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Chapter 166
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-21 23:59:28
Bab terkait
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 167
Ava's povThe morning air was nice as usual stepped onto the balcony of our chamber, the familiar sound of Blackthorn castle stirring as the servants and guards alike started their daily activities. But something felt… off.I exhaled slowly, watching as my breath fogged in front of me. I had a hard time falling asleep after the nightmare last night, I barely managed to close my eyes again and before I knew it, it was dawn. Even now, the memory of Zerathos voice kept replaying in my thoughts like a plague that refused to go.You’re already mine, Ava.A shiver ran down my spine. I shook my head, gripping the stone railing at the thought. It was just a dream, I told myself. He isn't here, he can't be here.But deep down, I wasn’t convinced.Because something had changed.The shadows around me were moving in an unnatural way. At first, I thought it was just a trick for my eye but I kept seeing it.I frowned, turning my gaze to the corner of the balcony where the morning light hadn't touch
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-22THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 168
Ava's povWe gathered in the hidden chamber later that night. The council as well as our friends were with us and even Darius that I hadn't had time to check up on in a while.“This isn’t just a physical battle anymore,” I told them. “Zerathos is trying to worm his way inside my head, and I need to stop him before it’s too late.”Elder Maris folded her arms. “And how do you propose we do that?”I turned to the shelves, scanning the endless scrolls. “There has to be something here. Some kind of warding spell. A way to purge his influence from me completely.”Xander crossed his arms. “We won’t leave this chamber until we find it.”Everyone got to work.Books were pulled from shelves, scrolls unraveled, pages turned at a furious pace.The weight of the moment weighed down on everyone. I could still feel the shadows shifting around me, but I refused to let them consume me. Their effect had lowered ever since we got into the chamber but I could feel the shadows outside the chamber calling
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 169
Ava's povThe castle had never felt so empty.Two days had passed since I walked out of the war room, leaving the others to argue amongst themselves about whose life would be sacrificed. Since then, I have kept to myself, drowning in my own thoughts.No one had come to find me.Not Xander. Not Rowan. Not Kaida. Not Vanessa. Not Damian. Not Lyra. Not Kael. Not even my father or mother.I should have been relieved. I had wanted the space. I had needed the time to think. But now, as I sat on the window seat of Xander’s chamber, staring out at the snow-covered courtyard below, I wasn’t so sure anymore.The year was coming to an end. It was hard to believe that so much time had passed. It felt like time flew too fast and went too slow at the same time. With everything going on, it felt like I had been here for over ten years and not just a war.A lot has changed since I got selected, some for the better and some for the worst.I sighed, running the current problem through my head a thousan
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-24THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 170
Ava's pov“Are you ready?” Xander asked, his voice soft and touch gentle as he grabbed my hand.I couldn't speak so I gave him a nod then with that, we all left the war room and headed to the dungeon.The dungeon smelled like damp stone, blood, and rot.As we walked further into it I shivered due to the eerie feelings it gave me. The torches on the wall flickered, making the shadows move and claw at me.I squeaked as one touched me, making me press myself closer to Xander who wasted no time in wrapping his arms around me and shielding me from the shadows.The walls seemed to be closing in on me , making me feel claustrophobic. The stench of sweat and unwashed bodies clung to the air, thick and suffocating.The rogues had been locked away for weeks but they refused to crack after the first one did a few weeks ago.Not once.Not under interrogation.Not under the threat of death. They remained firm and loyal to Zerathos.That was why we had chosen one of them.And yet, as I approached t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-24THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 171
Ava's povAs soon as the dagger went into the rogue's chest, a bright golden light filled the forge and then a deafening boom echoed through the chamber, it was so loud that it even shook the foundation of the castle.The golden glow became brighter with each second, the air cracked with raw, unfiltered power. The rogue let out a strangled gasp, his body arching against his restraints. His eyes, which had been burning with defiances and mockery a few seconds ago, were now filled with a strong sense of fear.The veins beneath his pale skin darkened, twisting like ink and shadows trying to crawl out of his flesh. His red blood turned black and began to bubble out of the wound in his chest like it was boiling. The eerie sound of sizzling filled the chamber and an unnatural shadow slithered out of his body, withering and screaming as it moved.“No—!” the rogue choked out but it was too late.The forge had claimed him as a sacrifice.The golden energy surged forward towards the rogue, movi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 172
Ava's povI sat on the edge of the war table, tracing patterns into the wood with my fingertips. My mind was racing with plans and ideas but one thought stood out above the rest.We needed a map. Not just any map but the map of zerathos hideout.Turning to Xander, I took a deep breath. “We have spies inside, right?”He nodded, leaning against the table with his arms crossed. “Yes, why?”“We need them to make a map of the hideout and deliver it to us.” I said.“That is crazy, we all know that they can only pass information in fragments. Anything too big or else they will risk getting exposed.”“Then tell them to take the risk.”His eyes darkened slightly, his jaw tightening. “Ava—”“We need a map of that stronghold, Xander. It's important.” I pressed. “Every hallway, every entry and exit, every weak point. If we’re going to take Zerathos down, we have to know what we’re walking into.”Xander exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. “It’ll take time.”“I know. But we have to start now.”H
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-26THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 173
Ava's povThere was a first line of message which read:“We heard zerathos saying some things to the higher members of the shadow council and wrote it down word for word.”Shadow council? What?Then came zerathos words, “You think you know war. You think this is just a battle of swords and blood. But you are blind. We have done more than build an army—we have awakened horrors from the past. Creatures that once roamed the darkest corners of this world now serve our cause. You will not fight soldiers. You will fight nightmares.You may prepare your weapons, your warriors, your magic. It won’t be enough. By the time the final battle arrives, Lycara will already be drowning in blood.Run if you wish. Beg the gods for mercy. It will not save you.”A chill ran through me.I lifted my gaze to the others. “They’re using more than just rebels and rogues. They’ve summoned monsters.”“Creatures,” Lyra corrected. She pointed to the bottom of the letter. “There’s a list.”I flipped to the next pag
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-27THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 174
Ava's povNo one moved.Xander’s muscles were tense, ready to strike, but even he hesitated.Rowan gritted his teeth. “From who?”The Revenant’s lips curled, a grotesque imitation of a smile. “From your future king.”I couldn't even speak due to the shook at what I was witnessing and hearingZerathos.The Revenant raised a clawed hand, black veins pulsing beneath its skin. A scroll appeared in its grasp out of nowhere, the paper looking older than time itself.“You will take this,” it rasped. “Or I will carve it into your bones.”Vanessa snarled, stepping forward. “We could kill you where you stand.”The Revenant turned its head, its gaze locking onto her. “Try.”Shadows wrapped around its form like living creatures, pulsing with darkness and a black flame that made the room impossibly daker.I swallowed hard.This thing—this messenger—was made of darkness. We could fight it, but it would not be an easy battle.Xander reached out, eyes never leaving the Revenant as he took the scroll
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-27
Bab terbaru
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 194
Xander’s POVThe moment I stepped out of our chamber, I knew something had changed in her.I didn’t need to hear her say it. I didn’t need Aria whispering warnings through the bond. I could feel it—the way Ava clung to reality like it was sand slipping through her fingers. She was awake, but she wasn’t free. Whatever realm her dreams had dragged her into… it still had its claws in her.And I couldn’t reach her.Not the way I needed to.My fists clenched as I descended the stone staircase, nodding stiffly to a few warriors I passed. They didn’t say anything, just gave respectful nods and cleared the way.They all knew something was wrong.Ava had slept for over a day. She would stir, I would feel little surges of her power but she didn't wake up until now and she was breaking.I’d seen soldiers fall before. Seen them break under the weight of war, haunted by the things they’d seen and done. But this was different.Ava wasn’t just a warrior. She was a weapon forged by fate, a queen bles
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 193
Ava's povMy eyes flew open with a gasp.Air rushed into my lungs like I had been drowning for hours. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I stared at the ceiling, my heart beating so loudly it was the only thing I could hear. My skin was drenched with sweat, the sheets tangled around me like vines, sticky and heavy and too real.I jolted upright.The room was quiet.My heart hammered wildly in my chest, my throat dry, my hands clammy, the world was spinning. My fingers gripped the sheets beneath me as if they were the only thing anchoring me to this world.The walls were familiar.. The scent of lavender and firewood. A soft breeze from the open window. Sunlight filtering in and shining across the bed.I was in Ashville, in the chamber that had been given to Xander and I.I was still alive.Still whole.Still breathing.Xander’s scent mixed with the warm comfort of our shared chamber wrapped around me. This was… home.Or at least it looked like it.A tremor ran down my spine.How could I
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 192
Ava's povMy breath caught in my throat.The flickering shapes. The shifting shadows. The wrongness etched into the faces of those I had known for years.But what I was seeing—none of it made sense. It was twisted. A funhouse reflection of the world I knew. Was this the truth? A vision? A warning?Or…My heart pounded violently in my chest as my legs gave out from under me. I fell to my knees on the stone floor, staring at the ground as if it might split open and swallow me whole.Then the realization hit me.It wasn’t real.None of it.I looked back up at the people I had just seen—people whose faces had changed, who had grinned and had wrong shadows—and now… they were normal again. Whole. Familiar. The same as always.I gasped. “No… no, no, no…”It wasn’t real.It wasn’t real.I stumbled back, shaking my head as the panic started to claw its way through my throat. “It isn’t real. IT ISN’T REAL!” I screamed, so loud it echoed through the forest.Doors slammed open.Boots rushed towar
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 191
Ava's povNo one said anything to me anymore.They didn’t need to.The whispers were loud even in their silence.The way conversations shifted when I walked past. The way people refused to meet my eyes, as if even eye contact might make them join in my madness—or worse, my supposed crime.I tried apologizing to some of them even though I didn’t know what for. I tried helping in the kitchens. Volunteering for patrol. Sitting through meetings I was no longer welcome in.Nothing worked. No one wanted me around them.I was a ghost in a home I had helped fight for.The days passed like the wind—fast and untouchable. I drifted through them like a ghost.Nobody spoke to me unless they had to. Even then, it was clipped, formal, laced with suspicion and caution. Conversations that used to warm up rooms now stilled when I walked in. Smiles I used to see daily became vacant stares—or worse, side-eyed glares.I didn’t blame them.Elder Maris had been a guide to them, a beacon. She’d walked with w
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 190
Ava's povSilence clung to me like a second skin.Cold and unforgiven.Quiet but loud.It was deafening.I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t even speak. All I could do was stand there, trembling, as dozens of eyes bore into me. Judging. Accusing. Disbelieving.Hating on me.“What did you do?” Elder Thane’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. “Ava… what have you done?”“I—” My voice cracked, barely above a whisper. “I don’t know. I don’t understand what’s happening—”“You’re holding the dagger,” someone growled, voice filled with suspicion and hate.Hate that broke my heart. Hate that I didn't deserve but was getting due to a situation that I didn't understand.I looked down again. My fingers were clenched around the hilt of the dagger, knuckles white, blood trickling down my wrist in thick, slow streams. Maris’s blood.“I didn’t—I wasn’t even—” I took a shaky step back. “I went for a walk. Through the volcanic forest. I just… needed to clear my head.”“That’s not possi
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 189
Ava's povThe night begins with shadows.Always.Not the kind that creep under doorways or stretch across walls. These are inside me—cold, vile things curling behind my ribs and pressing against my spine.I couldn't sleep. Again.I thought I had gotten rid of Zerathos' hold on me so I was very confused by the shadows tormenting me.Or is it all just in my head?I didn't know. It was driving me crazy.Every time I closed my eyes, I would see a shape in the dark. A flicker at the edge of reason. A whisper that wasn't by voice.And tonight, it showed me something that I couldn't escape.It started with smoke— it was thick, black, and curling like serpents across the ground. I was standing on a cracked path of scorched earth, the sky a scary swirl of red and grey. The air hummed like something alive.I didn't know this place but something in me said I did.Death Hollow.It whispered.The forbidden wasteland where no life grows. Where bones sink into the black soil and never rise again. Wh
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 188
Ava's povWar doesn’t end in a day. But neither does peace begin in one.It has been three days since Zerathos vanished.Three days since we watched his monstrous army retreat into the mist, leaving behind scorched earth, broken trees, a pile of bodies, the smell of blood and rot and the faintest echo of something dangerous whispering in the wind.We had returned to the Ashville main pack to regroup, heal, and mourn. The war council met daily. The injured filled the infirmary. My magic was slowly coming back as the days passed. Our warriors were tense, always half-listening, always watching the tree lines.But there’s something worse than fear in the air.Something wrong that had plagued me since the day of the first battle.And I could feel it clawing at me like a cold hand pressed against the back of my neck.I would wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air, heart pounding like I’ve been running. But there was nothing there, no matter how hard I searched. Just Xander’s s
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 187
Zerathos' povThey think they’ve won.How foolish.War doesn't end when someone retreats. Not for those who breathe war.They thought my vanishing act was surrender. That my army fading with me was a sign of loss. But they misunderstood the game entirely.You don’t conquer a kingdom by brute force alone—you break its spirit, fracture its foundation, and wait for the cracks to show and watch everything crumble as they scramble to save what is beyond repair.The moment I faded from the battlefield, I felt the wave of their false relief like a sweet smell in the wind. It made me smirk at their naiveness. A dream. It was the normal way a prey always relaxes when the predator steps away… forgetting that sometimes, the beast only backs off to sharpen its claws.I stood at the top of the cliffs of Death Hollow now, the wind howling in the air, the sky was bleeding, the earth soaked with death, black mist curling at my feet. The death hollow was a little realm I had crafted for myself. Below
THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE Chapter 186
Ava's povWar doesn’t start and end in a day. It takes a while.To build. To break. To bleed.To bury.And when the sky finally cleared of fire and ash, when Zerathos’s monstrous form vanished into the nothingness from which he had come from, taking his cursed army with him, all that remained was silence.A thick, eerie, unnatural silence.Like the earth itself was holding its breath.The blood-soaked ground beneath my feet was still warm, humming with the leftover power of dark spells and light magic. The battle was over…for now but it didn’t feel like a victory. It felt like a pause. A line right in the middle of a war that hadn’t even shown us its worst yet.All around me, bodies lay scattered like fallen birds—our warriors, his Shadow slaves and everything in between. Some would never rise again. Others would carry the scars forever.My heartbeat echoed in my ears, the only sound I could hear over the rush of adrenaline still coursing through my veins.Xander stood a few feet from
