جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

CALITHEAIt took a while for the tension in the dining room to return after Valen's and his beta departure.I let out a slow breath. It had been exhausting listening to the playful yet razor-sharp exchange between Valen and Ryden's mother. It felt as though they had been carrying something against each other for years, and this dinner had merely given them the perfect opportunity to lay all their cards on the table and go for each other's throat.I stole a glance at her.Although she had resumed eating as though everything was perfectly normal, I knew Valen's words had affected her far more than she would ever admit.Yet as I replayed those words in my mind, a part of me couldn't help but feel like it was an indirect slap across my face.But he was right.It was a painful reminder of the entanglement I had with him. A glimpse of the reality I had been desperately avoiding for my sanity.And the more I thought about it, the more I was forced to accept that our secret was exactly what

Valen I stood outside the room where the pack doctor examined one of the sentinels. It was still unknown whether he was alive or dead. Several minutes had passed, and Liam was still inside waiting to hear the outcome.I ran a hand through my hair. "Where did you find him?" I asked the two sentinels who had alerted us and brought him here."I don't know what he was doing around the servants' quarters. He was supposed to be on duty last night," one of them explained.His answer barely scratched the surface of what I wanted to know. The other cleared his throat, hesitation flashing across his face."From...what I know, his girlfriend's room is around that area. I guess he went to see her, and..."I let out a quiet sigh as he trailed off, frustration mounting inside me.How did he end up deep in the woods if he had only gone to meet a girl?Liam and the doctor stepped out of the room. "He has no physical injuries. Just a few scratches that have already begun to heal," Liam said, exhali

Calithea My mind went blank as I stood rooted to the ground.Running wasn't an option. They would catch me before I made it ten steps. My legs would never carry me far enough to escape.I could perceive a strong stench from them. Thick strands of saliva dripped from their gaping jaws, their yellowed fangs fully bared.These weren't just ordinary rogues. They looked rabid.Their dull eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, and every few seconds a guttural growl rumbled from deep within their throats.They slowly closed the distance between us, stalking toward me with terrifying patience.Moisture instantly filled in my eyes, almost blurring my vision.I hated the timing of these tears, but realizing I was standing in the jaws of death filled my heart with an overwhelming sadness.My life has been nothing but one disaster after another.Yet standing at death's doorstep, I realized I still wanted to live. But how could I?I couldn't even save myself. Without warning, one of them lunged.A sc

VALEN "Bloody incompetent fools!"My voice thundered across the training grounds, silencing every conversation at once.Dozens of sentinels stood rigid before me, their heads lowered beneath the weight of my fury and authority.The anger that had been simmering inside me since last night hadn't eased in the slightest.More than anything, It had only grown.My gaze swept across every one of them before deliberately settling on Ryden.Those words had been meant for him. No one else.He had been reckless enough to leave his so-called wife to walk those paths alone. Without any protection.A woman he knew that was without a wolf.The more I thought about it, the harder it became to dismiss the possibility that last night hadn't been mere negligence.He had every reason to stay with her, but he left her all alone. Whether it’s out of carelessness or something far more sinister, I would get to the bottom of it.Maybe he already suspected there was something between Calithea and I, and las

CALITHEA"Calithea."Someone was calling my name.The voice sounded distant, yet strangely comforting. It was the most soothing voice I'd ever heard."Calithea." It came again. This time, I could feel someone touching me.It was warm... so warm, as though my body had long since memorized it before my mind ever did.A gentle caress brushed my cheek, then my neck, and… My eyes fluttered open, only to squeeze shut again as a dull ache throbbed through my head, like I’d been struck by a brick in my sleep.After a moment, I forced my eyes open once more. A pair of dark eyes stared back at me. It was still midnight.I wasn't surprised to find him sitting on my bed, but his eyes…They weren't the eyes I had grown used to seeing all the time. His eyes were hollow, like something had drained the life from them.A sharp ache tugged painfully at my chest. I remained lying where I was, studying him quietly, hoping whatever burden he was carrying would reveal itself if I looked long enough.I w