hammering an uneven rhythm that

CHAPTER 43AVA'S POVOn the day of the Blood Oath Festival. The palace had completely transformed overnight. Massive silver frost banners snapped proudly in the biting northern wind, and hundreds of moon lanterns cast a brilliant glow over the sprawling stone courtyards. Noble houses from every corner of the kingdom had arrived, their cloaks and gleaming family sigils painting the fortress in vibrant colors. Heavy drums beat echoed off the mountains, and laughter and music filled the winter air. “The Blood Oath is one of our oldest Lycan traditions, Luna,” Maya explained, adjusting the heavy fur collar of my ceremonial gown as we moved through the gallery. “Every year, the nobles renew their loyalty, warriors swear their service, and the pack leaders reaffirm their allegiance to the crown. It ensures the pack stays whole.”I surveyed the gathering crowd. In the sea of faces, I caught sight of the court ladies who had spent weeks making my life a living hell. Elena, Morgana, Genevieve

CHAPTER 45AVA'S POVThe heavy iron doors of the royal healing chamber slammed shut in my face, the resounding clang echoing down the stone corridor. “You cannot enter, Luna!” a senior healer barked, his voice tense and high-pitched with panic as he and three others physically blocked the threshold. “The King requires absolute isolation. The silver poison is already near his heart. Please, back away!”I didn't step back. I couldn't. My boots felt as though they had been melted into the stone floor. My hands hung at my sides, heavy and stiff, coated with Draken’s blood. It had already begun to dry, flaking off my skin and staining the silver embroidery of my ruined ceremonial gown. I couldn't look away from it. Every time I blinked, I saw the exact moment the silver bolt tore through his ribs, the wet, sickening thwack repeating in my head. I was entirely powerless. I couldn't fight an invisible toxin. I couldn't use my Southern stubbornness to argue a failing heart back into rhythm.

CHAPTER 47AVA’S POV“Help me up,” Draken growled, his muscles tensing as he gripped the edge of the mattress, attempting to swing his legs over the side of the bed.“What do you think you are doing?” the chief healer shrieked, rushing back in through the door with his hands raised in panic. “Your Majesty, the stitches will tear, The toxin is barely neutralized.”“I have a kingdom to secure,” Draken snarled, his jaw locking as he pushed against the linen sheets.“Sit down,” I commanded, stepping between him and the edge of the bed. I placed both of my hands flat against his uninjured shoulder, pushing him back against the pillows with a firm pressure.Draken froze, his eyes widening as he stared up at me. The roles had flipped. For months, he had been the one barking orders, throwing me over his shoulder, and managing me like a captive. Now, he was the one stuck in bed, forced to look up at me.“You are not leaving this bed, you towering, reckless king,” I told him, my voice flat and

CHAPTER 49AVA'S POV Maya’s fingers were trembling as she helped me dress in a sturdy Northern riding attire. Thick leather trousers, an insulated tunic, and a heavy, silver-lined fur mantle designed to withstand the harsh winds of the frost valleys. I hadn't slept. Every time I closed my eyes, the scent of jasmine and the weight of Selene’s words dragged me right back to the edge of panic.“The escort is fully assembled and waiting in the lower courtyard, Lady Ava,” Thorne reported, his deep voice cutting through the quiet room as he stepped past the threshold.I gave a nod, my eyes automatically drifting to the bed. Draken was already awake, propped up against the pillows. The paleness from the previous night had lessened, but his chest was still bound in white linen.I walked over to the side of the bed, the silence between us heavy with things we couldn't say. “Come back,” Draken rumbled, his eyes pinning me to the spot.“I will,” I replied simply, my chin lifting up. He reached