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CHAPTER 12: HER FRAGILITY
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-16 14:17:06
Bab terkait
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 13: LONG WAY TO GO
HAILEYAlexia's giggles were a soothing balm on my exhausted soul as her little fists clutched the ears of her stuffed wolf and she toddled across the pack office floor. She had no clue about the tempest raging on around her. Truly, for a pup of her age, ignorance was bliss.I leaned back in the armchair, my eyes trained on her, but my senses stayed sharp. Across the room, Ryan was seated on the couch, his gaze fixed on Alexia as though she held the answers to all the questions haunting him. I know he wonders why a child that isn't ours could be so attached to me, I pondered on this also for a long time before I gave up.He looked different, older and more burdened somehow, more desperate. His eyes flickered to me searching, but I refused to grant him the satisfaction of meeting it. Let him stew."Hailey," he finally said, his deep voice breaking into the silence.I didn't say a word; I didn't owe him that much."Can we talk?" he tried again, softer this time.Alexia crawled over to m
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 14: JEALOUSY
RYANWith wolves in their best costumes, the big ballroom was a sea of sophistication where guests were mingling and enjoying champagne while the chandeliers softly glowed over the space. The charity ball was an annual event that showcased the pack's unity and success, but tonight, looks are of no importance to me. I was going crazy because Hailey had turned into a vision that I couldn't take my eyes off of tonight. Everybody in the room was staring at her dress, a sleek black one that fit her curves like it had been painted on. There was just enough of her neckline exposed to be hazardous, and a slit up her thigh revealed long, toned legs that made all the male wolves in the room gag. Her flaming red hair fell in wild waves down her back, framing a face that was equal parts beautiful and unreachable, her big generous bosom leaving me drooling. The kiss we exchanged when I initially introduced her to the pack was the closest I've ever been to her, and at the moment, she's purposefully
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 15: FULL MOON
HAILEYFour weeks. Four long, painful weeks of ignoring Ryan. Four weeks of pretending his presence didn’t claw at my resolve, or the memory of his touch didn’t haunt my nights.Tonight, I was determined to keep it that way.The full moon hung high in the sky, its light filtering through my window as I locked the heavy steel door to my chambers. My heart had arrived with brutal intensity, my skin burning, my body aching with a need I refused to acknowledge.I paced the room, the ache building with every passing moment. The primal part of me screamed for release, for the touch of my mate. But I wouldn’t give in. Not after everything he’d done.I pressed a hand to my chest, willing the bond to quiet. The mark he’d left on me four weeks ago pulsed faintly, a reminder of his claim and the bond we now shared. The connection was stronger tonight, the full moon amplifying every sensation, every emotion.“Damn it,” I muttered, collapsing onto the bed.The room was soundproofed, reinforced wit
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 16: MINE OR NO ONE'S
LUCYThe moment I caught the faint scent of blood and the unmistakable musk of a freshly formed mate bond, my world tilted. My chest tightened, and a deep, primal fury surged within me.No. It couldn’t be.But the whispers around the ballroom confirmed my worst fear. Ryan had done it. He’d marked her.The grand charity ball, once a spectacle of elegance and sophistication, now felt suffocating. The chandeliers overhead sparkled mockingly, the chatter of the pack wolves grating on my ears. The music seemed distant, drowned out by the thunderous roar of my wolf clawing at my insides.Ryan was mine. He was supposed to be mine.I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. The pain grounded me, but only slightly. Every fibre of my being screamed for retribution, for justice. How dare she steal him from me? How dare he let her?I couldn’t stay here. Not with the scent of their bond saturating the air, a cruel reminder of what should have been mine.I turned sharply on my heel, my hee
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-20CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 17: WHISPERS IN THE SHADOWS
THOMASThe woodland was alive, with branches groaning, secrets being spoken by the wind, and the eerie hoot of an owl echoing overhead. With every stride, my boots dug into the wet dirt, drawing me more into the forest. The trees appeared determined to absorb the light and cover everything in gloom, despite the moon's light trying to reach the canopy. The sensation in my chest was more electric and sharper than terror. I felt a tinge of anticipation. It might change tonight. Maybe tonight I'll get back what I lost. I might win something I never would have imagined. She had been anticipating my arrival. Like a figure carved from the night itself, the witch stood in a clearing illuminated by a flickering lantern. The red hood she wore, black curls spilt from its edges, and the scarlet hood looked strikingly vivid against the dark background. The black, smouldering coals in her eyes seared right through me, even though I couldn't see her face well. "You're running late," she said. Despit
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-20CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 18: QUEEN OF ALL
HAILEY Shadows clung to the trees like a quiet audience as the edge of the woodland loomed behind me. I held on to Alexia's small, lifeless body, her icy weight a harsh reminder of the atrocities I had just witnessed. The thorns and sharp stones were unrelenting, and my legs burned from scrapes. But in all honesty. The ache scarcely registered. It had no significance. Amenià stirred within me, her presence laden with fury and sorrow. Amenià whispered in my mind, "She's just a child," in a low, unpolished voice. "This wasn't fair to her. Not one bit of it. My voice broke as I muttered back, "She didn't deserve this." But now she's here. Additionally, I won't let her leave. Now that I could see the park entrance, I could hear the pounding footsteps and panicked cries of Logan, Flora, and Ryan behind me. They were after us. Screaming for me. With every heartbeat, Alexia's flame was fading, and she was drifting farther away. “No,” I muttered, holding her closer. "No, she won't leave me."
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-20CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 19: BETRAYAL FROM THE SHADOWS
LUCYThe news struck me like a bolt of lightning, and the room whirled. Hailey was still alive. Despite all that was done to keep her down, she's still standing. Even worse, she had revived that brat, Alexia. How? Following all the meticulous planning and instructions given, how did things fail so badly? The porcelain fragments scattered over the floor like the fragments of my meticulously crafted plans and the vase I was holding broke against the wall. I screamed furiously in frustration and anger. I was so furious that my chest was heaving and my breathing was laboured. "How?" My voice reverberated through the deserted room as I screamed. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The prophecy, the whispers of power, the perfect plan with Thomas—it was all unravelling right before my eyes yet I can do nothing to salvage the entire ordeal. Hailey was meant to be gone, out of the picture, leaving the route clean for me to ascend. Instead, she was still here, gleaming with possessing some
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-20CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 20: A REVELATION OF LIFE
HAILEYThe steady beep of monitors and the antiseptic smell of the pack's hospital were the first to penetrate as I stirred out of the haze of unconsciousness. My head throbbed dully, but it was the sensation of something deep, intimate, and utterly unfamiliar that summoned my consciousness."Hailey?" Ryan's voice penetrated the haze. His hand was warm, mine held in his firm clasp.I blinked, clearing my eyes to discover his face creased with worry. His green eyes were locked on mine, searching. "Ryan," I croaked, my throat dry. "What. what happened?""You lost it," he whispered, his thumb tracing the backs of my knuckles. "In the mess hall. The pack doctor had to sedate you when you wouldn't settle down." "Settle down?"You were suffering," Ryan told me, his jaw tightening. "No one knew why. I didn't know what to do."Memories flooded back—the poisoned food, the shield I'd put up around Alexia, the strange pull in my chest that I hadn't recognized then."I don't feel any pain now,"
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-20
Bab terbaru
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 176: FREEDOM
RYANAgony.It started as a dull ache, a pressure in my ribs, then spread like wildfire throughout my entire body. It was like some thing had been wrapped around my soul—tight, choking, unyielding—and now it was being ripped away.I gasped, my head spinning, my muscles freezing as I collapsed onto the cold, wet stone beneath me. The chains that had bound me all these years clattered against the floor, and suddenly—air was mine.The spell was broken.I balled my fists, the rush of power surging back into my veins, my wolf snarling inside me, at last released after months of being suppressed and quiet. I drew in a deep breath, the stale air of my imprisonment now mixed with something else—power. A commanding, familiar, and unbreakable presence.Hailey.She did it.I let out a whoop of breathless laughter, my lips spreading in a savage grin. My mate had broken the spell. And that left only one possibility—anyone who'd placed it there was dead.Athena.I could feel it, the traces of her m
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 175: PLAN
THOMASThe scent of blood and power hung heavy in the air. I floated through the garden like a specter, in fast, striking hard.Jackson didn't have time to blink before my fist hit his ribcage, and he reeled back into the stone table. His wine glass shattered against it, crimson liquid spreading across the ground like blood.He coughed, rolling onto his side, but I didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. I launched myself at him again, claws extended—A shock of energy struck my side.I was knocked back, crashing through a stone pillar before I landed on the ground with a grunt. Fire coursed through me, but I didn't have time to register it. I leapt up onto my feet as Adrian appeared in front of me, fangs bared.“You’re either stupid or desperate,” he hissed. “Attacking us here?”I wiped blood from my mouth and grinned. “A little of both.”Jermaine and Jaden were already flanking me, their wolves prowling just beneath the surface. Aurora stood behind them, golden eyes glowing, h
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 173: UNRIVALED SPELLS
AURORA" Damn Auntie, you certainly are queen."I looked at her.At Her.The Queen of All Species. The Unbreakable. The one whose name carried the legends' weight and whispered fear into the hearts of the enemy.And yet, up until this time, I had never truly seen her.Hailey between the dying sparks of magic, power still snapping in the air like a tempest that will not be silenced. Light and darkness curled about her as though the universe knew whom it was dealing with. Outside, wind howled, but inside was only silence—thickness, gagging, wonder-struck silence.I had believed myself strong beforehand. But facing her there, looking at her after what had just transpired between us, I realized something profound."I see now," I gasped, my words struggling to come above the still-pulsing magic.Those eyes turned upon me—aged, knowing, unreadable.I gulped, perspiration tickling against my skin. "I understand why every mighty ruler wanted you as his wife."It wasn't her power, though that
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 172: THE HUNT FOR ATHENA
HAILEYThe moon rode high in the sky, dropping a chill silver light across the castle grounds. I rested my arms against the railing on the balcony's edge, drawing in deep gulps of the night air. My hands grasped the railing tightly as I fought to suppress the fury simmering in my blood. Ryan was lost. Athena had cursed him. And that could mean only one thing—tonight, we hunted.Behind me, Aurora stepped forward, her golden eyes burning with determination. She had not spoken a word since the devastation in the war room, but now there was a tempest raging inside of her, quietly. Her wolf was restless, hungry for revenge."Ready?" I asked.Aurora nodded, rolling her shoulders. "More than ready."I turned and moved towards the door. We did not need an army to accomplish this. This was a personal matter. Athena had crossed a line, and she would suffer the consequences.As we strode through the castle corridors, the torches along the stone walls started to dance furiously, reacting to the s
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 171: THE BREAKING POINT
JADENThe air in the war room was so tight you could strangle on it.Jermaine sat at one end of the long wooden table, folded arms crossed over his chest, face immobile. Jackson was leaning back in his chair, scowling as he beat a single, slow finger against the armrest. I couldn't sit still, pacing up and down the length of the room like a caged animal.The silence had lingered for too long.Then Jermaine finally spoke."We must discuss the prophecy."Jackson mocked. "Now you're interested in it?"Jermaine's eyes narrowed. "I've always been interested."I stopped pacing, spinning around to face them both. "Then why do you sound like you're only bringing this up now?" I snapped. "Ryan—our dad—is missing. Can't we be more worried about finding him rather than arguing about some prophecy that's been hanging over our heads since we were born?"Jermaine expelled a rough breath, gazing at me as if I were being silly. "We're not dealing with any prophecy here, Jaden. This one tells us that
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 170: PROPHECY
ALEXIAThe weight of it all descended upon me the moment I stepped into my chambers. I had barely a breath, a thought, a chance to untangle the chaos that was occurring around us. It was as if the world had decided to come apart at the seams, and we were all just trying not to fall into the abyss.I perched on the edge of the bed, my fingers jammed against my temples. Hailey, Thomas, Isaiah, Jaden, Athena, Flora—too many pieces in motion, too many threats lurking in the background. And in the middle of it all, I was supposed to be stronger, smarter, more capable than I was.My fingers curled into fists. Isaiah.He had looked… tired. No, not just tired—drained. His presence, usually so steady and enigmatic, had been unraveling before my eyes. And Jaden—he had wanted answers, but the anger in his eyes had been too much, too un contained. If I had not intervened, I had no idea what would have happened.I got up and left the room, my strides quick and determined. There was no time for bro
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 169: CONNORS DEATH
THOMASThe stench of sweat and blood clung thick in the air as I stepped into the dungeon, the torches flickering to send leaping shadows across the cold stone walls.Bound to the heavy chains screwed into the floor was Connor, self-proclaimed King of Bears. His massive frame rested forward, but even in chains, he was a giant—a monster barely restrained. The fool had actually tried to attack me. Big mistake.His amber eyes snapped to mine as I entered, brimming with raw fury. Good.I had wanted him angry.I had wanted him desperate.Because desperation made men stupid. And stupid men made mistakes."You've finally risen to confront me, coward?" Connor swore, blood frothing on his lips. He strained at the chains, testing their limits, muscles distending. "I should have known you'd creep back to this world. Only vermin won't lie still dead."I smiled and approached him. "Watch it, Connor. Warnings aren't going to get you out of this one."His laugh was low and guttural. "Save me? From y
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 168: SPIRAL
JADENI stormed into Isaiah's rooms without knocking, the door slamming against the wall so hard I'm certain I heard the wood crack. The old man didn't even flinch. He sat in his usual spot, hunched over a table littered with scrolls and books, candlelight playing on his face like flickering fire.He didn't even look up.I didn't have time for his riddles or his ancient sage advice.I needed answers."Where is he?" I growled, advancing. "Where is my father?" Mother was slipping, she's acting like she's fine but she's not. Her mate is missing yet the weight of the entire species lies on her. She'd crash and when she does it won't be pretty so before she does, we need to find him first.Isaiah finally looked up, his face unreadable, as though he had been waiting for this. His silver eyes looked at me, calm, indulgent, as though my fury was but a storm that would blow over.I know you can see things others can't," I went on, my voice low and threatening. "So don't tell me you don't know.
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 167: I'M BACK
HAILEYThe palace was still.Moonlight streamed through my chamber window, casting silver streaks on the marble floor. The weight of duty pressed on my chest, heavier than the blankets strewn over me. Sleep had been a fleeting luxury, stolen in brief moments between crises, but tonight, exhaustion finally claimed me.Or so I thought.A shift in the air caused a shiver to trickle down my spine. My wolf roused, a low growl thrumming in the recesses of my mind, but I did not stir. I had learned long ago to recognize when I was being watched.A presence lingered in the room.Gradually, I opened my eyes.He was at the foot of my bed.Thomas.I had forgotten how to breathe for a moment. All those years, and he had not changed—same pointed jaw, same frigid eyes that once looked at me with warmth and then, something darker.For a moment, I was hurled back through time, to a version of myself who had loved him, once dreamed of a future with him. And then the reality slammed into me like a tida
