Todos los capítulos de Claimed by the mateless Lycan King: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

Aria’s breath caught in her throat. She had slipped out into the royal gardens hoping the crisp night air would dull the raw, agonizing ache in her chest. Instead, the atmosphere out here felt unnaturally thick, heavy with the dark, intoxicating scent of crushed midnight roses, damp earth, and pine.​Moonlight cut through the archway of sprawling white wisteria, casting harsh silver shadows across the man standing before her.​He was breathtaking. A strong, sharp jawline shadow-dusted with dark stubble, plush lips, and high cheekbones looked chiseled from marble. His dark hair was slightly tossed by the breeze, but it was his eyes that pinned her in place. They burned with an intense, luminous amber that seemed to cut straight through her defenses. Broad-shouldered and lethal, he exuded a natural, quiet dominance that made her knees tremble.​Her broken wolf, which had been whimpering silently since Alpha Kieran brutally severed their connection, suddenly went completely still. It did

The Grand Council Chamber smelled of cold stone, old parchment, and the heavy, suffocating scent of anxious Alphas. High above, narrow stained-glass windows painted the obsidian floor in harsh streaks of blood-red and bruise-purple.Valerius sat upon the High Throne, his long legs crossed, his jaw set in stone. Beneath his royal tunic, his skin burned. The mark he had left on Aria pulsed with a slow, frantic rhythm that echoed her panic from across the fortress.He hated it. He hated the way his beast clawed at his ribs, demanding he go to her. He was a sovereign king, yet a single, seemingly fragile female had thrown his entire existence into chaos."Your Majesty, this is madness!" Lord Vane, a high councilor with paper-thin skin and greedy, sunken eyes, stepped forward. "A marked female cannot simply suspend centuries of royal law! Look at her records! She comes from a minor crest pack. Her wolf is barely responsive! She will crack like porcelain the moment she carries a royal pregn

The thick stone walls of the East Wing did little to muffle the distant murmur of the arrival below.Aria stood by her tall balcony doors, watching as servants in dark liveries guided dozens of candidates through the sprawling lower arcades. Below, highborn women chattered in hushed, competitive tones, their heels clicking sharply against the polished marble corridors as they were escorted to their assigned quarters.A soft tap at the door made Aria turn. Rose, her young maid, stepped inside carrying a small brass key and a printed itinerary on heavy parchment."The Citadel stewards have finished allocating the guest suites, Miss Aria," Rose said softly, keeping her eyes respectfully lowered as she set the tray on the table. "They are placing the candidates two to a suite in the West Tower to keep order. The orientation gathering is set for this evening in the Great Gallery."Aria looked down at the parchment. Printed in crisp black ink were the strict rules of the selection grounds:

The early morning mist was cold and thick when Commander Karen led Aria down to the private training grounds behind the East Tower.Unlike the polished arena where the official candidates were scheduled to gather later, this courtyard was rugged and basic, surrounded by high granite walls and lined with wooden targets, heavy iron weights, and gravel tracks."We start with five miles," Karen said, her sharp eyes fixing on Aria. She tossed a weighted vest onto the dirt at Aria’s feet. "Put it on."Aria stared at the heavy leather vest. She had never worn combat weights in her life. Back at her home pack, her father and brothers had treated her like glass, shielding her from physical strain because her wolf spirit was quiet and faint. But thinking about Valerius’s cold, dismissive amber eyes and the way he had dismissed her as weak made her blood boil.She picked up the vest, strapped it tightly around her ribs, and took her first running stride across the loose gravel.By mid-afternoon,

The second round of the Selection was scheduled for sunset. Unlike the brutal physical trials of the first day, this stage was designed to test political instinct, mental fortitude, and subtle sensory perception.In the high, sunlit arcades of the West Wing, remaining candidates gathered in elegant silk robes, taking advantage of the afternoon break. Attendants served iced teas and delicate pastries while small groups of noble daughters gossiped, bonded over shared pack networks, and marveled at the once in a lifetime privilege of staying inside the royal Citadel.Aria, drenched in sweat after another relentless morning session with Commander Karen, made her way back to the East Wing. She moved quickly, trying to burn off the restless, electric heat still humming under her skin from Valerius’s touch the night before."Look what the staff dragged in," a candidate from the Iron River Pack sneered as Aria crossed the lower terrace.A cluster of highborn females turned, laughing softly be