Semua Bab Claimed By The Shadow King: The Betrayed Alpha Heir.: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Ayla's POVThe heavy oak doors of the grand library groaned as I pushed them open. The room smelled of old parchment, worn leather, and cedar smoke.Tall bookshelves covered the stone walls, disappearing into the shadows beneath the vaulted ceiling.At the far end, a massive stone fireplace burned steadily, throwing warm light across the mahogany table in the center of the room. Maps, loose sheets of parchment, and iron-bound grimoires covered nearly every inch of it.Lucian stood behind the table with his back to me. He wore a dark velvet coat over a black shirt. The firelight caught the edges of his broad shoulders as he leaned over an ancient leather-bound book.One hand held the book open while his long fingers followed a line of faded golden runes across the page. He didn’t turn around when I entered. But I saw the slight change in his posture. He knew I was there.“You should be resting,” Lucian said.His deep voice carried through the quiet library. “Your core was pushed to its

Ayla's POVThe air inside the private training courtyard of the Vane estate was sharp and carried the scent of autumn pine and damp stone.Morning light cut through the rising mountain mist, illuminating the grand limestone archways surrounding the stone courtyard.I stood in the center of the training ring, my knees slightly bent, my breathing steady as I focused every ounce of my attention on the man standing across from me.Lucian wore a dark fitted shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the corded muscle and intricate shadow-runes tattooed along his forearms.He carried no weapon. He didn’t need one. His presence alone seemed to fill the entire courtyard, a dark, suffocating force of nature pressing against my skin.“Your stance is too rigid, Ayla,” Lucian said softly. His navy eyes followed my every movement as he took a slow, deliberate step forward. “You are bracing against the world instead of moving with it. A warrior does not fight the storm, she becomes i

Ayla’s POVThe air in Lucian’s suite felt thick and heavy, carrying the sharp smell of ozone and iron.Outside, the mountain storm still raged against the tall, arched stained glass windows. Rain lashed the dark panes in relentless sheets, but inside Lucian’s private wing, everything was strangely quiet. The guards had cleared the debris from the corridor and sealed the heavy mahogany doors, shutting out the chaos beyond them.I sat on the edge of the massive, dark-canopied bed with my knees pulled tightly against my chest. My arms were wrapped around my legs , as if holding myself together would somehow stop me from falling apart.My whole body trembled, and it wasn’t from the cold. The blue flames dancing in the grand marble fireplace filled the room with enough warmth to make the Persian rugs beneath my feet feel almost cozy.This shaking came from somewhere deeper. My eyes stayed fixed on my bare hands resting against the dark velvet duvet.They looked normal and pale. But beneat

Lucian’s POV Cold rain fell over Geneva in a steady curtain. I stood beneath the black awning of an ancient stone courtyard in the heart of the neutral sanctuary district. The air smelled of wet cobblestones, lake mist, and the faint sweetness of rare herbs drifting from the private apothecary behind me. My dark leather coat was slick with rain, and my boots rested heavily against the wet stone. Four of my elite shadow guards stood silently behind me beneath the archway, their hands close to the concealed silver steel blades at their sides as they watched the foggy alleyways. My mind wasn’t on the supply manifests tucked inside my coat. It was three hundred miles away. With Ayla. Even from this distance, I could still feel the faint pull of her presence against mine, that warm golden thread that had settled somewhere deep in my chest after that night. She was mine. Completely. Even if she still didn’t understand the bond tying our souls together. “My Lord,” Caleb stepped forwa

Ayla’s POVI snapped my eyes open with a sharp gasp and sat upright on the ruined marble dais. Cold sweat soaked through my white linen tunic. My chest rose and fell quickly, each breath catching in my throat as if I had just surfaced from deep water. For several seconds, I couldn’t understand where I was.Then I looked around and the conservatory was destroyed. Broken glass covered the floor. Parts of the stone had been scorched black, and fine golden dust still drifted through the cold afternoon air.The heavy wooden doors suddenly flew open.Lucian rushed inside. His dark leather coat was wet from the rain, water dripping from the edges as he came straight toward me. He must have just returned from Geneva. His face was pale, and the usual calm in his expression was gone.“Ayla!” he shouted.His eyes moved quickly over the ruined conservatory before finding me, he crossed the room without slowing down and dropped to his knees beside me. His hands came up to my face, but they were