All Chapters of To Breed a Beast BOOK 2: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"You look like you just walked out of a territorial bloodbath," Lucien said, his eyes scanning me from across the carved oak table. "Did the Blood Moon Council drag you into another interrogation, Chika?""Nobody dragged me anywhere," I muttered, dropping onto the leather bench beside him and ignoring the phantom ache in my shoulder where my Lycan marks throbbed. "Just the usual pack borders dispute.""Eat this, Chika. It stabilizes the bloodlust when the moon gets high." Malik pushed a dark, iron-infused marrow biscuit toward me, rolling his amber eyes when I didn't immediately take it. "Seriously, you look dead on your feet. Take the offering before I eat it myself.""What brings you to the Dominion safehouse, Malik?" I grabbed a steaming towel from the guard at the door, wiping the scent of copper and silver from my palms. "Shouldn't you be monitoring the southern docks?""The Alpha King’s execution orders are nearly fulfilled," Lucien answered for him, sliding a raw venison strip

"Keep your hands to yourself if you want to keep them attached to your arms, mercenary," I spat, my voice dropping into that guttural, half-shifted register that usually made lesser pack males back down instantly.Lucien’s fingers dug harder into my shoulder, his massive chest pressing against my spine as his heavy Lycan scent flooded the corridor, completely erasing the scent of the foreign rogue standing in front of us. The hitman blinked, his eyes flashing a nervous yellow before he forced a tight, jagged grin and took a slow step back, holding the silver-hilted dagger out horizontally in a universal sign of submission."Just paying respects to the new frontline commander, Alpha," the mercenary muttered, trying to look smooth while his pulse hammered against his throat. "No disrespect intended to the Afolayan Dominion or his chosen mate."Malik strolled out of the shadow of the weapons vault, a low, mocking chuckle rattling in his chest as he took in the scene. "Careful, friend. Th

"Your claws are shaking, Commander. Sit still or the blood-marking ritual will fail before the moon hits its peak."I blinked through the haze of a sleepless night, the leather harness of my vanguard uniform pressing heavily against my collarbone. The alpha enforcer leading the detail waved his hand, and twenty low-ranking pack omegas stepped into the iron-reinforced armory, flanking me on either side with silver-buffing kits and formal pack plates."What is the meaning of this mobilization?" I asked, my voice dry from the lingering smoke of the northern border skirmishes."The Afolayan Dominion does not celebrate a Vanguard Commander's naming day without proper blood rites, Chika," the lead enforcer barked, motioning for the omegas to assemble the ceremonial chest pieces around my torso. "Lucien decreed it before the morning patrols went out."The memory of our bitter tactical argument from the previous midnight flashed through my mind, turning my blood cold. Lucien had promised this

"You think this Vanguard title gives you the right to mock me, Chika?" Ronan Blackwell snarled, his bared fangs inches from my face as his heavy alpha aura tried to pin me against the iron weapon rack. "You are playing a dangerous game in a territory that doesn't belong to you. One word from me, and my pack enforcers will dump your body into the neutral zone trenches."I didn't flinch, my hand resting firmly on the silver dagger strapped to my thigh as I met his erratic gaze with absolute ice. "The Blackwell bloodline lost its leverage the moment you left me at the Moonveil altar, Ronan. If you want to throw your weight around, go back to your own borders. Otherwise, I will have the Afolayan guard detail execute you for trespassing."Ronan’s eyes flashed a desperate, chaotic gold. "You have completely changed since you bound your line to Lucien Afolayan. You used to be submissive. You used to bleed quietly when the pack pressure got too heavy. Now you stand there talking like a season

"My brother is a fool if he believes playing with expired territory assets will provoke my wolf," Lucien Afolayan murmured, his deep, rumbling voice cutting through the heavy orchestration filling the Silverfang Ceremony Chamber. His golden eyes remained completely detached from Corrie, but they locked onto me with a sudden, intense heat that made my heart go fast. "He thinks your vanguard armor is just a show, Chika, but he doesn't realize my line only crowns a true king."I adjusted the heavy black pearl crown on my brow, the dark titanium plates of my combat gear clicking softly as I shifted my weight away from the Brooks faction. "Brook is playing a dangerous game with the Bates syndicate because he lacks the teeth to hold his own perimeter. If he imagines using your old flames will fracture our pack law, he vastly underestimates my resolve."Brook watched us from the edge of the blood-altar, his warm, fake smile failing to hide the sour scent of his rising panic. He didn't posses