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Chapter Twenty-Three
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2025-03-17 04:31:41
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Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Twenty-four
Gabriel walked away.And this time?It felt final.I was stunned, staring into the empty void he’d left behind, my heart racing, a whirlwind of thoughts I could not settle.I wanted him to be able to walk away.Hadn’t I?I told myself that I needed space, that I needed time, that I wasn’t ready to let him in again — but now, standing there, feeling his absence fill my chest like a cold weight —I wasn’t sure anymore.I blew out air sharply and pushed the thoughts aside.I had more important things to worry about.”The Games. The pack. The fact that Lucian was still out there, circling, watching, waiting for a crack.I had no time for Gabriel and his tortured feelings.And yet—A spine-chilling wail pierced the eerie stillness of the night.I froze.It wasn’t just any howl.It was a cry of pain. Of warning.My body moved before my brain had the chance to react: instinct kicked in immediately. I ran toward the sound, toward the source, my wolf wanton under my skin since it had to be the
Last Updated : 2025-03-17Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Twenty-Five
I had just made a decision.A dangerous one.And once I had taken this road?There was no turning back.The weight of it settled over me while I stood there, my gaze flicking between Gabriel and Michael and Kayden — all of them staring at me as if I’d just agreed to throw myself into a den of vipers.And maybe I had.Because getting close to Lucian wasn’t simply a task.It was a test.A test of my patience. Of my loyalty. Of my ability to be in the fire and never be burnt by it.Gabriel sighed, raking a hand through his hair. An unreadable excitement flickered in his golden eyes.Regret?Frustration?Possession?It didn’t matter.I had already made my choice.It was Kayden who broke the silence, shaking his head. "This is insane."Michael crossed his arms. "It’s necessary."Kayden snorted. "Necessary? You expect Angel to be used as a bait for one of the most powerful Alphas in the area. It’s not even needed — it’s a death wish.”I sighed, giving him a look. "No one’s baiting me, Kayde
Last Updated : 2025-03-18Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Twenty-Six
The hush that followed Gabriel’s outburst was deafening. The whole room froze. Warriors and Alphas staring at the broken table, the scattered drinks, the tension that hung so heavy in the air. It was suffocating. Gabriel stood frozen, fists sunk at his sides, golden eyes ablaze with rage, the burn of hot breath inflating and collapsing his heaving chest.Perched in front of him, Lucian remained, that infuriating smile on his face, the iceberg unaffected, as if he had just won a game he’d prayed was not what it was. He raised his drink — the only one still miraculously intact — and took a languorous sip, his arctic-blue eyes twinkling with mischief.“Well,” said Lucian, placing the glass carefully down, “that was dramatic.”Gabriel growled, stepping forward, but before he lunged, Michael stepped in, catching his arm and jerking him back. “That’s enough,” Michael said, his voice low and firm, although he himself looked uncomfortable. “You’ve made your point.”Gabriel’s nostrils flared.
Last Updated : 2025-03-18Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Twenty-Seven
Crackling flames shot through the trees, their haunting light throwing long, flickering shadows on the battlefields. The smell of burning wood and blood was heavy in the air, thick and suffocating, joining shouts of warriors with the snapping jaws of the shifting wolves. The Moon Crescent Pack’s eastern border was under siege and right at the epicenter—Lucian.He stood, tall, a little too relaxed for someone who had only moments before helmed an attack, his icy blue gaze glinting as he beheld the bedlam around him. His warriors did not hit us with brute force, they struck in waves, making our pack defensive.It wasn’t a rash ambush.It was a statement.Gabriel growled next to me, golden eyes trained on Lucian, body coiled like a predator ready to spring. “This bastard planned this.”No shit.I barely had time to process; before I knew it, a rogue wolf had charged us from the side. I spun, ducking the blow and smashing my elbow into his ribs before driving my blade into his shoulder. H
Last Updated : 2025-03-19Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Twenty-Eight
I felt it the moment Lucian’s claws dug deeper into my throat. The shift in the air. The day everything changed.Gabriel wasn’t moving.He wasn’t fighting.He was thinking.And that’s when I knew — he was going to run.The weight of it smashed into me, heavier than Lucian’s grip, heavier than the flames licking behind us, heavier than the betrayal crystallizing behind my ribs like a poison.Gabriel stepped back slowly, one step.Lucian laughed draped over my ear, low and teasing. "There it is," he murmured. “The moment she sees what sort of man you truly are.Gabriel’s golden eyes glimmered, yet he didn’t deny it.Michael went stiff, his face going from fury to disbelief. "Gabriel. Don’t."Gabriel didn’t look at him.He didn’t look at me either.Because he knew.“But if I did, there was no way I’d be able to do it.”Lucian sighed dramatically. “Honestly, I expected some more fight from you. But I guess this just proves what I’ve always known — you’re a coward.”Gabriel flinched.But h
Last Updated : 2025-03-19Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lucian laughed. A slow, cruel sound out low in his throat as though I’d just told him the most hilarious joke he’d ever heard.“Oh, Angel,” he murmured, stepping near so his icy blue gaze could latch onto mine with disturbing ease. “You still believe you have a choice.I did.Even now, even with my wrists shackled in iron and my pack miles away, even with the weight of betrayal embedding into my breast like a dagger, I still had a choice.To fight.To survive.To make Lucian sorry he ever thought I was something he could possess.I lifted my chin; I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of being scared. “You can keep me imprisoned, but you will never break me.”Lucian regarded me for a long moment, something unreadable flashing in his gaze. And then, confusing the hell out of me, he sighed.“See, that’s the thing with warriors like you,” he mused. “It’s hard to think outside of your mind, but you think survival means fight. You believe denial to be strength. But tell me, Angel—” He dropp
Last Updated : 2025-03-20Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Thirty
The weight of Lucian's words hung in the air, loathsome and rancid.“I am going to ruin everything Gabriel loves. I’ll take his land, his pack, his power. And when I do, you will stand beside me or not at all.”I wanted to laugh. To inform him that he was delusional, that I’d rather destroy his kingdom than stand beside him. But the certainty in his voice, the calm assurance with which he spoke, sent a chill down my spine.Because he believed it.He had planned for this.And that meant he was a threat.I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms, and stood my ground. “You really expect me to betray my own pack? My own people?”Lucian shook his head and sighed. “Angel, you’re still thinking a little too small. This isn’t about betrayal. This is about survival.”I scoffed. “Survival? You’re threatening to destroy everything I love, and you want me to be grateful for that?”Lucian’s lips twisted a little. “You’re assuming I’m giving you a choice.”I took a slow, calming breath, s
Last Updated : 2025-03-20Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Thirty-One
Lucian’s words lingered in the air long after he departed, a specter whispering in the recesses of my mind.“Gabriel is getting ready for war already.”"Not to save you. Not to win you back.""To destroy you."I walked up and down the room, my heart beating hard against my ribs, my brain a war zone between denial, anger and something like fear.Gabriel wouldn’t do that.He wouldn’t return just to kill me.Would he?I wanted to think the answer was no. That even after everything—even after he cast me aside, treated me like dirt, like I had never mattered—that he wouldn’t look back and try to erase my existence.But doubt sneaked into my brain, filling my determination with poison.The truth was, I didn’t know Gabriel anymore.Not this version of him.Not the one who had picked power over me.I sucked in my breath, running a hand through my hair and forcing myself to focus. It didn’t matter what Gabriel planned. I didn’t have to see what Lucian wanted me to see.I was still here.And I
Last Updated : 2025-03-21
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Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty-Eight
The hall was a sanctuary of flickering firelight, but it couldn’t warm the chill that had settled in my bones. I lay on a cot near the hearth, the healers’ hands quick and steady as they stitched my leg, bandaged my arm, and pressed a bitter tonic to my lips. Pain throbbed with every heartbeat, but it was distant, drowned out by the storm in my head. The creature was dead, its pendant dark, but the questions it left behind were alive, clawing at me. Who sent it? Why us? And how much worse could this get?Lucian sat beside me, his own wounds patched but ignored, his silver eyes fixed on the pendant in his hand. It looked harmless now, just a carved stone, but the memory of its glow—of the creature it controlled—made my skin crawl. The bond between us hummed, taut with shared unease, tying us tighter than ever. I hated how much I needed it, needed *him*, to keep from spiraling.Killian slumped in a chair nearby, his face bruised but his grin stubborn. “Well, we’re not dead,” he said, hi
Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty-Seven
The hall was a hive of tension, the air thick with the scent of blood and antiseptic as healers darted between the wounded. My arm burned under the makeshift bandage, my side a constant throb, but I barely noticed. My eyes were glued to the pendant on the table, its spiraling symbols seeming to writhe in the firelight, whispering secrets we couldn’t yet decode. Lucian sat beside me, his shoulder pressed against mine, his silence heavier than the chaos around us. The bond pulsed—urgent, restless—like it knew something we didn’t.Killian paced nearby, his staff tapping the floor, his face a mask of frustration. “We’re sitting ducks,” he muttered, glancing at the pendant. “That thing’s a beacon, and we’re just… what? Waiting for the next monster to knock?”Lucian’s jaw tightened, but before he could answer, a scout burst through the doors, his face ashen, blood streaking his cheek. “Alpha!” he gasped, stumbling forward. “It’s here—another one. Bigger.”My heart stopped. The room went sil
Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty-Six
The creature’s roar shook the air, a sound that clawed at my nerves and made my teeth ache. It was massive—bigger than any wolf, its form a grotesque blend of muscle and shadow, with limbs that bent wrong and eyes like burning coals. My heart slammed against my ribs as I gripped my blade, the bond with Lucian screaming in my chest—stay, fight, protect. Running wasn’t an option, not with him facing this thing head-on.Lucian moved first, diving low to slash at its flank, his blade sparking against its hide like it was made of stone. The creature snarled, swiping with a claw that caught his shoulder, tearing through leather and drawing blood. He grunted but didn’t falter, rolling clear as Killian swung his staff, aiming for its head. The hit landed with a crack, but the beast barely flinched, its gaze locking onto me.“Angel, move!” Killian shouted, but I was already dodging as it lunged, its claws gouging the earth where I’d stood. I scrambled back, my side throbbing, blood seeping thr
Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty-Five
The clearing was a graveyard of chaos—torches guttering out, bodies strewn across the blood-soaked ground, the air thick with the metallic tang of death. My side burned where claws had torn through, each breath a sharp reminder of how close I’d come to not making it. Lucian’s arm stayed around me, steadying me as we staggered toward the hall, the pack trailing behind in a ragged, weary line. The bond between us pulsed, raw and insistent, grounding me even as my vision blurred at the edges.Killian limped ahead, barking orders to the trackers—secure the perimeter, check for stragglers. His voice was hoarse but firm, like he was holding himself together through sheer stubbornness. I knew the feeling. The adrenaline was gone, leaving only pain and a nagging sense that this wasn’t over, no matter how dead Veyra was.Inside the hall, the warmth hit like a slap, the fire roaring in the hearth. Pack members who hadn’t fought crowded in, their faces pale, questions tumbling out. Lucian raised
Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty-Four
The cheers of the pack still echoed in my ears as Lucian and I stepped off the platform, the cord still binding our hands, the bond thrumming like a live wire between us. The torchlight danced across his face, casting sharp shadows over his jaw, and for a moment, I let myself feel it—the weight of what we’d just done, the wild, unsteady rush of it. The pack pressed in, their voices a roar of celebration, but something gnawed at the edge of my senses, a prickling unease I couldn’t shake.Lucian felt it too. His grip on my hand tightened, his body shifting subtly, like a predator catching a scent. “Stay close,” he murmured, his voice low enough that only I could hear.I nodded, my free hand brushing the hilt of the blade at my hip. The ceremony was over, the mark sealed, but the night felt unfinished—too charged, too fragile. The crowd parted as we moved toward the main hall, Killian falling in beside us, his grin fading as he caught Lucian’s tension.“Trouble?” he asked, his voice casu
Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty-Three
The decision hung in the air like smoke after a fire—lingering, heavy, impossible to ignore. I’d said it, and Lucian had accepted it, but as I left his study, my stomach churned with a mix of resolve and dread. Together. It sounded solid, final, but it didn’t erase the questions clawing at me. What did this mean for us—for me? I’d spent so long fighting the pull of him, the pack, this life. Now I was stepping into it, eyes open, and it felt like jumping off a cliff without knowing how deep the drop was.The next morning, the compound buzzed with a different energy. Word had spread—whispers turning into murmurs, then full-on conversations. The ceremony was on, set for tomorrow night under the full moon. I caught the glances as I walked through the hall—some wary, some relieved, a few even warm. It was strange, being seen like this, not as the outsider or the fighter, but as something more. Lucian’s mate. The title still sat uneasy on my shoulders, like a coat that didn’t quite fit.I f
Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty-two
Sleep didn’t come easy. I drifted in and out, caught between the ache in my body and the tangle in my head. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ragnar’s scarred face, heard Killian’s warning, felt Lucian’s hands on me—steady, warm, too real. By the time the first light crept through the window, I gave up, rolling out of bed with a groan. My muscles screamed in protest, but I ignored them, splashing cold water on my face from the basin in the corner. The mirror showed a mess—bruises darkening my arm, a scab forming on my lip—but I looked alive. That was something.Downstairs, the hall was already buzzing. Pack members milled around, voices low but urgent, piecing together what had happened in the night. I caught snippets— Bloodfangs, ambush, Ragnar’s death —and felt their eyes on me as I passed. Not hostile, not anymore, but curious, maybe even respectful. I wasn’t just the outsider now. I’d fought with them, bled with them. It shifted something, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty-One
The aftermath was a haze of exhaustion and adrenaline, the kind that leaves your bones heavy but your mind buzzing. The Bloodfangs’ camp was a wreck—tents torn, fires smoldering, bodies scattered across the clearing. The air stank of blood and smoke, sharp and acrid, clinging to my clothes. I wiped my blade on my pant leg, the motion automatic, my hands still shaky from the fight. My lip throbbed where Ragnar had hit me, and every breath stung, but I was alive. We all were.Lucian stood a few feet away, barking orders to the trackers—secure the perimeter, check for survivors, gather anything useful. His voice was steady, but I caught the tension in his shoulders, the way his fists clenched when he thought no one was looking. He’d killed Ragnar, ended the immediate threat, but I could tell it wasn’t over for him. Not yet.Killian slumped against a tree nearby, wrapping a strip of torn fabric around the gash on his arm. He caught my eye and flashed a tired grin. “You look like you could
Fated Vengeance: A Mate's Reckoning Chapter Fifty
The forest was eerily quiet after the Bloodfangs’ retreat, the kind of silence that presses against your ears and makes every rustle feel like a threat. Killian sat propped against the tree, his breathing ragged, his wrists still bound with coarse rope. Lucian loomed over him, a storm of tension radiating from his frame. I stood a few steps back, my blade still in hand, my mind spinning with Killian’s words. *They want you most of all.*“Why me?” I asked, my voice cutting through the stillness. It came out sharper than I meant, but I didn’t care. I needed answers.Killian’s head tilted toward me, his bruised face catching the faint light filtering through the trees. “Because you’re the key,” he said, his voice rough but steady. “The Bloodfangs don’t just want revenge on Lucian. They want control—over this pack, over the region. And you? You’re the leverage.”Lucian’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt. His eyes stayed locked on Killian, dark and unreadable.“Leverage for what?” I
