All Chapters of DESTINED MATE : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Chapter Twenty-TwoThe journey back to the pack was quieter than I expected.No whispers filled my head.No strange voices warned me about the future.For the first time since discovering the truth about my birth, I could hear only the wind and the footsteps of the people walking beside me.I should have felt relieved.Instead, I felt strange.For eighteen years, I had believed something was missing inside me. Now that the curse was gone, I didn't know what to do with the silence.Eve seemed to understand.She walked beside me, occasionally glancing at my face as if she expected me to disappear.“You keep looking at me,” I finally said.She quickly looked away.“I'm not.”I raised an eyebrow.“You've done it six times since we left the mountain.”“Have you been counting?”“Maybe.”For the first time, Eve laughed.It wasn't the cold, frightening laugh I remembered from our confrontation.It was an ordinary laugh.A real one.And hearing it made something inside my chest loosen.“I thou

Chapter Twenty-Four We left Ironclaw territory the following morning.Victor insisted on bringing a small escort, but I refused to let him turn the journey into a war expedition.“We're going to talk,” I reminded him as we rode through the forest.Victor glanced at me. “We're going to meet an Alpha who believes you shouldn't exist. Forgive me if I'm not expecting a friendly conversation.”“Then let me do the talking first.”“And if he threatens you?”“I'll handle it.”His eyebrow rose.“You're enjoying this.”“A little.”He shook his head, but I caught the small smile on his face.Behind us, Eve rode beside Zoe. Mother had remained at Ironclaw to help the healers and begin repairing the damage left by the curse.I had wanted her to come with us.She had refused.“You have spent enough of your life worrying about my safety,” she had told me. “Now go and build the future you deserve.”Her words stayed with me as we crossed into the Northern Territories.By noon, the forest had thinned,

Chapter Twenty-Six “Victor, don't!”I grabbed his arm just as he took another step toward the door.He looked at me, his silver eyes filled with confusion.“Did you hear what it called me?”“Yes.”“My son.”“I heard it.”“And it said my blood created the curse.”I tightened my grip on his arm.“That doesn't mean you have to open the door.”The hand remained stretched through the narrow opening. The Ironclaw ring caught the silver light, its surface covered in markings that seemed to move whenever I looked directly at them.Behind us, Marcus whispered, “This is impossible.”Victor turned toward him.“Do you know something you're not telling us?”“No.”“Then stop looking like you've seen a ghost.”Marcus swallowed.“I have seen that ring before.”Victor went still.“Where?”“In the Northern Archives. It was drawn in an account of the first Alpha King. According to the records, he disappeared before the kingdom was divided into the packs we know today.”“Disappeared?” Zoe repeated.Marc

Chapter 28: The journey back to Ironclaw was quieter than I expected.For days, we had been surrounded by secrets, ancient magic, and questions nobody could answer.Now, the mountain stood behind us, silent beneath the morning sky.And for the first time, I wasn't afraid of what waited ahead.Victor rode beside me, his hand resting close to mine."You're quiet," he said.I glanced at him. "I'm trying to understand everything that happened.""Do you think it's over?"I looked back at the mountain."The First Wolf is gone. Alexander is gone. The seal has disappeared." I paused. "I think we deserve to believe it's over."Victor nodded.Then he took my hand."Whatever happens next, we face it together."I smiled."Together."For once, those words didn't feel like a promise made in desperation.They felt like a future we could actually have.---By the time we reached Ironclaw, word of our return had spread throughout the pack.Wolves gathered near the gates, their faces filled with quest

Chapter 30: The great hall had never looked so beautiful.Silver ribbons hung from the pillars, white flowers covered the tables, and hundreds of candles illuminated the room. Pack members filled every seat, their voices blending into a steady hum of excitement.But I barely noticed any of it.I stood before the mirror in my room, staring at the woman looking back at me.My dress was simple, flowing to the floor with delicate silver embroidery along the sleeves. My hair fell over my shoulders, and the crescent pendant Eve had given me rested against my chest.I touched it gently.For years, I had wondered whether there was a place in this world for someone like me.A girl without a wolf.A girl whose own family had made her feel unwanted.A girl who had spent so long trying to understand why she was different.Now I knew the answer.I had never needed to become someone else to deserve a place in this world.A knock interrupted my thoughts."Are you ready?" Eve called.I took one fina