Todos os capítulos de Beneath the Alpha’s Mark: Capítulo 21 - Capítulo 30

The fall felt endless.Cold air rushed past my face as darkness swallowed everything around us. The walls of the collapsing chamber blurred together, broken pieces of stone tumbling beside us."Kael!"I reached for him instinctively.Our fingers brushed for the briefest second before another chunk of rock crashed between us."No!"The mark on my arm flared, bathing the darkness in golden light. For one terrifying moment, I saw Kael several feet away, falling backward with his sword still clutched tightly in his hand.His eyes found mine."Lira!"Then the ground disappeared beneath us again.I hit something soft.Air exploded from my lungs.For several seconds, I couldn't breathe.I lay still, staring into the darkness while dust drifted through the air.Slowly, I pushed myself onto my elbows.Everything hurt.My shoulders.My back.Even my legs protested as I stood.The golden glow from my mark lit the chamber around me.It wasn't a cave.It was...A city.I forgot my pain.Massive st

“Only one of you will return.”The words echoed through the forgotten city.I stared at the open doorway beneath us.For some reason, I couldn't stop thinking about what the voice had said.Only one.My hand tightened around Kael's.“No.”He looked at me.“Lira—”“No.”I shook my head.“I don't care what this place says. We're both coming back.”Kael's eyes softened.“You don't know that.”“Neither does the voice.”For a moment, neither of us spoke.Then Darius cleared his throat.“I'm not trying to ruin the moment, but that door looks like it's about to close.”He was right.The ancient stone door was slowly sliding downward.Kael immediately stepped forward.“Move.”We hurried toward it.Cassian followed.I expected Kael to stop him, but he didn't.Maybe because we needed answers.Maybe because, for the first time, Cassian looked just as uncertain as the rest of us.The moment we crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind us.Darkness swallowed everything.I instinctively r

The second bloodline had awakened.I stared at the black symbol spreading across my mark.It looked nothing like the golden pattern that had been there before.The golden lines represented the bond.The black symbol looked like a crack running through it.And somehow, I knew it was not supposed to be there.“What does that mean?” I whispered.No one answered.The statues surrounding the chamber continued moving.Stone scraped against stone as they stepped down from their ancient pedestals.There had to be hundreds of them.Some looked like warriors.Others carried bows and spears.A few had wings carved into their backs.Their empty eyes now burned with faint golden light.Darius slowly raised his sword.“I don't know about everyone else, but I'm starting to miss the hunters.”Kael gave him a look.“Don't.”“I was only saying.”“Save your breath.”Kael turned toward me.“Can you control the mark?”I looked down at my arm.The black symbol pulsed.“I don't know.”“Try.”I closed my eye

The door opened with a sound that seemed to come from the heart of the mountain.Not a creak.Not a groan.A breath.As if something on the other side had been waiting for centuries and had finally been given permission to breathe again.I stared into the darkness beyond it.The silver thread connecting my mark to Kael's crest pulsed between us.Once.Twice.Then it disappeared beneath our skin.I touched my wrist.“It changed.”Kael looked at his chest.“So did mine.”Darius approached cautiously.“I don't like doors that open by themselves.”“Neither do I,” I said.He pointed toward the darkness.“And I especially don't like doors that come with mysterious voices.”Kael glanced at him.“Then stay here.”Darius gave him an offended look.“Absolutely not.”Despite everything, I almost laughed.It was the first normal moment we'd had in what felt like days.Then Elarion spoke.“You shouldn't enter.”I turned.The old scholar looked more frightened than I'd ever seen him.“Why?”He star

“The Queen has returned.”The words echoed across the hidden kingdom.I couldn't move.Hundreds of people stood in the distance, watching me.Some were human.Some had wolf ears and glowing eyes.Others looked completely ordinary until I noticed the faint silver marks on their skin.And behind them stood Guardians of every size.All of them were kneeling.For me.I looked at Kael.He looked just as confused as I felt.“Did they just call you Queen?” he asked.“I think so.”Darius stepped beside us.“I have one question.”I glanced at him.“What?”“Are we supposed to bow too?”Despite everything, a nervous laugh escaped me.“I hope not.”Darius nodded seriously.“Good. Because my knees hurt.”Kael gave him a look.Darius shrugged.“What? It's been a long day.”I smiled for half a second.Then the crowd began moving.Slowly.A path opened through the center of the kingdom.At the end of it stood a massive staircase leading to a silver palace built into the side of a mountain.The palace