All Chapters of A BRIDE FOR THE RUTHLESS LYKAN: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

INARA’S POVTo mark the midwinter solstice, the Great Hall was transformed into a glittering cavern of dark pine boughs, silver banners, and burning iron braziers. The air was thick with the scent of roasted venison, spiced mead, and crushed cedar. Drums beat a heavy, primal rhythm from the high gallery, echoing the pulse of the hundreds of Lykan nobles and war-captains gathered beneath the vaulted ceiling.I sat at a side table near the hearth, dressed in a sweeping gown of deep indigo velvet lined with silver fox fur. I kept my posture rigid, taking small sips of spiced wine, watching the lively, rowdy gathering."Lady Inara," a smooth, dark voice cut through the thrum of the music.I turned my head. Standing beside my chair was Lord Valerius a wealthy Lykan nobleman from the eastern coastal territories. He was undeniably handsome, with sleek dark hair, sharp features, and pale silver eyes. He bowed low, his velvet cloak sweeping across the stone floor with practiced, courtly grace.

INARA’S POVI didn't think. I couldn't think. Every refined, deliberate lesson of my southern upbringing had been burned away by the image of blood on white snow the sound of crushing bone, the sickening spray of crimson, and those luminous, monstrous eyes locking onto mine through the glass.He is right behind us, Inara,Sova’s voice echoed in my mind, sharp and taut as a drawn bowstring. Move!"I am moving!" I thought frantically, taking the final three steps in a single, desperate jump.I hit the lower corridor, my shoulder slamming hard into the basalt archway as I rounded the corner toward the outer gates. The Citadel, which had felt like a fortress of quiet luxury only hours before, was now a hollow, inescapable tomb. I knew the iron rules of the North I knew Hati was a warlord. But seeing the beast unleashed seeing the man who had spoken to me with quiet tenderness tear a human throat to shreds shattered the illusion entirely. He wasn't a man playing at monster. He was a monster

INARA’S POVThe morning light filtering through the stone archway of the Solar Chambers was a bitter, blinding white.I woke to a throbbing, pulse deep fire locked in my right ankle. I tried to shift my weight, to swing my legs over the edge of the mattress, but the sharp bite of torn ligaments pinned me flat against the velvet pillows. A thick linen bandage was wrapped tightly around the joint, smelling faintly of crushed winter moss and bitter oil.I was trapped. Truly trapped.The heavy oak doors clicked open without a knock. Hati stepped into the bedchamber.He was fully dressed in a dark grey tunic, his jaw freshly shaven, looking entirely composed. He carried no trace of the monster that had torn a throat open in the courtyard or the Alpha who had snapped my ankle on the floorboards. He walked over to the side of the bed with a slow, measured stride, carrying a silver tray with warm bread, clear broth, and a cup of steaming tea.He set the tray on the bedside table and looked do

INARA’S POVThe throbbing in my ankle had subsided to a dull, manageable ache, but the tension suffocating the Solar Chambers was sharper than a honed blade.Hati stood near the stone hearth, his broad back turned to me, staring silently into the crackling embers. He had dropped a tray of bandages and fresh ointment on the table, refusing to leave the room despite my icy silence. His massive frame radiated a suffocating, heavy heat that made the cold mountain air feel dense and unbreathable.He is blocking the door again, Sova’s voice hissed inside my skull, sharp and volatile. He stands there like an iron monument, expecting us to wither under his shadow.He is guarding his mate, feather tail,Volk’s guttural rumble suddenly breached our shared consciousness, heavy with dark, mocking arrogance. Where else would an Alpha stand? You are trapped in his nest.We are trapped by nothing!Sova roared back internally, her white hot fury surging so violently against my conscious mind that my vi

INARA’S POVThe healer removed the tightest linen wraps three days later, leaving only a firm leather support brace around my right foot. I could stand, though every step forward sent a stiff, reminding throb through my calf.I did not wait for permission. I pushed open the heavy oak doors of the Solar Chambers and walked straight out into the long corridor, using a carved ebony walking stick to keep my weight balanced.Two heavy set Lykan guards flanked the threshold, their hand axes gleaming in the torchlight. They stepped forward instantly, crossing their polearms to block the passageway."Lady Inara," the guard on the left rumbled nervously, bowing his head. "The Lord Alpha instructed that you remain within the East Wing until—""Move," I said, my voice dropping into a flat, deadly quiet that made both men hesitate."Is there a problem here?"Hati’s deep, gravelly voice echoed down the stone hallway before his boots even hit the floorboards. He strode out from his private study, w