Semua Bab Rejected By My Mate, Claimed By The Lycan king : Bab 11 - Bab 20

ZARIA'S POV I groaned, trying to roll onto my side, but my entire body flared with a sharp, blinding heat. Cassian hadn't pulled a single punch during our session last night, and now every single human muscle I had was screaming in protest.But the physical ache wasn't even the worst part. It was the hollow, disgusting pull in the center of my chest. The bond. Even though Garrick had brutally rejected me, that broken link was still there. It was a sick, constant reminder that he was still alive and breathing out there. He was probably wrapping his arms around my sister right now, and the sheer thought of it made me want to throw up.The heavy bedroom doors creaked open, cutting off my thoughts. Camilla walked into the room holding a wooden tray with a bowl of porridge and a cup of thick, black sludge that smelled completely vile.Walking right behind her was a massive, older warrior. His gray hair was cut short, and a nasty, jagged scar ran from his left eye all the way down to his j

ZARIA'S POV "You look great, Zaria," Camilla said, smoothing the shoulders of a deep green tunic. "Seriously, stop pulling at the collar. You're going to rip the stitching.""I'm trying to see if I can use it to cover my face," I muttered, staring at my reflection. "Are you sure I can't stay here? Tell him I had a relapse."Camilla snorted, tossing me a pair of soft leather boots. "Nice try, but no. The King explicitly requested your presence tonight. You don't exactly say no to a request like that.""A request from a Lycan King is just a polite command, Camilla.""Maybe," she said, flashing a quick grin. "But it's just a casual bonfire feast to celebrate the morning hunt. Everyone is going to be way too busy drinking and eating roasted meat to care about you. Just go out there and blend into the background.""That is exactly my plan," I said, pulling the boots on. "I'll find the darkest corner, sit like a statue, and slide out the moment people get drunk."But the second we stepped

GARRICK'S POVI stared out the rain-streaked window of the Alpha study, rubbing my temples. My head was absolutely pounding. I had been the Alpha of the Moonblood pack for less than two weeks, and already, the weight of the title felt like it was crushing me alive. The elders wouldn't stop breathing down my neck about border security, the fighters were getting edgy, and the entire pack just felt completely unsettled.And then there was Cynthia.I looked down at the mountain of paperwork on my desk, completely unable to focus. I could feel the mate bond with Cynthia humming in my veins, but it didn't feel right. It was nothing like the wild, consuming fire the old stories talked about. It felt thin. Shallow and freezing cold, like a cheap imitation. Every time I held her or looked at her, I just felt this hollow wave of disappointment.Instead, my mind kept drifting backward. Back to the ceremony. Back to the look in Zaria's silver-gray eyes right before the guards dragged her away. He

ZARIA'S POVSleep was completely out of the question. I had spent the last two hours tossing and turning in the massive bed, staring up at the dark ceiling while my mind ran in exhausting, endless circles. Every time I closed my eyes, the world outside my room crept back in. I kept hearing the malicious voices of those two women from the hallway, whispering about how I wouldn’t survive the upcoming festival. Eventually, I couldn't take the silence anymore. I threw off the heavy velvet blankets, slipped into a pair of simple leather shoes, and quietly slid past my bedroom doors.The palace at night was a completely different world. The grand, sweeping marble hallways that usually bustled with servants and high-ranking warriors were entirely empty, lit only by the pale moonlight cutting through the high arched windows. The cold air brushed against my skin, helping to clear the fog in my head. I walked without any real destination in mind, just needing to move, until my feet naturally g

ZARIA'S POV The morning sun was entirely too bright. When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I braced myself for chaos, half-expecting the palace to be in a total panic. But when I looked out my window, everything looked completely normal. Servants were carrying baskets of laundry across the courtyards, guards were changing shifts with their usual quiet routine, and the distant sound of training swords clashing echoed from the barracks.Cassian had kept his word. The nightmare in the gardens from last night was a total secret. To the rest of the world, it was just another regular Tuesday in the Shadowpelt Kingdom.But I couldn't shake the heavy cloud in my mind. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the sunlight, Helen’s whispered words kept echoing in my ears, louder than the morning birds outside. *If they discover what's actually running through that girl's veins, a lockdown won't save her.*What did that even mean? I was human now. My wolf spirit had been violently ripped away