All Chapters of The Alpha's Dead Mate: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Morning arrived beneath a sky of heavy gray clouds. Snow continued to fall over Blackthorn Keep, covering the fortress walls in a blanket of white. Normally, sunrise brought the sound of training swords, merchants entering the gates, and servants hurrying through the courtyards. Not today. Today... The gates remained shut. No wagons entered. No visitors were admitted. Blackthorn Keep was under complete lockdown. Every tower was occupied. Archers stood watch along the walls, their eyes scanning the endless forest below. Inside the fortress, the atmosphere had changed. People spoke in whispers. Every unfamiliar face was met with suspicion. Every shadow seemed to hide an enemy. Kael stood in the center of the training courtyard. More than a hundred warriors faced him in perfect formation. Their armor gleamed beneath the pale morning light. His golden eyes swept across the ranks. "Listen carefully." His voice carried across the entire courtyard. "L

The howl echoed through Lyra's dreams. It wasn't frightening. It was... Lonely. She stood in the middle of an endless silver forest. Moonlight poured through towering trees whose leaves shimmered like glass. A cool breeze carried the scent of pine and fresh snow. The forest felt familiar. As though she had walked these paths before. "Hello?" she called softly. No answer. Only silence. She took another step. Then another. The snow beneath her feet remained untouched, leaving no footprints behind. A strange uneasiness settled in her chest. "This isn't real..." A low growl drifted through the trees. Lyra stopped. It wasn't threatening. If anything... It sounded protective. A massive white wolf stepped into the moonlight. Its fur gleamed like fresh snow beneath the full moon. Its silver eyes locked onto hers. Lyra couldn't breathe. The wolf was enormous. Larger than any she'd ever imagined. Yet instead of fear... She felt peace.

The silver light vanished. Silence settled over the Moon Wing. Lyra stood frozen in the middle of her room, tiny shards of the shattered pendant scattered across the polished floor. Her breathing came in short, uneven gasps. The ancient voice still echoed inside her mind. "The seal has been broken." Then... Nothing. The room looked exactly as it had moments before. The fireplace crackled softly. Snow drifted beyond the tall windows. Yet something felt different. The air itself seemed heavier. Lyra slowly knelt, reaching for one of the silver fragments. The instant her fingertips touched it, another voice whispered through her mind. You found me. She jerked her hand away. The shard fell back onto the floor with a tiny clink. "Who's there?" No answer. Only silence. Her heartbeat quickened. "I'm imagining this." She closed her eyes tightly. "I'm imagining all of it." No... The whisper returned. Soft. Gentle. Almost... sad. You'v

The crimson eyed wolf stood motionless beyond the northern wall. Snow swirled around its enormous body. It was unlike any wolf the warriors had ever seen. Its black fur seemed to absorb the moonlight itself. Around it... Hundreds of wolves waited silently. Not one of them howled. Not one moved. They simply stared at Blackthorn Keep. Watching. Waiting. Kael's expression darkened. "Battle stations." The command echoed across the fortress. War horns sounded. One after another. Guards sprinted toward the walls. Archers climbed the watchtowers. Heavy iron gates slammed shut. Inside the courtyard, warriors rushed to arm themselves. The peaceful silence of Blackthorn Keep disappeared in an instant. Lyra stepped closer to the balcony. "Those aren't ordinary wolves." Kael looked at her. "How do you know?" She didn't answer immediately. Because she didn't know. She simply... Felt it. "They're listening." Rowan frowned. "Listening to

The words carved into the pendant seemed to drain the warmth from the room. THE QUEEN IS WAITING. Kael studied the inscription without speaking. Someone had placed the pendant on the battlefield deliberately. It wasn't a warning. It was a message. For him. Or... For Lyra. Rowan broke the silence first. "My Alpha..." "This wasn't dropped by accident." Kael nodded. "They wanted us to find it." Jer frowned. "But why?" Kael closed his hand around the pendant. "Because fear is another weapon." He turned to the guard. "Did you find anything else?" The young warrior shook his head. "No tracks." "No bodies." "Only this." Kael dismissed him with a nod. "Tell the captains to double the night patrols." "No one enters or leaves Blackthorn Keep without my permission." "Yes, My Alpha." The guard hurried away. As the doors closed behind him, Kael looked toward Lyra. She was unusually quiet. "Lyra?" She looked up suddenly. "What?" "Y