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CHAPTER 41
Last Updated:
2025-04-15 17:30:23
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Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 42
EMBER’S POVThe dirt was cool between my fingers, a little damp from last night’s rain. I pressed into it, trying to focus on the way the earth felt, the smell of rosemary and damp leaves. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, just a soft glow creeping through the trees. Usually, mornings like this made me feel calm. Safe.But not today.I tugged at a weed near the basil, too hard, and the stem snapped in my hand.“Careful,” a voice behind me said. Warm. Familiar. *His*. “You’re going to make the poor plant cry.”I didn’t turn around. “You should be at the office, Asher.” I said.“I know, Kitten,” he said.I stood up slowly, brushing my hands off on my apron. I didn’t want to look at him, but I did anyway.He looked the same—tired, like he hadn’t slept, like maybe he’d been up thinking about me the way I’d been thinking about him. His hair was a mess. I hated how much I liked that.“I can’t keep doing this,” I said quietly. “It doesn’t feel right.”Asher tilted his head. “What doesn’t?”“
Last Updated : 2025-04-16Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 43
JULIAN’S POVThe room smelled like sage, iron, and old smoke—Vivianne’s idea of comfort. She always said it cleared the air. I figured it just masked the scent of rot that clung to this place like a second skin.Aiden stood near the window, staring out at the woods. He hadn’t said a word since we came in, but that was typical. He only spoke when he wanted to be heard. Otherwise, silence did the trick. Vivianne was seated across from me, her long fingers tracing the rim of her tea cup. The fire in the hearth cracked behind her, casting flickering shadows across her face. For a moment, she looked soft. Almost human.But I knew better.“So,” she said finally, voice low and even, “we’ve confirmed the soil?”I nodded once. “Magnetite. Straight from the northern ridge of Raven’s Peak. The scouts made sure of it. They’ll be scrambling now, trying to plug the leak.”“Good,” she said, smiling faintly. “Let them chase ghosts while we sharpen our blades.”Aiden turned then, arms crossed. “Still
Last Updated : 2025-04-17Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 44
ASHER’S POVThe sun was out for once—no fog, no stormclouds looming. Just that soft spring warmth that made the trees look greener and the pavement less gray. It was a beautiful day in Hollowbend a small town just outside Raven’s Peak.Ember sat across from me at a little patio table outside The Juniper Café, poking at a sandwich she’d barely touched. Her camera bag rested by her feet, and her hair kept catching the breeze, brushing across her cheek. She looked… tired. The kind of tired that lives under your skin, not the kind you sleep off.“I know I said I was hungry,” she muttered, pushing lettuce aside, “but I think I lied.” She added.“You didn’t lie,” I said, sipping my iced tea. “You just forgot your stomach exists.”That earned the tiniest smile. “That’s fair.”Truth was, she hadn’t said much since the nightmare. I could still feel it clinging to her like a second shadow—Ava’s name always just under the surface, even when she didn’t say it.So today wasn’t about answers or pla
Last Updated : 2025-04-18Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 45
ENID’S POVThe woods were quiet in that way that only happened before something terrible. No birdsong, no rustle. Just stillness. I stood near the fire pit, arms crossed, watching the last embers from the scouting report burn down. The map was already burned into my mind anyway.Lark stepped up behind me. He didn’t announce herself—he never did—but I didn’t flinch. I knew that footfall.“It’s a bad night for secrets,” Lark said, voice barely above a whisper.I nodded, but my eyes stayed on the flames. “It’s a worse night for cowards.”A beat passed.“I didn’t say you were one,” Lark replied gently. “Just… you’re holding something back.”I finally turned to him. “I want this done. I want it done *right*. And I want our people alive. That’s not hesitation. That’s a promise.”Lark watched me carefully. “So it’s just Asher and Ember.”I nodded. “They’re the poison. We cut them out, maybe the rest can heal. No one else gets touched.”“Raven’s Peak won’t see it that way,” Lark said. “They’l
Last Updated : 2025-04-19Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 46
EMBER’S POVThe garden had always been my place to breathe.Even now, long past dusk, I found myself there—barefoot in the dew-damp grass, fingers brushing along the edge of a lavender bush that had started to wilt too early in the season. The moon hung low, veiled behind thin clouds. Everything was still. Too still.Something wasn’t right.I couldn’t name it, not really. But it sat in me stomach like a stone. A restless, twisting feeling that hadn’t gone away in days. I tried to shake it off—pacing between the flowerbeds, plucking dead leaves, distracting myself with quiet rituals. Still, the unease lingered, low and gnawing.My hand settled on my stomach without me thinking about it.*Something’s coming.* I didn’t know what. Only that the air felt heavier. Like it was waiting.I was so deep in thought I didn’t hear him approach.“Didn’t expect to find you out here.”I turned, startled. Asher stood just beyond the stone arch, dressed in dark clothes, no cloak—his usual armor of qui
Last Updated : 2025-04-21Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 47
**Scene: Flashback – Asher’s POV**It had rained that morning.The scent of damp earth still clung to the stones as Asher stood at the edge of the Moon Room, silent, watchful. He was younger then—barely out of his first shift—but Thane had brought him anyway, told him to listen, *not just with your ears, but with your spine*.The old wolves were seated in a loose circle around the firepit, its flame more for ceremony than warmth. A dozen voices, some murmuring, some sharp, had filled the room for the last hour.But now it was quiet.Because Thane Nightshade was speaking.“As wolves,” Thane said, standing with his arms folded behind his back, “we are guardians of a wildness the world forgets. We are strength, yes—but we are not savagery.”Some nodded. Others shifted, uneasy.“Our ancestors forged these borders to keep humans out,” he continued, “but I believe the future will not be built by walls. It will be built by bridges.”A ripple went through the circle.“We cannot rule through f
Last Updated : 2025-04-21Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 48
**Scene: Vivianne and Julian – Evening, the old study**The rain tapped softly against the windows of the old study, the kind of sound that filled the silence without breaking it.Julian sat in the chair by the hearth, his elbows on his knees, eyes flickering with the light of the fire. He looked tired—but not from lack of sleep. From carrying too many thoughts in a head that had always been too sharp for its own good.Vivianne poured tea into a worn clay cup and handed it to him. He took it without a word, grateful for the warmth in his hands.“You’ve been quiet,” she said, settling across from him.Julian gave her a small shrug. “Just thinking.”“About Asher?” she guessed.“About everything.” He leaned back, staring at the flames. “It feels like no matter what I do, I’m either betraying someone or disappointing someone else.”Vivianne watched him for a moment. Then she said, “That’s the price of leadership, love. Not everyone can pay it.”Julian didn’t answer.She set her cup down.
Last Updated : 2025-04-22Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 49
**Scene: Neutral Pov The War Room – Night Before the Blood Moon**The hall was quieter than usual.Not because it was empty—it was far from it. The warriors of Julian’s side had gathered, shoulder to shoulder, boots muddy, cloaks damp from the mist outside. But no one spoke above a murmur. The kind of quiet that meant everyone was listening.Julian stood at the front of the old stone room, one hand resting on the edge of the long table, fingers curled into the wood like it might steady him.To his left stood his mother, **Vivianne**—still and regal, her presence commanding even in silence. And just behind them, a little off-center, **Aiden**, his uncle. Stoic. Watching everything.Julian cleared his throat, trying to ease the dryness that had crept in during the long walk up the mountain. His voice was steady, but softer than most expected when he spoke.“I’m not here to promise we’ll all come back the same,” he began. “I won’t insult you by pretending this isn’t dangerous. Or complic
Last Updated : 2025-04-22
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Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 52: The Waiting.
ASHER’S POV*Flashback*There was blood everywhere—on Julian’s shirt, on my hands, smeared across the cold stone floor. He was still breathing, barely. Short, ragged gasps. His eyes kept fluttering, like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay awake or not.“He’s burning up,” I said, pressing harder against the wound.“I know,” Vivianne snapped. “Move.”I stepped aside, letting her fall to her knees beside him. Her hands were already glowing with that quiet, old magic she never flaunted, just used. Her fingers went straight to his chest, her face a mask of control even as her lip trembled.“It was Aiden,” I said. “The dagger was poisoned. He knew what he was doing.”Vivianne didn’t respond.She just leaned over Julian, whispering under her breath—not spells, just… words. A mother talking to her son like she could keep him here with the sound of her voice alone.“You’re not done yet, Julian,” she murmured. “Don’t you dare be done.”He groaned faintly. Barely there.I looked down at him—thi
Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 51: MOTHER OF WAR.
**NEUTRAL POV** The courtyard ran red. Bodies shifted in and out of fur—wolves in full transformation, claws flashing, teeth tearing, roars and growls blurring with human screams. The scent of iron and ash choked the air. Above them, the blood moon burned like a watching god. Asher moved like a storm through the wreckage of his home. He took down two of them in a single motion—black-furred wolves lunging from opposite ends. His claws ripped across a flank, his jaws crushed a throat. He didn’t recognize the faces until they shifted mid-collapse. Young. Too young. Julian’s wolves. Trained. Fast. Loyal. And now dead. *Damn you, Julian. You made this a war.* A third came at him—larger, silver-eyed, too fast for his claws. Asher was slammed into the side wall, ribs cracking against stone. He growled, shoved off the wall, and leapt, transforming mid-air. Wolf into man again, using the shift for speed. He landed hard, fists swinging. The wolf fell. And then— Julian s
Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 50: THE BLOOD MOON.
**Scene: Neutral Pov**The wind had changed again. Asher stood at the top of the south tower, his hands gripping the stone ledge as dusk slipped into night. The valley stretched beneath him—black pine, steep rock, and the river that once fed the mountain like a vein. But there was something wrong with the air. It felt… emptied. He closed his eyes, tilted his head, and listened. Silence. Too much of it. No boots crunching on gravel. No low voices from the patrols. Even the usual call-and-response of the perimeter guards was missing. A flash of heat licked down his spine. He turned sharply, cloak sweeping behind him, and descended the stairs with controlled urgency. The great hall echoed as he entered—too still, too hollow. The hearth still burned, but no one stood watch. No attendant waiting in the shadows to offer updates. Not even the steward. His steps quickened as he made his way down the east corridor toward the barracks. The doors stood slightly ajar. No guards flanked th
Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 49
**Scene: Neutral Pov The War Room – Night Before the Blood Moon**The hall was quieter than usual.Not because it was empty—it was far from it. The warriors of Julian’s side had gathered, shoulder to shoulder, boots muddy, cloaks damp from the mist outside. But no one spoke above a murmur. The kind of quiet that meant everyone was listening.Julian stood at the front of the old stone room, one hand resting on the edge of the long table, fingers curled into the wood like it might steady him.To his left stood his mother, **Vivianne**—still and regal, her presence commanding even in silence. And just behind them, a little off-center, **Aiden**, his uncle. Stoic. Watching everything.Julian cleared his throat, trying to ease the dryness that had crept in during the long walk up the mountain. His voice was steady, but softer than most expected when he spoke.“I’m not here to promise we’ll all come back the same,” he began. “I won’t insult you by pretending this isn’t dangerous. Or complic
Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 48
**Scene: Vivianne and Julian – Evening, the old study**The rain tapped softly against the windows of the old study, the kind of sound that filled the silence without breaking it.Julian sat in the chair by the hearth, his elbows on his knees, eyes flickering with the light of the fire. He looked tired—but not from lack of sleep. From carrying too many thoughts in a head that had always been too sharp for its own good.Vivianne poured tea into a worn clay cup and handed it to him. He took it without a word, grateful for the warmth in his hands.“You’ve been quiet,” she said, settling across from him.Julian gave her a small shrug. “Just thinking.”“About Asher?” she guessed.“About everything.” He leaned back, staring at the flames. “It feels like no matter what I do, I’m either betraying someone or disappointing someone else.”Vivianne watched him for a moment. Then she said, “That’s the price of leadership, love. Not everyone can pay it.”Julian didn’t answer.She set her cup down.
Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 47
**Scene: Flashback – Asher’s POV**It had rained that morning.The scent of damp earth still clung to the stones as Asher stood at the edge of the Moon Room, silent, watchful. He was younger then—barely out of his first shift—but Thane had brought him anyway, told him to listen, *not just with your ears, but with your spine*.The old wolves were seated in a loose circle around the firepit, its flame more for ceremony than warmth. A dozen voices, some murmuring, some sharp, had filled the room for the last hour.But now it was quiet.Because Thane Nightshade was speaking.“As wolves,” Thane said, standing with his arms folded behind his back, “we are guardians of a wildness the world forgets. We are strength, yes—but we are not savagery.”Some nodded. Others shifted, uneasy.“Our ancestors forged these borders to keep humans out,” he continued, “but I believe the future will not be built by walls. It will be built by bridges.”A ripple went through the circle.“We cannot rule through f
Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 46
EMBER’S POVThe garden had always been my place to breathe.Even now, long past dusk, I found myself there—barefoot in the dew-damp grass, fingers brushing along the edge of a lavender bush that had started to wilt too early in the season. The moon hung low, veiled behind thin clouds. Everything was still. Too still.Something wasn’t right.I couldn’t name it, not really. But it sat in me stomach like a stone. A restless, twisting feeling that hadn’t gone away in days. I tried to shake it off—pacing between the flowerbeds, plucking dead leaves, distracting myself with quiet rituals. Still, the unease lingered, low and gnawing.My hand settled on my stomach without me thinking about it.*Something’s coming.* I didn’t know what. Only that the air felt heavier. Like it was waiting.I was so deep in thought I didn’t hear him approach.“Didn’t expect to find you out here.”I turned, startled. Asher stood just beyond the stone arch, dressed in dark clothes, no cloak—his usual armor of qui
Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 45
ENID’S POVThe woods were quiet in that way that only happened before something terrible. No birdsong, no rustle. Just stillness. I stood near the fire pit, arms crossed, watching the last embers from the scouting report burn down. The map was already burned into my mind anyway.Lark stepped up behind me. He didn’t announce herself—he never did—but I didn’t flinch. I knew that footfall.“It’s a bad night for secrets,” Lark said, voice barely above a whisper.I nodded, but my eyes stayed on the flames. “It’s a worse night for cowards.”A beat passed.“I didn’t say you were one,” Lark replied gently. “Just… you’re holding something back.”I finally turned to him. “I want this done. I want it done *right*. And I want our people alive. That’s not hesitation. That’s a promise.”Lark watched me carefully. “So it’s just Asher and Ember.”I nodded. “They’re the poison. We cut them out, maybe the rest can heal. No one else gets touched.”“Raven’s Peak won’t see it that way,” Lark said. “They’l
Alpha’s Claimed Mate CHAPTER 44
ASHER’S POVThe sun was out for once—no fog, no stormclouds looming. Just that soft spring warmth that made the trees look greener and the pavement less gray. It was a beautiful day in Hollowbend a small town just outside Raven’s Peak.Ember sat across from me at a little patio table outside The Juniper Café, poking at a sandwich she’d barely touched. Her camera bag rested by her feet, and her hair kept catching the breeze, brushing across her cheek. She looked… tired. The kind of tired that lives under your skin, not the kind you sleep off.“I know I said I was hungry,” she muttered, pushing lettuce aside, “but I think I lied.” She added.“You didn’t lie,” I said, sipping my iced tea. “You just forgot your stomach exists.”That earned the tiniest smile. “That’s fair.”Truth was, she hadn’t said much since the nightmare. I could still feel it clinging to her like a second shadow—Ava’s name always just under the surface, even when she didn’t say it.So today wasn’t about answers or pla
