Alle Kapitel von Surrogate to the Beastly Alpha : Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

AriaI was not even given a full day to heal.Less than two hours after Selena left my hospital room, two burly Thornwood guards marched in. They didn't bring a wheelchair. They hauled me out of the bed by my arms, ignoring the sharp, blinding pain that shot through the freshly stitched muscle in my neck.They took me down to the lowest levels of the castle, the servants' quarters, and shoved me into a tiny, windowless room made of damp stone that smelled heavily of mildew. A narrow, lumpy cot sat in the corner next to a single wooden stool.A moment later, Selena walked in, followed by Clara. The maid carried a woven basket and dumped the contents right at my bare feet: a mountain of raw, unspun white wool and a handful of steel needles."The elders decreed that since you are a drain on our pack's resources, you will earn your keep," Selena announced. Her pale eyes drifted to the bandages wrapping my throat. "You will hand-sew the blankets for the nursery. And they must be flawless,

AriaThe fire behind the glass should have kept the cold away, but the chill still found me in the dark.It started as a dull ache in my scar, radiating down my shoulder until the velvet chaise beneath me dissolved into frozen, rutted dirt. The smell of rich stew warped into the sharp, metallic tang of blood and wet fur.I was back in the clearing. The crumpled fender dug into my spine.I tried to run, but hands slammed me into the mud. Yellow eyes burned through the black woods. The scarred brute leaned over me, his jaws opening. I felt his hot, rancid breath on my skin right before his teeth sank into my throat. The muscle tore. Blood poured over my collarbones, choking me. I was being ripped apart, and no matter how hard I tried to scream for Cassius, no sound came out."Aria. Wake up."Calloused hands gripped my shaking shoulders.I jerked awake, a raw, terrified scream finally tearing out of my throat. I thrashed against the grip, blinded by panic, fighting the phantom rogue stil

AriaCassius did not return for three agonizing hours.I paced the length of the Alpha's quarters, the fur blanket wrapped tightly around my shoulders. The castle outside the doors was a hive of frantic activity. I could hear muffled shouts from guards, the rapid footsteps of healers running down the corridors, and the oppressive scent of panic seeping under the doorframe.When the door finally opened, Cassius looked like he had aged ten years.He didn't look at me. He walked straight past the velvet chaise lounge, his jaw clenched so tightly a muscle ticked beneath his skin. He threw open his mahogany wardrobe and started yanking out travel clothes, shoving them into a leather duffel bag."What happened?" I asked quietly, staying close to the glass-enclosed fire."The stabilizing poultice failed," Cassius replied, his voice a harsh, fractured rasp. He didn't stop packing. "The seizures aren't stopping. Our healers have done everything they can, but her wolf is collapsing. I have to t

Aria "You can't keep me locked in here," I hissed, glaring at him. "Watch me," Finn shot back, totally unbothered. He leaned against the heavy oak doors. "My orders are to keep you safe. Letting you wander into the frozen woods to dig through the mud for cash goes against every single one of those orders." "Finn, my dad isn't bluffing," I said, my voice cracking. I hated how desperate I sounded, but I was out of options. "He is a desperate gambler. He will pull her out of that clinic just to spite me. Cassius won't be back for a week, and by then it will be too late." Finn’s jaw ticked. He looked away, staring hard at the stone wall. He knew I was right about the timeline. "I'm going, Finn," I said quietly. I wiped my cheeks and walked over to the wardrobe, pulling out a heavy winter cloak. "You can either lock me in a closet and fight me all night, or you can look the other way. But I am not sitting here waiting for my mom to die." I threw the thick wool cloak over my shoulder

CassiusThe High Ridge coven was suffocating.The air in the stone chamber hung thick with burning sage and old magic. Four elderly witches stood in a tight circle around the altar where my wife lay, chanting in a low harmony that made my teeth ache.I stood in the corner, arms crossed, jaw locked. I hadn't slept in three days. When the carriage couldn't get through the snowdrifts in the mountain pass, I'd carried Selena the rest of the way myself."The seizing has stopped, Alpha." The High Priestess stepped away from the altar and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Her magical core is badly damaged, but we've stabilized it. She'll live. She needs absolute rest."Relief should have come then. I had done my duty. I had saved my wife and secured Thornwood's stability for another season.My chest didn't loosen. It tightened until it hurt to breathe.My wolf had been pacing since we left the castle, restless and agitated and furious with me. He wasn't looking at the altar. He wasn't thinking