All Chapters of Born To Be Alpha Forced To Be A Rogue: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The ground split beneath Ryan’s feet before he could take another step toward Lucian. A violent tremor tore through the forest, throwing wolves sideways and sending branches crashing down around them. Ryan instinctively grabbed Betty and pulled her against his chest, shielding her with his body as another shockwave ripped through the earth. The moment his hands touched her, silver light exploded between them, burning across his skin. Ryan cried out and stumbled backward, staring at his palms as ancient symbols appeared beneath his skin before disappearing again. His heart was pounding so hard that it hurt, but the pain wasn’t what frightened him. It was the way his wolf had suddenly gone silent. For the first time since Ryan had awakened his power, his wolf wasn’t angry, afraid, or demanding that he fight. It was listening to something beneath the earth. “What did you do to us?” Ryan demanded, his voice shaking with anger. Lucian didn’t move. He simply watched Ryan with an expression

The words echoed inside my head long after Betty stopped speaking. One of us has to die. I stared down at the glowing mark on my palm, then at Betty. The silver symbols beneath our skin pulsed in the darkness, growing brighter with every passing second. Beneath our feet, the ground shifted again, sending a low rumble through the forest. Something ancient and terrible was waking deep beneath the earth, responding to our blood and waiting for us to make an impossible choice.No. There had to be another way. There was always another way. I had already lost my family once. I had spent six long years believing everyone I loved was dead, living under a false name and hiding the power that could expose who I really was. Now, after finally finding someone who made me want to stop running, fate was demanding that I sacrifice her just to survive.I turned toward Lucian. He stood only a few feet away, perfectly composed while the ground trembled beneath him. His hands rested loosely at his sides

The silver eye beneath the earth remained open, staring directly at me. For several seconds, nobody moved. Even the wind had stopped, leaving the forest trapped in an unnatural silence. Betty’s fingers were still locked around mine, but I barely felt them. My entire attention was fixed on that enormous eye beneath us. It looked ancient, intelligent, and strangely familiar, as if something buried beneath the earth had been waiting specifically for me. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. After everything I had learned tonight, I no longer trusted what my own instincts were telling me. “Ryan, don’t let go,” Betty whispered beside me.I looked at her and tightened my grip around her hand. Her face was covered with dust, her dark mark still glowing against her neck, yet she was standing beside me instead of running. Somehow, that steadied me. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised, although a part of me was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to keep that promise. A deep rumble rolled t

My father accused Lucian of lying about the ritual, but Lucian turned the accusation back on him. I looked at my father, already knowing from his expression that something was being hidden again. “What does he mean?” I demanded. Neither man answered, and that silence pushed me closer to the edge. The ancient creature watched us for several seconds before turning its attention toward my father. “The first betrayal was never committed by the ancestors. It was committed by the man who raised the vessel.”I stared at my father, refusing to believe what I had heard. “What betrayal?” He wouldn’t look at me, and the more he avoided my eyes, the more my anger grew. I stepped toward him and demanded, “Dad, what is it talking about?” My father finally raised his head, and the guilt in his expression made my stomach turn. I had seen that look before, but never directed at me. It wasn’t the look of a father protecting his son. It was the look of someone who knew he had been caught hiding somethin

The scream tore through the ancient chamber, and Betty collapsed against me as the shadow behind her twisted violently. I caught her before she hit the stone floor, wrapping one arm around her waist while my other hand gripped hers. Her body was burning beneath my fingers, but the strangest part was the way the darkness seemed to move through her skin like it was searching for something. “Betty, stay with me,” I said, lowering her carefully onto the ground. She tried to answer, but another wave of pain passed through her, forcing her to bite down hard. The sight of her struggling brought back every warning I had heard since entering the chamber, and this time I understood exactly what they had been trying to tell me. My father stepped forward, but I immediately raised my hand. “Don’t touch her.” He stopped, and something in my voice made him hesitate. Lucian, however, moved closer with a look of terrible satisfaction on his face. “Now you understand,” he said. “The ritual has always