บททั้งหมดของ A BRIDE FOR THE RUTHLESS LYKAN: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

INARA’S POVThe road into Vargovia was not a path meant for human comfort. By the third day of travel, the smooth dirt highways of the southern territories had dissolved into narrow, jagged trails carved directly into the sheer face of the Iron Ridge.Inside the carriage, the air grew so bitter that my breath hovered in continuous, icy clouds before me. Snow drifted through the cracks in the wooden window frames, settling like pale dust across my wool skirts. Every lurch of the iron wheels against the icy stone rattled through my bones, but I refused to wrap myself in self-pity. I sat upright, my silver hairpins tucked tightly into my sleeve, staring out the glass as the green pine forests gave way to jagged peaks of slate and snow.Outside, the Lykan soldiers rode without complaint. They did not shiver. They did not huddle into their furs. Their heavy mounts treaded over frozen rock with frightening ease, moving with a tireless, predatory grace that reminded me every hour that I was

INARA’S POVThe heavy iron reinforced doors of the East Wing swung open, revealing a sanctuary of warmth that felt entirely foreign to everything I had known of the harsh northern lands.Immense stone fireplaces roared with thick oak logs, bathing the vast room in a rich, golden light. Dark velvet drapes hung from the stone arches, and soft, thick furs covered the floors. Waiting inside were three female servants dressed in simple, elegant tunics of slate-grey wool.On the carved wooden table near the hearth lay a collection of heavy silk gowns, fur lined coats, and intricately embroidered tunics in deep jewel tones crimson, forest green, and winter white.I stood near the threshold, my posture remaining rigid, my wolf skin mantle pulled tight around my shoulders. Commander Kaelen stood behind me in the corridor, resting a gloved hand on his belt."Is there something wrong with the chambers, Lady Inara?" Kaelen asked, his deep voice carrying a touch of quiet curiosity."These are not

INARA’S POVThe silence Hati left behind was far heavier than his presence.After his blunt dismissal, I had returned to the East Wing without another word, guided back through the dark basalt corridors by the quiet guard. The luxury of the Solar Chambers the roaring hearth fire, the plush furs underfoot, the steaming copper tub felt completely surreal.I sat on the edge of the massive crimson draped bed, staring into the flames.I couldn't shake the memory of those final moments in his study. The sudden, violent shift in his posture. The way the air had grown suffocatingly hot, thick with a dark, crushing weight that felt almost physical. But most of all, it was the way he had looked at me. It wasn't the gaze of a warlord inspecting a political tribute, nor was it the predatory leer of a man looking at a trophy.He had looked at me as though he were searching for something hidden deep beneath my skin."It makes no sense," I whispered to the empty room.I reached up, pulling the silve

HATI’S POVDeep within the subterranean stone corridors beneath the Citadel, the air was dense with the scent of wet iron, dark soil, and cold granite.Hati stood in the center of the private training vault, his bare chest glistening with sweat in the dim torchlight. He held a heavy iron broadsword in one hand, his knuckles white around the hilt. Every muscle in his broad shoulders and back was strained to its absolute limit, a terrifying, unnatural heat radiating off his skin in faint, vaporous wisps.He swung the broadsword down with blinding speed. The blade bit deep into a heavy wooden training post, splitting the thick timber clean in half with a deafening crack that echoed off the stone walls like a thunderclap.Hati let out a rough, ragged breath, resting his forehead against the splintered wood.Again, a deep, guttural voice roared inside his mind.It was Volk the dominant Lykan spirit tied to his imperial bloodline. For twenty years, Volk had been a quiet, lethal presence, s

INARA’S POVMy peaceful solitude was broken by the sharp thud of heavy boots on the stairs.I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The air around me instantly grew warmer, thick with the scent of crushed pine and rain soaked cedar. Hati stopped three paces behind me, his vast shadow stretching over the stone floor. He was dressed in a grey wool tunic, free of his war armor, though his presence remained as imposing as ever."You missed mid day meal in the hall, Inara," Hati said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble."I wasn't hungry," I replied, keeping my eyes fixed on the snow swirling over the courtyard below. "And I preferred the quiet."Hati made a soft, rumbling sound in his chest neither agreement nor anger. "When you walk the common corridors or the galleries, you are required to carry a guard with you. That is the palace rule."I turned around slowly, crossing my arms over my dark wool skirts. "I don't need a guard to walk down a hallway, Lord Alpha.""It is not a reque