All Chapters of Beneath the Alpha’s Mark: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

“Do you hear that?”Kael's voice was low.I stopped walking.The wind had gone completely still.Even the trees seemed to be holding their breath.I looked toward the mountains, where the strange silver light still burned in the distance.“No,” I whispered. “I feel it.”Kael's fingers tightened around mine.“What do you feel?”“Someone watching us.”A sudden crack of thunder shook the sky.I looked up.The clouds had gathered again.But this time, they weren't black.They were silver.Three enormous circles appeared above the mountains, glowing like three eyes staring down at the kingdom.Everyone stopped.Darius slowly lowered his sword.“What the hell is that?”No one answered.The mother did.“They have found us.”My stomach tightened.“The Gods?”She nodded.I stared at the sky.I had spent my entire life believing the worst things in the world were monsters, war, curses, and cruel kings.Now I was beginning to think I had been wrong.Maybe the most dangerous things were the ones

“Run!”Azrael's voice echoed across the valley.I had never heard fear in a God's voice before.Now I could hear nothing else.The creature behind him opened its eyes.The entire sky seemed to bend around it.I couldn't breathe.Those eyes.I had seen them before.Not in reality.In my dreams.Every night since I was a child, I had dreamed of standing alone in a dark forest while two silver eyes watched me from between the trees.I had always thought it was a nightmare.It wasn't.It had been looking for me.Kael grabbed my hand.“Lira, move!”I didn't.My eyes remained fixed on the creature.“What is that?”Azrael shouted again.“MOVE!”The creature opened its mouth.No sound came out.Yet every person in the valley fell to their knees.I felt pressure crush against my chest.The Fourth Mark burned.My legs weakened.Kael caught me before I hit the ground.“Lira!”“I can't…”I struggled to breathe.“It knows me.”Kael looked at the creature.“What do you mean?”“I've seen it before.”

“My mother.”The words barely left my mouth.I stared at the woman standing between the trees.She looked exactly as I remembered her.The same soft brown eyes.The same small scar near her chin.The same necklace she used to wear when I was a child.For years, I had dreamed about seeing her again.But never like this.Never alive.Never standing in front of me with secrets written all over her face.My mother took one slow step toward me.“Lira.”I stepped backward.“No.”Her face fell.“Please.”“You died.”“I know.”“I watched them bury you.”“I know.”“You can't just stand here and tell me you're alive.”“I didn't say I was alive.”My breath caught.“What does that mean?”She looked at Azrael.Then at the Mother.“They lied to you.”I turned toward them.“Did you?”Neither answered.My chest tightened.“Did you know?”The mother looked away.That was enough.I laughed, but there was no humor in it.“Of course you knew.”Kael stepped beside me.“Lira, breathe.”“I am breathing.”“N

I couldn't breathe.Kael was still on his knees in front of me, his face pale and his eyes filled with something I had never seen there before.Regret.Real, devastating regret.“I remember,” he whispered.I took another step backward.“No.”His eyes lifted to mine.“Lira…”“Don't.”He stopped.My chest hurt.Not because of the six bloodlines.Not because the gods were standing above us.Because the man I trusted most had just admitted that, in another life, he had betrayed me.And somehow, the worst part was that I could feel his memories through our bond.They were pouring into me.A throne room.Blood on marble.My voice screaming.Kael—no, the man he had once been—standing before the Gods.A golden key in his hand.I closed my eyes.“Stop.”The memory became clearer.I saw myself standing in front of him.“You promised me.”His expression was broken.“I know.”“You promised you would never choose them over me.”“I didn't.”“You gave them the key!”“I had to!”“Why?”He looked at m

The journey to Aurelia’s temple began before sunrise.Nobody spoke much.The forest was unusually quiet as we followed the narrow mountain path. Even the birds seemed to know we were walking toward something dangerous.I stayed between Kael and Eryx.It was strange.A few hours ago, they had nearly torn the battlefield apart over me.Now they were walking side by side.Neither trusted the other.I couldn't blame them.I didn't completely trust either of them either.The problem was, I didn't completely trust myself anymore.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw pieces of my first life.A crown.A battlefield.Kael.Eryx.A golden key.And a throne covered in blood.I touched my chest.My heart was beating normally, but something deeper was moving inside me.The woman I had once been.The Queen.She wasn't asleep anymore.She was watching.“Are you all right?”Kael's voice pulled me from my thoughts.I looked at him.“I'm fine.”“You've said that six times.”“Maybe because I'm fine.”He g