Alle Kapitel von Surrogate to the Beastly Alpha : Kapitel 51 – Kapitel 60

Aria The fire in the hearth had burned down to glowing red embers by the time the heavy wooden panel in the wall finally clicked open. I jumped, scrambling backward on the massive bed, pulling the black fur blankets up to my chest. Cassius stepped out of the dark stairwell. The sheer, overwhelming size of him immediately swallowed all the oxygen in the room. He didn't look like the furious, terrifying monster who had threatened to tear Ronan apart in the hallway, but he didn't look victorious either. He looked completely exhausted. He walked over to the heavy armchair by the fire, shrugging off his dark coat and tossing it over the back. He undid the silver cuffs of his white shirt, rolling the sleeves up his forearms. I could smell the harsh, chemical sting of the medical clinic clinging to his clothes, completely overriding his natural scent of pine and dark earth. "Cassius?" I whispered, my voice shaking in the quiet room. He stopped. He turned slowly, his golden eyes findi

Aria The suite in the East Wing was easily five times the size of my old room in the servants’ quarters. There was a massive four-poster bed draped in deep plum velvet, a polished mahogany vanity, and a private bathing chamber with running hot water. Fresh lilies sat in a crystal vase on the sideboard, filling the air with a sweet scent that failed to mask the sterile, heavy silence of the room. Two armed Alpha guards stood outside my heavy double doors, their boots clicking rhythmically against the stone every ten minutes. Cassius called it protection. I called it a cage. I paced the perimeter of the room, my fingers tracing the carved armrest of an ornate velvet sofa. My body was still aching from the run through the woods, the cuts on my bare soles stinging with every step. I was clean, clothed in silk, and fed the finest cuts of roast lamb, but I felt more exposed than I ever had on the execution block. A sharp knock broke the quiet. Before I could answer, the door swung op

Ronan The lower clinic smelled of bleach, rubbing alcohol, and raw, suffocating fear. The head Healer’s hands shook so violently he could barely unlock the heavy metal filing cabinet. I leaned casually against the sterile counter, turning a silver coin across my knuckles, watching the old man sweat through his white coat. "I don't know what you expect to find, Lord Ronan," the Healer stammered, pulling a thin manila folder from the back of the drawer. "The Alpha took the original lab report himself. I am not supposed to discuss the Luna’s medical history with anyone." "Cassius is a busy man," I said smoothly, snatching the folder from his trembling hands. "I am just helping my dear brother manage the estate's paperwork." I flipped the folder open. It was a copy of the cellular breakdown from the blood pooled in the sunroom. I scanned the chemical markers, my eyes catching on the distinct, undeniable lack of human or wolf DNA. I let out a low, dark chuckle that echoed off the ti

Aria My mother shifted weakly under the heavy weight of the Alpha’s fur coat. Her eyelids fluttered, her pale brow pulling together in confusion as she felt the unfamiliar, luxurious warmth. She let out a dry, rattling cough and slowly opened her eyes. "Mom?" I whispered, leaning over the narrow cot and gripping her frail hand. "I'm here. It's Aria." Her cloudy, fever-bright eyes focused on my face. A weak, trembling smile touched her cracked lips. "My sweet girl. You're... you're glowing." "I'm okay," I choked out, tears blurring my vision. "I brought help. You're going to be warm now." Her gaze drifted past my shoulder, catching on the massive, towering shadow standing in the small clinic room. The second her eyes locked onto Cassius, her entire body went rigid. Even in her weakened, semi-lucid state, she instantly recognized the crushing, suffocating weight of an Alpha’s aura. She gasped, her frail fingers tightening around my hand with a sudden, desperate strength that sho

Aria The courtyard below my window was a hive of frantic activity. Even through the thick, freezing glass of the East Wing, I could hear the shouts of the pack enforcers directing the massive draft horses. Servants were rushing back and forth, hauling heavy crates of wine, erecting massive silk pavilions, and stringing hundreds of crystal lanterns across the stone archways. Tomorrow night was the mandatory winter gala, the one night a year where all the border Alphas and elite families gathered at Thornwood to renew their treaties. I let the heavy velvet curtain fall shut, blocking out the sight. I stepped back into the quiet warmth of my suite, pulling my thick wool sweater tighter around my shoulders. The door clicked open behind me. Cassius stepped into the room, bringing a rush of cold air and the heavy, intoxicating scent of pine and dark earth with him. He looked completely exhausted. The endless meetings with the council and the preparations for the visiting Alphas had ke