All Chapters of Claimed By The Shadow King: The Betrayed Alpha Heir.: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Ayla’s POVThe silence that follows Lucian’s words is deafening. He stays exactly where he is for a few agonizing seconds, his dark eyes scanning my face, watching closely as panic ripples my features. He is so close I can smell the sharp tang of whiskey on his breath. He enjoys this. He thrives on the absolute terror he puts on me. Every instinct is screaming at me to hit him, to push him away, but my hands remains pinned against the surface, caught in his unyielding grip. Then, almost lazily, he he releases my wrists and steps back, his hands drops to his side, though his gaze never wavers. The moment the crushing weight of his body leaves mine, I scramble off the edge of the table, my gown slides back down to my knees and I pull it tightly around myself, my hands shaking so violently I can barely hold the fabric. I stumble back a few steps until the back of my knees hit the chair I was sitting on earlier. My chest heaves as I stare at him like he’s a wild animal waiting to pounce

Ayla’s POV One of the doctors — a tall, silver haired man, sharp features and a cold clinical expression — gestures toward a high, leather examination table in the center of the sterile room. “Please, sit here, Miss Ayla,” he says, his face completely flat and lacking any warmth. He looks at me, not as a patient, but a specimen to be analyzed under a microscope. I walk over to the table, my legs trembling as I clim up . The paper covering the leather makes a crinkling sound under my weight. I keep my eyes fixed on my lap, focusing strictly on the fabric of my gown, refusing to look at Lucian. But, even without looking, I can feel his heavy gaze burning into the side of my face, watching every single detail. Focus, Ayla. I tell myself, my inner voice overriding the panic. Shut the door. Keep it locked. Do not let them see anything. I shut my eyes for a brief moment, imagining the heavy, iron door in my mind. I slide the bolts into place, throwing the chains into it, locking out

Ayla’s POVThe air in the room goes completely still. The only sound I can hear is the heavy thumping of my own heart against my chest. Lucian’s gaze narrows toward my direction, then he takes slow steps back to the table, his gaze fixed entirely on me until he’s standing just a few inches away from me, his towering frame overshadowing my small form.“Entirely human,” he repeats, the words dragging out of his mouth like a lethal threat. “Yet your brain is working hard enough to confuse my best, medical specialist. Explain that to me, Ayla. Tell me how a human accomplishes that.”“I don’t know anything,” I cry out, the stress finally weighing on me, my entire body trembling as the throbbing headache returns sharply. I grip my hair with both hands, tears of frustration finally spilling over my eyelids. “I don’t know why my brain is doing that. I’ve had terrible headaches for almost a week now. I told you I’ve been sick! Maybe I have a tumor. Maybe I’m dying! Why don’t you just let me go

Ayla’s POV My entire muscle freezes as Lucian takes another step closer, his eyes locked onto mine. The mattress dips heavily under his immense weight as he places one knee on the edge off the bed, moving with a terrifying ease. I move backward until my back hits the heavy mahogany headboard, clutching the duvet against my chest so tightly that my fingernails dig into the fabric. “Stay away from me,” I whisper, my voice trembling in the dark, lacking any real power. “Don’t come any closer.” “You are in my bed, little bird,” Lucian murmurs, his voice a low, guttural rumble that seems to vibrate in my very bones. He grips my legs, pulling me roughly. I fall flat on my back and he leans down, hovering over me completely, caging me in with his arms on either side of my shoulders, his massive frame blocking out the rest of the room. “Don’t do that. You have no right to dictate the rules in my house.” My hands flies to his broad, firm chest and I begin pushing with the strength I

Ayla’s POV I sit frozen on the chair. The courtyard? What is he going to do this time? “Miss Ayla,” Vera snaps, her eyes narrowing as she fixes me with a glare, her voice flat and devoid of personal feelings. “Do not keep the master waiting.” I immediately stand up from the chair and walk closely behind her to the door. The moment the double doors are pushed open and we step out, the two tall guards follow closely behind me. They lead me down the long, winding corridors, down the grand staircase, and through a set of glass double doors at the back of the mansion that I haven’t seen before. The moment we walk through the door, the air hits directly on my face, and for a second, I just close my eyes and breathe it in. The smell of damp earth and pine trees overwhelms my senses. The vane estate courtyard is massive, surrounded by high stone walls topped with sharp iron spikes. In the center is a beautifully manicured lawn, gravel paths, and a stone pavilion. Standing in the