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CHAPTER 46: A SHADOW GAME
Last Updated:
2025-02-25 13:52:51
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CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 47: THE FATHER HE NEVER KNEW
AARON The streets were alive with their usual buzz of traffic and the usual hum of cars, but I was barely aware of it all tonight. The crushing weight of Selene's ambitions and the secrets she kept made me uneasy because she insisted on moulding me into her destiny rather than mine as if she were preparing me for something bigger, but I wanted something or someone more. Hailey, I became obsessed with her the moment I saw her, but I have no intention of stopping, no matter the level of opposition involved, she must be mine.I hid at a tiny café with a bookshop on the more sedate side of town. I grabbed a seat beside the window in one corner, and the air smelt like freshly brewed coffee and old paper. No one knows me as the fashion house billionaire; titles do not matter here, so I find peace and calmness of thought every time I come by this place. However, I went here for a little respite from Selene's oppressive rule, not for the books or the coffee. Even though the bell above the e
Last Updated : 2025-02-25CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 48: SELENE'S WRATH
SELENEI walked the great hall of my lair as the moon was low in the sky, sending a silver light over the thick forest. My heart was pounding with a mix of fear and anger, which I could not identify. Isaiah was alive. Alive! He had returned like a ghost from the past, with the power to annihilate the carefully constructed web of deceit I had built, after all my scheming and struggling to ensure that he would never return. More than that, Aaron had discovered him. I clenched my fists and drove my nails into my palms. My son having to face him made my blood boil. A reminder of a past I'd long forgotten, Isaiah was a weakness. A reminder of a past I'd long forgotten. I'd given up everything to ensure Aaron's future and shape him into the weapon he was born to become. Everything has been jeopardized because of Isaiah. Two of my most trusted outlaws entered through the creaking massive oak doors. Their faces were impassive as their massive bodies filled the room. I roared, "Report," my voi
Last Updated : 2025-02-26CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 49: A QUEEN'S SHADOW
THOMASSwirling the amber-colored liquid in my glass, candlelight danced over the smooth wood of my study desk. Betrayals had surfaced and friendships had changed through the crazy last weeks. Still, my thoughts continued to focus on Hailey all along. She was a queen in all ways, and she was everything. Authoritative, elegant, and beautiful, she was Ryan's and beyond reach. The hot light didn't quite ease the ache within, so I had some of the bourbon. Years ago, I would never have imagined making the concessions and compromises that I had made. But as the facts gradually emerged, it became glaringly obvious that Lucy had lied to me. Lucy. Saying her name made me feel contemptuous. She had infiltrated my life, playing tricks on my free will and offering promises. She was my friend and equal. But no-she was an enchantress who used magic to make me hers to command. And I only discovered it by chance. A random encounter with an old renegade healer shocked me into wakefulness. We were disc
Last Updated : 2025-02-26CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 50: THE RISE OF AZURE
HAILEY The air grew sinister, heavy with an eerie cold that made my spine tingle. It wasn't the typical court setting, where the triplets' laughter and the council members' sporadic arguments could be heard reverberating through the corridors. No, it felt like the world itself was holding its breath today. Something feels wrong yet I can't put my fingers around it. My court was all around me as I stood in the vast hall. Ryan and Logan stood on either side of me, their eyes alert and focused. Some of our finest warriors were protecting the triplets elsewhere. The vampire King Adrian had recently pledged fealty, and the partnership looked to momentarily improve our position. But now, it seemed, our peace was short-lived. The doors broke open, and the smell of sulphur filled up the entire space. An outer-world ethereal guy entered the hall, his presence like a black hole, draining the air from the room. On his armour each piece is engraved with ancient runes, glinted in the faint light,
Last Updated : 2025-02-26CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 51: DEFIANCE
AZUREThe calmness of Hades' halls contrasted with the storm that was building within me. Selene's death was an unavoidable consequence of her ambitions and insolence, which were ultimately more of a hindrance than a benefit. But now there were additional issues. Black obsidian reflected dimly the flickering light of the surrounding torches as I sat on my throne, their long flames licking dark shadows across the room. Before me, a servant stumbled forward and dropped to his knees. "Master," he said, "the preparations for the next phase are complete." I waved him off, not really paying attention. I had more important things to think about. Subjugation was not enough for my purposes; blind, unflinching fealty was also necessary. And one individual had not yet succumbed. Aaron was the one who had not yet fallen in line. He had been a loose thread for too long. His disobedience was getting on my nerves, and Selene had neglected to monitor him. She was, after all, his birth mother; hence,
Last Updated : 2025-02-26CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 52: SHADOWS FROM THE PAST
RYANThe weight on my chest was only reduced by the morning light pouring through the council chamber's tall windows. Hailey sat beside me; she looked little, serene, and reassuring, yet it was clear that she harboured an invisible storm that was just as fierce as mine. An older wolf named Calder sent for us because he had found information regarding Isaiah's history. Although I don't believe rumours, I could tell this one was serious by the time Calder approached us because he looked worried. I said, "Calder, tell us everything," a bit harsher than I intended them to be. The senior gave the nod with him before focussing on me; his gaze flitted to Hailey. "It's about Isaiah… and Selene." Hailey paused her hand on the armrest. Selene? What about her? Calder paused, and for an instant, I feared he might not say anything. Then he inhaled deeply and started. Calder murmured, the realisation weighing heavily on his voice, "Isaiah and Selene were mates." Hailey narrowed her eyes and tensed
Last Updated : 2025-02-27CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 53: SHADOWS OF DECEPTION
AARONI was on the edge of the woods, looking into the darkness, and the icy wind was nipping at my skin. Azure was hanging over all of it, trying to rule over all of it, and my dad was alive. All that had occurred in the past couple of days was all relived in my head like a broken record. Isaiah was a human being. My dad. My heart mourned hearing the epiphany. Selene had lied to me all these years, telling tales of a father who had left us and abandoned me to fight in this despicable and unforgiving world alone. But things were much uglier than that: my father withdrew to himself and struggled, no worse than Selene. I curled my fist up, hard as I dug nails into the palms of my hands. His peaceful, half-formed justification stoked the flames within me up the chimney even after speaking to him previously. Azure's plea for duty now towered above me like the weight of these choices. Isaiah had mentioned that he would like to speak with me once more. Part of me longed to shut him out, to
Last Updated : 2025-02-27CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 54: DESTINED BY FATE
LYNAAs I emerged from the darkness and entered the fading light of the street lamps, a subtle yet distinct odour of human blood permeated the air. The small human town had always been a very nice hunting area, but I had long ago sworn off hunting for sport. Since I had spent so many years living in self-control and just taking what I needed to survive, no one would ever know what was hiding in the shadows. But tonight I felt restless, like I had an itch I couldn't get rid of. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was changing. My keen senses detected a figure travelling in the other direction as I turned a corner. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and exuded a commanding aura. He was a wolf. His scent was distinct, earthy and sharp, mixed with something darker—something that spoke of power and turmoil. Time seemed to stop for a moment, and I cocked my head to one side, curious. "I might ask you that." He said in a low, gravelly voice as if he weren't used to speaking softl
Last Updated : 2025-02-28
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CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 128: ALLIES
DAVIDThe room was dimly lit, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows on the stone walls. Burning sage filled the air with its scent and something far more bitter—dark magic at work.I stood centre, hands clasped behind my back, exuding an aura of authority. But inwardly, my blood churned with impatience. Things were going too slow for my liking. I couldn't take the sluggish progression of things. Hailey should've been mine now, or at least she should've warmed up towards me.Both of the women before me—one my mother, the other a baseline friend—were the only ones I had allowed close enough to stand beside me and fight in this battle. That did not mean I trusted them.Flora, my mother, reclined lazily on a gold chair, draped in a sumptuous emerald robe that appeared to throb with vital energy. The years had not touched her beauty. If anything, she was even more beautiful now, her once-benevolent features sharpened into something deadly."You appear troubled, my son," she purre
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 127: OLD FRIEND
FLORAThe mirror beat like a living creature under my fingers. Magic seemed to vibrate through the glass, warping my reflection before it stabilized into something more… recognizable.Hailey was alone in her room, her back to me, shoulders rigid. Her crown had never been suited for her, yet she wore it like a fighter.It was nearly admirable. Nearly.I smiled, lightly touching my fingers to the glass. The connection happened, and the flickering candle flame dancing in her room died. The air was thick with the scent of roses and decay.She felt it.I watched her stiffen, her wolf creeping up from beneath her skin. She slowly turned.And she saw me.Her eyes widened, but she did not move.Good."Hello, Hailey," I whispered, my voice thick with amusement.She didn't blink. Didn't even flinch. She just glared as if daring me to justify my existence.It's been years since I'd taken a good look at her, and she was still the same.Still ferocious. Still regal. Still, the woman who'd brought
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 126: MEMORY LANE
AARONThe past had a way of creeping back in, no matter how much I tried to hide it.I'd had a craving for power. No, that was too weak—I'd been obsessed with it. Power was my aim, my constant thought. And Hailey… Hailey had been my fixation, the crown treasure that I believed I ought to have claimed.I had spent years believing I deserved the throne, deserving of her love. If I had been Alpha King and not Ryan, I would be the one standing beside her, ruling alongside her. I had wanted it at any cost, so much so that I had lost myself in its longing.Time had taken away the illusions from me, forcing me to face reality. Then, meeting my mate and having my beautiful Aurora finally subdued my person, and all my unnecessary cravings disappeared. Hailey wasn't ever going to be my own. And power? Power was a momentary flash, a burden that could destroy the very person that held it. I had seen what it did to others, seen how the burden of it had nearly shattered Hailey.And now I was watch
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 125: EXHAUSTION
TURTELAThe second I entered my chambers, the weight of it all came crashing upon me.I had held on in that room, standing before my family, as I watched the breaking of a man I had known my entire life. Logan—the hard-as-nails warrior, the father figure who had always stridden so fearlessly—became something raw and broken.And David…That smug, condescending grin. The ring of his laughter echoing, taunting us after his devastation.I clung to the doorframe, shaking hand. I was gasping for breath, constricted chest, scorched throat. I had fought so hard to have some kind of strength in that room, not to break down. But now, here in the privacy of my own chambers, I could finally release it all.A sob of shuddering tore from my throat as I dropped to knees.It was too much.The lying and the betrayal and the war roiling outside our walls. Feeling powerless gnawed at me like a sickness. I was always the bright one, the warm one, the one with the smile that could find humor even in dire
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 124: FRACTURED VISION
ISAIAHThe air was thick with heaviness. Magic clung like a heavy fog, the stench of incense and old shadows poisoning every breath I took. My flesh itched as the remnant of David's black magic clung to the packhouse walls, a harbinger of what was to come.All of that was nothing compared to the devastation in Logan's eyes before he shifted and vanished into the shadows.I had seen so much sorrow, could foresee so many losses to come. And yet even my gift—the visions the divine had given me—the visions could not prepare me for the bare, suffocating despair that consumed Logan.Flora had been his everything. His salvation for a lifetime of pain. And to discover that she was never his to begin with? That their bond was an illusion of magic?It shattered something inside him that might never heal.Hailey was where Logan had just left, her jaw set, her fists clenched. Her words echoed in my mind."We have to kill him."And she was right.David had grown beyond what I had foreseen. He had
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 123: SHATTERED
MARISSAThe packhouse was eerily silent, as if the walls themselves grappled with making sense of what had happened. Smoke and the bitter taste of burned magic clung in the air, mingling with the raw emotion that radiated from all assembled. My own heart pounded in every beat as I took in the scene before me.Logan—our Logan—kneeling on the ground, broken.I had never witnessed him so broken. Never. This resilient man had never been so broken. Yet even I had no idea how to process all of these new information. Flora had been so devoted and loving to her mate and child so this revelation is simply too astounding. The man who had been a rock of fortitude, who had battled and fought and led wars and defended his daughter with a ferocity that shook the world—cried.Hailey sat next to him, her presence in itself a soothing balm of reassurance, but even she could not repair this. Some wounds cut too deep. Some truths dismantled everything. Flora was her best friend yet she seemed so lost r
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 122: HEART STOPPER
LOGANThe grounds groaned beneath me, the motor growled, but I hardly heard it. I was not unconscious of the cold, stinging night air whipping by. I was still unable to understand their words. "Flora was his mother." "His father was Azure." In my imagination, these phrases sounded like battle drums. Flora. My friend, my mate, the mother of my daughter and the angelic human I had loved with every fibre of my being is presently being linked to the one who almost destroyed us all? How is this even possible?. I tried to calm my beating heart, which had suddenly become unsteady, perspirations across my forehead as my knuckles repeatedly shook and the words I had heard settled and dawned on me. Years had passed since she died—gone from me, leaving only memories and an empty spot that I had never occupied. And now, suddenly, the truth was revealed. She had another living child. The son of Azure. I grind my teeth. It was an unpleasant betrayal. This information had dealt me a sudden blow, and
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 121: SHADOWS DEEPEN
JACKSONI felt like the wind had been punched out of my lungs.David was Alexia's half-brother?That wasn't some irrelevant piece of information we had overlooked—that changed everything.I turned to Jermaine, my fists tightening. "Are you sure?"Jermaine's expression was serious. He tapped the parchment again. "This record is old, Jackson. There's no mistake. Azure and Alexia's mother had a child before ever meeting Alexia's father. That child was David."I ran a hand through my hair, trying to get my head around it. "So that means." My jaw clenched. "That means he's been lying to Jaden the entire time."Jermaine nodded. "Not just Jaden. All of us."I sucked in a sharp breath. "We have to tell Hailey."Jermaine hesitated. "We have to be careful how we do that. Jaden is already wound up. If we push him too hard, he'll think we're trying to manipulate him."I growled. "I don't care if he gets mad at me. This doesn't involve Jaden anymore. Alexia's involved. And if David is anything lik
CLAIMING HAILEY CHAPTER 120: SHADOW GAMES
DAVIDI could feel the change in the air.Jaden was stepping back.Not sudden—not a drastic move. But I knew him too well. He lingered a little longer. His eyes lingered a little longer, searching for something he wasn't sure that he wanted to see.I had seen it before. Doubt. It was a powerful thing. A weapon.And I was a master at wielding it.I had to act quickly.I came across him near the training grounds, looking up into the branches of the trees as if in deep thought. Perfect."Deep in thought about something serious?" I joked, my tone light and cheerful.Jaden shifted restlessly, then shook his head once more. "A lot on my mind."I rested against the stone wall beside him. "Jackson and Jermaine, then?"His head whirled around. "How did you—I smiled. "Come on, Jaden. We've been friends for years. You think I don't know when something's wrong with you?"His shoulders relaxed a bit. He wanted to believe me.Good."Let me guess," I continued, looking at him. "They think I'm a thr
