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CHAPTER 21: SHADOWS IN THE DARK

Author: Lizzy Fash
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-02-21 16:03:39

MARISSA

With its light barely powerful enough to cut through the darkness, the lone candle on the wooden table created lengthy shadows in the deserted cabin. My fingers drummed frantically against the rough wood as I leaned back in my chair. Around me, the outlaws stirred uneasily, shifting in their chairs and flitting their gaze at each other. It was a risk. However, I was prepared to accept one. For me, things aren't looking good. I yelled, "Enough," my voice cutting like a lash through the hum. "To hear your doubts, I didn't bring you oùt here to hear your excuses. You're either in or you're out. Garret, a large outlaw, hissed and flashed his yellowed teeth. "Marissa, it's not fear. It's delicate. Hailey isn't some she-wolf. We don't understand the powers she possesses. Moreover, she is currently expecting the Alpha King's pups. Do you have any clue how hot this might get for us? I yelled back, "She's weak," in a firm, icy tone. "Pregnancy weakens even the most resilient wolves. W
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  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 22: SHE'S MINE

    RYANThe sound of my fists pounding out the rhythm on the heavy bag echoed through the gym, with every strike ringing around the space. My arms and chest were slick with sweat, and every movement caused my muscles to ripple. Metal, labour, and the faint vestiges of my wolf's ancient might hung in the air. This was à therapy session for me and not training. Every jab and every uppercut was a comfort. I wasn't satisfied even though the punching bag swung wildly beneath my attack. I grabbed the chain, reshaped my stance, and attacked again. I was incited by every thought of betrayal and every gossiping rumour that Hailey was injured. My nurturing instinct expanded and became more bestial when I knew she was carrying my pups inside her. No one dares to encroach on her like my world does.The repeated battering of my fists was broken by Logan's yell, "Alpha," and I came out of my daze. Standing at the door as calmly as ever, his presence was, however, not to be ignored. "What's it?" I snar

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21
  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 23: BOW DOWN BITCHES

    HAILEYTwo months had passed since the Ryan shoot, but the memory of it lingered in my mind like a catchy earworm song. Every moment of that day was an unspoken vow between us—a raw, shocking connection that both of us could not escape. Now, as I strolled through one of Ryan's chain stores, I was just as much the woman that I had become: fierce, powerful, and unbreakable.Flora accompanied me, my fiery red hair cascading in waves down my back. My combat boots clattered off the marble floor, and my leather jacket fit loosely over her shoulder. She was a hurricane, unrepentant and flashy, and her brashness was catching with her own dark, dark black hair."See," I said, holding the thin black dress against my body, "I could do this. With some thigh-high boots, I'll have to be gorgeous."She laughed, running her fingers over the smooth fabric of a red dress. "They're already drooling over you, Hailey. You don't need the dress."I smiled, bending the dress over my arm. "That's true, but a

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21
  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 24: THE WITCH’S PLOT

    SELENA My lair smelt of magic and incense, with the sweet metallic tang of blood mingled with the scent of burning sage. My brew was churning in emerald and black hues as my kettle bubbled gently. In an attempt to find an explanation for the chaos that was developing within the supernatural community, I looked into the raging depths. Then, as though in reaction to what I was thinking, the soft knock reverberated throughout the cave. I screamed, "Enter," my voice resonating off the stone walls. With tentative feet and angry eyes, Marissa stepped inside. In contrast to her normally calm demeanour, she seemed dishevelled. She had apparent bruises on her perfect skin, and her energy had a raw edge that she was unable to hide. She said, "Selene," in a hoarse voice.I leaned back in my chair with my hands folded in my lap and said, 'Marissa. What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?' She paused, looking around the room as if anticipating a trap. 'You know why I'm here', she finally said sh

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21
  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 25: A QUEEN'S STRENGTH

    LOGANEverything was going well and fine at the packhouse; Hailey and Ryan had finally mated, making her a full-fledged queen like she was meant to be. I know she's mad, but she'd forgive our King eventually. I smiled as I remembered how he had ordered us all to our mates.It's morning, and suddenly, while making rounds, my wolf becomes unsteady emotionally. I could feel Flora grieving, and as I tried to look into it, I was mindlinked to get to the borders, rogues attacked, and my daughter was dead. I immediately crouch down and run along in my wolf form; getting there I notice Ryan, Flora and some pack members then I see the shield around Hailey, she's holding my lifeless daughter in her arms and there's a light busting from her palm into Alexia, her red hair is all over her face, her eyes electrifying then suddenly my beautiful baby girl sneezes and I collapse instantly, how she did it I don't know but she's brought my baby back to life and at this point I'm close to being hysterica

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21
  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 26: THE BARGAIN

    LUCYThe forest was alive with whispers, a haunting melody that wove through the trees, urging me forward. Every step felt heavier than the last, the weight of my desires and the promises I was about to make pressing down on me. My heart thundered in my chest as I approached the familiar clearing, the air thick with the scent of herbs and smoke.Selene’s lair was shrouded in darkness, an ominous glow emanating from the entrance. The witch’s power hung in the air, palpable and suffocating. I hesitated at the threshold, my hand trembling as I pushed the heavy wooden door open.How Marissa thought I'd simply sit around and watch as I lost everything I don’t know. How is it possible that now Ryan will be killed? What happens to me then? If I can have Ryan I must attain power and attain Thomas. I won't lose in everything “Selene,” I called out, my voice barely above a whisper.The room was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from the flickering flames of black candles scattered throug

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21
  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 27: SHADOWS FROM THE PAST

    ISAIAHNight fell over the grove, dark and dense. The stillness was so absolute it felt unnatural—like the world was holding its breath waiting for something to occur. I sat on the edge of the pack's sacred grove, the crescent moon casting silver streams of light in the clearing. Most would be reassured by this stillness, but not me. Peace was a stranger, and it came to me with its own sort of pain. My sight, this damn "blessing," was to protect and guide the pack. But tonight, the visions abandoned the future, dragging me into the past.Her face flashed before my mind, as it always did when the world grew too quiet. Selene.Her name came into my head like a chant, silky and sugary but weighted with grief. A blessing, a curse, and whatever you want. I shut my eyes and the recollections came spilling forward.It was a summer evening, one of those idyllic instances when day lingers around for a minute longer as if the sun is reluctant to let go. That is when I first laid eyes on her—sta

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21
  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 28: WEB OF SHADOWS

    SELENEThe darkened room was quiet, save for the crackle of the fire in the hearth. The shadows danced on the walls of stone, their shapes shifting and distorting like the specters of my past. I stared into the flames, my mind far from their heat. Tonight's burdens weighed more heavily upon me than at any point in years.I ought to be celebrating. My strength had multiplied ten times over the past twenty years, and my name was mentioned in awe and terror across the supernatural planes. But tonight, those triumphs were bitter-tasting.She filled my mind.Hailey Quinn, the Luna Queen who was meant to bring together all kingdoms, had become something I could no longer avoid. She wasn't simply pregnant with Ryan's children—she was pregnant with a new era. The prophecy of her and the triplets sent shivers down my spine. If she won, my well-laid plans would be destroyed, and all I'd accomplished would amount to nothing.But my thoughts were interrupted by a voice that caused me to shiver ev

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-22
  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 29: OBSESSION

    AARONThe city's pulse pulsed at my feet, its unconquerable beat stoking mine. I stood in my penthouse, looking out over the sweeping skyline that sparkled under the light of midnight. Down there, the world was frantic, discordant, and irrelevant. I ruled it all from where I stood—the fashion empire I had built as a cover, the intricate traps I wove, the lives I controlled at will.And none of it counted. Not really.She did.Hailey Quinn.Her name was a chant that went on in my mind, a hymn that increased its urgency with each day. I had seen her first in the reports of my spies, a shadow figure wrapped in secrets and unleashed might. And then I saw her close up. All else fell into nothingness when I looked upon her for the first time. She was not just beautiful; she was goddess-like. Potent. Destined for greatness. And she would belong to me.I padded barefoot back from the window, walking across the marble floor of my penthouse suite. The inside was a reflection of the duality of m

    Huling Na-update : 2025-02-22

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  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 178: HOME

    TURTELANight air was quiet, but there was something moving in the space around us. One moment we were sitting there, tension still thick with all that had happened, and then—I felt it.A tug deep inside me, as if an unseen string had been pulled taut and back into position. A rush of heat washed over me, as if stepping out into a frigid winter's night and into the sun. I gasped, my eyes wide with shock as my heart knew before my mind could."Mother," I whispered.I wasn't alone. Alexia drew in a harsh breath next to me, her hold on the rim of the stone table tightening. Jermaine and Jackson both stiffened sharply, their heads snapping up at the same moment. Aaron leapt out of his chair so fast the chair scraped harshly on the floor.And then, as a group, we moved.No words were ever spoken. We all knew it—the instant she was back. We ran in, our shoes clattering in the corridors, hearts racing with a single, desperate desire.We discovered them in their room.Ryan stood his ground n

  • CLAIMING HAILEY    CHAPTER 177: FIGHT FOR YOU

    HAILEYThe air was heavy with the smell of fire and blood. As soon as I entered the room, I saw Ryan.Or Ares.His wolf had emerged fully, and the sight of him sent a shiver down my spine—one not of fear, but of ragged, gnawing worry. His massive body was tense, his muscles rippling as barely repressed fury rolled off him in waves. The golden sheen of his irises had been darkened to black, the edges dancing like the embers of a dying fire.And at his feet—nothing but ash remained.Azure was gone. Not dead—destroyed.Ryan—Ares—had seen to that.The smell of charred flesh still hung in the air, but it wasn't what caught my eye. It was how his body shook, not with fatigue, but with rage barely in check. The monster within him was still fighting to get blood, still fighting to tear something—someone—limb from limb.He was losing it. Losing control to his wolf's instincts.And if I didn't stop him now, he would never come back.I crept forward, slowly, slowly, very slowly."Ares," I breath

  • 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

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