Lahat ng Kabanata ng Traded to the Ruthless Alpha: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

KillianFor a moment, the room is silent. No one seems to even breathe.How could they? When Reya’s shadows have crawled across the white table cloth, dark and slow, like a wound that can’t close.The High Council has received a report of forbidden shadow magic in Blackwood territory.“They’re sending inquisitors by morning, Alpha.”I don’t know who said it. The words don’t land like the warning that they should have. They land like a statement to be made.Every wolf in the hall knows what inquisitors mean. They are not investigators, they’re executioners in formal robes, trained to smile while they burned bloodlines to ash. They don’t come to ask questions. Reya stands beside me with shadows curled around her fingers. She knows they’re coming here for her. She has never looked more alone, and I know that I will keep her safe.Her breath hitches, that single sound snapping whatever restraint I still had.“Close the doors,” I say. No one seems to move fast enough and I let out a low g

ReyaMetal clashes against metal and it startles me awake.Blackwood is preparing for war and I hate that it is my fault.I lie still, watching the ceiling, and allowing the memory of the dining hall to press against my ribs. I don’t know who did this or why they’re throwing this accusation at me. All I know is that Killian trusts me despite all the proof that shows he shouldn’t.A bitter laugh escapes my lips. He is either the bravest Alpha I’ve ever met or the biggest fool because trusting me right now means putting yourself towards death, even I know that.There’s a soft knock at the door and a maid slips in when I don’t respond. “I’m sorry for intruding. I figured that you would need something to eat and the Alpha instructed me to bring you new clothes.” She tells me in a soft voice as she averts her eyes looking at her feet. She’s not disgusted, she’s afraid. I learned to read body language a long time ago. “Thank you,” I respond, keeping my voice light.She leaves before I can

ReyaThe danger hasn’t passed, everyone is waiting for the first wrong move. I want to hide. This silence that surrounds the area never means something good.I stand at the window with my fingers curled around the cold stone as I watch the courtyard below.Snow falls in slow sheets, but the white is crowded with movement. Warriors cross in tight formations, archers take positions along the walls, and blacksmiths hammer horseshoes in the rhythm of preparation. Horns sound at intervals, each one a small, sharp reminder that the Council still waits beyond the gates.A soft knock comes from the door, but I don’t get a chance to answer, Killian opens it and steps inside.He looks like the weather had carved him. Snow clings to his cloak, a fresh cut marks his jaw, the shadows under his eyes are deeper than mine and I know that he hasn’t slept.“You should be resting. I was told you were with the council earlier.”“I could tell you to do the same thing,” He responds his voice steady, but th

ReyaThe peace we have in Blackwood doesn’t last long. Still, I learn to treasure the moments when that peace comes even if the time feels borrowed.The Council remains beyond the fortress walls, their silver banners visible whenever I stand by the western windows.Skylar and the southern delegation remain under guard. Every morning, I wake expecting some new demand or threat, just another reminder that my life belongs to someone else. Instead, the day passes with shocking normality.Thankfully, they don’t come. It seems that something was done and things are going back to normal. Liam, the little boy from yesterday, has decided that the Shadow Horse is now his closest friend. He spends the morning dragging every child in the fortress to me insisting that I show them how shadows could fly, dance, or according to him, even sing.I laugh more than I intend as I create tiny birds, wolves, foxes, and one time, a very unimpressive fish that immediately sank in the air and dissolved. Even

ReyaThere’s a darkness that doesn’t belong to me that presses against my skin like the winter wind through a thin cloth. It’s cld, hungry, and silent as I stand in the corridor of gray stone that has no beginning or end. My footsteps feel hollow and… wrong. It’s like I’m walking inside a bell with mist curling around my ankles.“Killian?” I call out as I look around. No one answers. The mountains aren’t here, neither is the fortress. There’s nothing but darkness. Then, a single small light, it’s not brighter than a small candle, but it pushes back the black like a stubborn lone star trying to light up the night sky.An old woman steps in from the mist. She wears a silver robe that moves like the water and she looks ancient. She looks old enough to have watched empires rise and fall and kept the secrets of old.She stops a few paces away and smiles with a sadness that makes my chest ache. “I wondered how long it would take before I found you. I thought that it would take longer, but y