Semua Bab The Alpha king's captive : Bab 11 - Bab 20

The air in the subterranean laboratory was thick with the bitter, acidic tang of burnt moon shade and the sharp, medicinal bite of high-proof grain alcohol. For hours, the only sound was the rhythmic, motorized whirring of the high-speed centrifuges and the frantic, scratchy scratching of Valerie's fountain pen against parchment.The high tech security grids flickered a steady, uninterrupted blue. Silas had replaced every single technician in the wing with his personal, blood-sworn guards, turning the medical facility into a literal fortress within a fortress.Valerie stood over the primary steel workstation, her emerald velvet sleeves pushed up to her elbows. The heavy obsidian sovereign crest ring on her left finger caught the harsh, white glare of the digital monitors as her fingers flew across the terminal keys. Her hair was pulled back haphazardly, a few loose strands framing a face tight with absolute concentration.She wasn't just looking at cells; she was reading a map of an e

The safe room deep inside the mountain was small, dark, and quiet. Silas carried Valerie down here himself. He did not trust the rest of the castle after the attack. The heavy steel door was locked tight. They were safe from the chaotic world outside.Inside, the only light came from a single lamp on a small wood table. It made long shadows on the stone walls. The room only had a small bed, two chairs, and a first-aid kit.Silas sat on the edge of the bed. He looked down at the floor. He had taken off his bloody shirt. The warm yellow light shone on his bare chest and back. He was covered in old scars. There were thick, ugly lines across his ribs and shoulders. Some looked like they came from sharp claws. Others were round marks from silver bullets.Valerie stood a few feet away. Her green dress had black ash on it from the fire. She held a clean, wet cloth and a bowl of clean water. She was still his prisoner, but she was a healer first. She could not just watch him bleed."I need to

Valerie stood completely frozen in the middle of Silas's private office.Her heart was still slamming hard against her ribs, the heavy beats echoing in her ears. The air in the room was warm, thick with the heavy scent of his dominant Alpha aura and the sharp smell of burnt wood.Silas was still hovering over her, his massive frame trapping her against the edge of the mahogany desk. He was so big that he completely blocked out the light from the windows. His torn black shirt hung completely open across his broad shoulders. The white bandages wrapped around his chest rose and fell with his heavy, rugged breathing.He leaned down even closer, until his lips were almost brushing against hers. His breath was hot and wild against her skin."Say it, Valerie," Silas whispered. His voice was a raw, soft growl that shook her to the core. "Tell me you understand. Tell me you know you belong here."Valerie gasped, her breath catching in her throat. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to push

The air inside the sub level isolation vault was freezing, kept at sub-zero temperatures to slow down airborne viral replication. Yet, Valerie was sweating beneath her heavy plastic hazard gear. The harsh fluorescent lights overhead flickered rhythmically, casting jagged shadows across the stainless-steel examination table where Lady Cynthia lay.Silas stood directly behind Valerie. He hadn't put on a hazard suit; his dominant Alpha physiology made him naturally resistant to standard pathogens, but his presence was a heavy, suffocating weight. His massive frame shielded her from the panicking pack of doctors whispering frantically outside the reinforced glass partition. Every time Valerie moved, her back brushed against his solid chest, the electric sparks of their fated mate bond snapping through the layers of her gear like a low voltage current. He was entirely rigid, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles in his neck strained, his eyes tracking every breath she took."Look at her

The absolute darkness that had swallowed the isolation bay was entirely claustrophobic, heavy with the stench of ozone, copper, and the terrifyingly sweet aroma of mutating blood rot. Silas's grip on Valerie's forearm was the only anchor she had as they navigated the pitch-black, stone carved service stairwells away from the cells, leaving Caleb under the heavy guard of the few warriors whose loyalty to the Alpha crown had survived the initial shock of the coup.They didn't go straight to the North that night. Instead, Silas guided her through the quietest corridors of the fortress up to his private office. Once behind the heavy, reinforced oak doors, Silas collapsed into his leather armchair, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles in his neck strained. The black veins from the dart wound were pulsing under his skin, a dark web creeping steadily toward his collarbone.Valerie immediately began pacing the room, the adrenaline still firing raw through her veins. "Silas, we can't just s