Chapter 61|| ELINDA'S POV ||I sat stiffly on the silk-covered bench within the ceremonial hall, my clammy hands hidden by the silk gloves. My heart thundered like the rhythm of a man sentenced to death awaiting judgment. The runes against the walls glowed softly as an echo of the divine energy called upon by the priest. Alaric stood beside me, calm and composed as ever, but I could feel tension beneath his skin. He was trying to be patient. Trying to be kind.Alberto stood in front of me, arms folded, eyebrows furrowed in frustration and concern.He had yanked me out the moment the priest had questioned me beforehand."Who was your partner?" he asked again, this time more gently but no less urgently.I avoided his gaze. "It doesn't matter anymore. It happened a long time ago. It's over.""Elinda," he said, and I hated the disappointment in his voice. "Done or not? You're hiding something from me. What are you keeping secret?"I clenched my fists together in my hand. "I'm not keeping
Chapter 62|| Elinda's POV ||The door snapped shut behind us.The obvious silence was hanging between us!I was in the center of the room, surrounded by riches that meant nothing to me. Velvet curtains, crystal fixtures, gold trim along the crown trim—all of it melted away to nothingness as my heart thundered inside of me like an animal trapped. My hands were damp, my mouth faking a big smile always.And Alexis was standing there, some feet between us, as if he were the man I once trusted with every part of myself—and now couldn't even understand."You lied," I gasped, the words trembling with rage and something I did not dare to call. "You said you broke the bond. That it was done.""I did," Alexis replied, her voice low and soft, "I tried.""Tried?" I laughed, harsh and empty. "What the fuck do you mean you tried? That's not how this works. You don't try to break a mate bond, Alexis. You do, or you don't."He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding my eyes, and for the first time in days, h
Chapter 63|| Alexis's POV ||I glanced down at my phone, my thumb hovering over the screen as I considered whether to answer or not. It was Alberto—my best friend, but also the one who made it painfully clear that my feelings for Elinda were a problem. I sighed and pressed the green button."Alexis," Alberto's voice cracked through the speaker, sharp and to the point. "Have you found Elinda's previous mate yet?"The words hung in the air, and I knew what he was really asking. Alberto was so desperate to find out who had hurt Elinda, and I knew why. But the guilt twisted in my belly as I prepared to lie to him."No," I said, my voice was calm even though as I seethed inside. "I haven't found out yet. She's hiding it, and she's not making it easy."There it was. The lie. The simple words that made the reality of the situation easier. Alberto had no idea that Elinda's mate was me—that it had always been me. I was not going to admit that, not to him, not to anyone."Well, you know how mu
Chapter 64|| ALEXIS'S POV ||An hour ago.I stood behind the frosted glass, arms crossed, jaw clamped in place as I gazed at them through the window of this top-floor restaurant. Every nerve in my body screamed for control, but the moment Alaric made contact with her hand, I felt something deep within me awaken—possessive, animalistic, deadly.Elinda smiled, that fake,vacant smile of hers, that she would display at royal pageants and scripted press events. But her face—stiff, strained—gave away the show. She didn't like it. And he did know that. That bastard got closer to her, ran his fingers against hers like he belonged. Like he was her mate already that I stood but a couple steps away, ready to let this all go up in flames inside.I reached into my jacket pocket and flipped the button on the comm. "Marcus."His voice sprang to life, crackling on the way. "Yes, Alpha?""Get him out of there. I don't care how—just do it. Now."There was a moment's silence. Too long. I heard him brea
Chapter 65|| ELINDA'S POV ||The ride had become an eternity.I have no idea which part of me figured this wouldn't be a trap. Perhaps desperation. Perhaps guilt. Or perhaps the weak part of me that still believed that monsters—people, even—had a boundary they wouldn't cross. But I should have known better. Liam never did have a boundary. He was born to break them.The GPS beeped as I stopped. The address was hanging in front of my sight.It wasn't some hidden estate or underground bunker that I had expected. No. It was a god-awful roadside bar stuck between dying pine trees and an ancient billboard that said "Heaven's Brew"—as if heaven hadn't already borrowed it.I pulled up, took a breath, and stepped out.The smell arrived first— alcohol, filth, something dark underneath.Some men looked in my direction as I walked inside. Their eyes never blinked. One of them had a bit of blood streaked on his chin. Simply sitting like that was not anything.It wasn't a bar. This was a kill zone.
Chapter 66Alexis's POVI held her—more closely than I ever had. Her body trembled against me, not from the cold but from something much darker, something more heavy. Elinda hadn't spoken a word since we'd left that blood-soaked warehouse. Her hands were still stained, despite my having washed them clean. The first kill always leaves a mark that water can't wash away.I kept one arm around her shoulders as I controlled my men with the other. My voice was steady, cold, calculated—giving orders I'd given a hundred times before, but each word meant something this time. "Burn everything," I told them. "No bodies, no bullets, no fucking whispers. Nobody hears what happened tonight. Nobody at all."Yes, Boss," my second-in-command, Viktor, replied as he was already getting our cleanup crew moving.Elinda flinched at the word "bodies." I drew her closer, pushing her toward the car parked beside. She moved as if she was walking through sludge-or memory. I recognized the feeling well. I had be
Chapter 67|| Alexis's POV ||The atmosphere in that hotel room was so tense that I felt it choking me. My claws stretched out under my skin, the beast inside me snarling for power as I stood face-to-face with Alaric. His presence just fueled the fire burning inside me. I wanted to wipe that look off his face.But then her voice cut through the warmth like a knife."Get out! Both of you!"Elinda.Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, her body trembling with rage—but not the trembling of weakness. No. She was done with us. Done with our fight over her. And she meant it."Elinda—" I approached her, but she pushed away."Out!" she shouted again, waving toward the door. "I said out!"There was no room for argument. I let the bitterness sit on my tongue and walked out in silence. Alaric glared at me as if he wished to murder me.He wasn't punched. Not yet. Not after what had just been done to her.I just stood outside the door like an idiot. I didn't feel like leaving her alone. My wolf did
Chapter 68|| Elinda's POV ||I knew something was suspicious the moment I saw Clara pass Alberto like he was a stranger. She didn't look his way at all, didn't smile—nothing. Her cold, calm eyes zeroed in on the tall man who stood near the entrance. She approached him, her arms hugging him like she belonged there. And maybe she did.Alberto remained there, stiff, shoulders tightened, lips parted slightly as if he was about to say something… anything. But nothing escaped. I placed a gentle hand on his arm, attempting to question him."Who is she?" I whispered.His jaw tightened. "It's complicated."That was all he said. And I could tell he wasn't about to tell me—either because it was too painful or because uttering it aloud would make it so. I didn't push. Not now.The rest of the night was foggy. I remember little of the talk or the string quartet in the corner or the scent of wine drifting through the air. My head was still thinking around Clara and Alberto. When at last I was info
Chapter 71|| Elinda's POV ||The smell of fresh herbs and pine hung on through the open corridor, light footsteps padding down shiny stone. I hadn't intended to overhear, but the maids were whispering in that obvious manner, speaking out loud to be heard."He's going to choose a mate," said one of them, her tone low but with an excitement to it."From the ancestor clans, no less. The elders pushed him. It's only a matter of time now."I froze, halfway down the corridor that gave access to the east garden, fists clenched so hard that my nails cut into the palms of my hands. Something in me snapped silently—not dramatically but an obvious pain to my heart.A mate. Of course, he would. Why wouldn't he? He was Alexis Kozlov—the respected and feared Alpha Don. He had responsibilities that exceeded my understanding. I was just. A mistake. Past. Regret.I turned on my heel to leave but almost ran into someone."Elinda."It was Alberto.His voice had been different of late, not brotherly and
Chapter 70|| ALEXIS'S POV ||My grandfather's words rang in my head like a curse I couldn't ignore."He won't wake up, Alexis. He was hit with spell-coated claws. It's not physical damage—it's dark magic," she said, wiping sweat from her brow as she examined my grandfather's motionless body.I gripped my palms in my fists. My strongest human being alive grandfather lay unconscious, his chest rising and falling shallow, unusual l breaths. I could sense Elinda standing behind me. Her cologne—sweet mix of wet roses and attitude—was oddly calming through the pain growing inside me."I can help," she whispered.I didn't look at her. "No.""Elinda—"I said no. Finally, I turned. "You're Royal. You don't just bleed for commoners. You know the rules. Your blood. it's not for everyone."She stepped forward anyway, her eyes burning into mine like fire on cold metal. "I don't care about the rules.""Elinda—"I said—" I was cut off by her with a ferocity that froze the entire room, "—a life is m
Chapter 69|| ALEXIS'S POV ||As soon as Elinda got out of the car, her eyes narrowed like blades. "Tell me you didn't call those neighbors," she said, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife.I didn't respond.I couldn't. Because honestly, I had no idea that they would be gone so fast.But if I said it out loud, she would never believe me. Her trust was already on a broken—torn and ready to snap at the slightest pull.So I let the silence hang there. Let her fill it with whatever she wishes. Disappointment. Accusation. Hatred.She snorted and whirled away on her heel, mumbling something under her breath that I couldn't quite catch—but I heard the tone. She was done. At least for now. I watched her stalk into the hotel, shoulders braced, back straight. Like she was off to war.I huffed, pinching the bridge of my nose between two fingers, trying to allow the pressure building behind my eyes to bleed off. I turned to enter myself when my phone rang. I looked at the screen—Leo.
Chapter 68|| Elinda's POV ||I knew something was suspicious the moment I saw Clara pass Alberto like he was a stranger. She didn't look his way at all, didn't smile—nothing. Her cold, calm eyes zeroed in on the tall man who stood near the entrance. She approached him, her arms hugging him like she belonged there. And maybe she did.Alberto remained there, stiff, shoulders tightened, lips parted slightly as if he was about to say something… anything. But nothing escaped. I placed a gentle hand on his arm, attempting to question him."Who is she?" I whispered.His jaw tightened. "It's complicated."That was all he said. And I could tell he wasn't about to tell me—either because it was too painful or because uttering it aloud would make it so. I didn't push. Not now.The rest of the night was foggy. I remember little of the talk or the string quartet in the corner or the scent of wine drifting through the air. My head was still thinking around Clara and Alberto. When at last I was info
Chapter 67|| Alexis's POV ||The atmosphere in that hotel room was so tense that I felt it choking me. My claws stretched out under my skin, the beast inside me snarling for power as I stood face-to-face with Alaric. His presence just fueled the fire burning inside me. I wanted to wipe that look off his face.But then her voice cut through the warmth like a knife."Get out! Both of you!"Elinda.Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, her body trembling with rage—but not the trembling of weakness. No. She was done with us. Done with our fight over her. And she meant it."Elinda—" I approached her, but she pushed away."Out!" she shouted again, waving toward the door. "I said out!"There was no room for argument. I let the bitterness sit on my tongue and walked out in silence. Alaric glared at me as if he wished to murder me.He wasn't punched. Not yet. Not after what had just been done to her.I just stood outside the door like an idiot. I didn't feel like leaving her alone. My wolf did
Chapter 66Alexis's POVI held her—more closely than I ever had. Her body trembled against me, not from the cold but from something much darker, something more heavy. Elinda hadn't spoken a word since we'd left that blood-soaked warehouse. Her hands were still stained, despite my having washed them clean. The first kill always leaves a mark that water can't wash away.I kept one arm around her shoulders as I controlled my men with the other. My voice was steady, cold, calculated—giving orders I'd given a hundred times before, but each word meant something this time. "Burn everything," I told them. "No bodies, no bullets, no fucking whispers. Nobody hears what happened tonight. Nobody at all."Yes, Boss," my second-in-command, Viktor, replied as he was already getting our cleanup crew moving.Elinda flinched at the word "bodies." I drew her closer, pushing her toward the car parked beside. She moved as if she was walking through sludge-or memory. I recognized the feeling well. I had be
Chapter 65|| ELINDA'S POV ||The ride had become an eternity.I have no idea which part of me figured this wouldn't be a trap. Perhaps desperation. Perhaps guilt. Or perhaps the weak part of me that still believed that monsters—people, even—had a boundary they wouldn't cross. But I should have known better. Liam never did have a boundary. He was born to break them.The GPS beeped as I stopped. The address was hanging in front of my sight.It wasn't some hidden estate or underground bunker that I had expected. No. It was a god-awful roadside bar stuck between dying pine trees and an ancient billboard that said "Heaven's Brew"—as if heaven hadn't already borrowed it.I pulled up, took a breath, and stepped out.The smell arrived first— alcohol, filth, something dark underneath.Some men looked in my direction as I walked inside. Their eyes never blinked. One of them had a bit of blood streaked on his chin. Simply sitting like that was not anything.It wasn't a bar. This was a kill zone.
Chapter 64|| ALEXIS'S POV ||An hour ago.I stood behind the frosted glass, arms crossed, jaw clamped in place as I gazed at them through the window of this top-floor restaurant. Every nerve in my body screamed for control, but the moment Alaric made contact with her hand, I felt something deep within me awaken—possessive, animalistic, deadly.Elinda smiled, that fake,vacant smile of hers, that she would display at royal pageants and scripted press events. But her face—stiff, strained—gave away the show. She didn't like it. And he did know that. That bastard got closer to her, ran his fingers against hers like he belonged. Like he was her mate already that I stood but a couple steps away, ready to let this all go up in flames inside.I reached into my jacket pocket and flipped the button on the comm. "Marcus."His voice sprang to life, crackling on the way. "Yes, Alpha?""Get him out of there. I don't care how—just do it. Now."There was a moment's silence. Too long. I heard him brea
Chapter 63|| Alexis's POV ||I glanced down at my phone, my thumb hovering over the screen as I considered whether to answer or not. It was Alberto—my best friend, but also the one who made it painfully clear that my feelings for Elinda were a problem. I sighed and pressed the green button."Alexis," Alberto's voice cracked through the speaker, sharp and to the point. "Have you found Elinda's previous mate yet?"The words hung in the air, and I knew what he was really asking. Alberto was so desperate to find out who had hurt Elinda, and I knew why. But the guilt twisted in my belly as I prepared to lie to him."No," I said, my voice was calm even though as I seethed inside. "I haven't found out yet. She's hiding it, and she's not making it easy."There it was. The lie. The simple words that made the reality of the situation easier. Alberto had no idea that Elinda's mate was me—that it had always been me. I was not going to admit that, not to him, not to anyone."Well, you know how mu