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Chapter 23: The Mark of the Alpha
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-17 18:34:17
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THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 24: The Forgotten Pact
I stormed into Lucien’s chamber, my pulse hammering in my ears. He stood by the massive fireplace, his broad back to me, hands clenched at his sides. The glow of the flames cast long shadows on the stone walls, but I barely noticed.“You knew,” I spat, slamming the heavy door behind me. “You knew what the ritual meant, and you still let it happen!”Lucien turned slowly, his golden eyes dark and unreadable. “Cassia—”“No,” I cut him off, stepping forward. My heart was racing, my hands trembling. “You don’t get to say my name like that. Not after everything you’ve done.”He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his thick, dark hair. “You don’t understand.”“Then make me understand.” My voice wavered, but I stood my ground. “Tell me why I feel this pull to you. Why I can’t hate you as much as I should? Why—” My breath caught as something inside me twisted, a force I couldn’t control surging through my veins. I pressed a hand to my chest. “Why does it feel like my soul is being ripped a
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 25: The Final Betrayal
"Love is a dangerous illusion."The rogue's words echoed in my mind as I stood in the clearing, my heart pounding. The night was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, and the full moon cast long shadows across the forest floor. I clenched my fists, staring at the man who had guided me, who had whispered secrets in the dark, who had sworn to help me escape Lucien’s grasp.The rogue—Joren.His emerald eyes glowed under the moonlight, and the smirk he wore sent a chill down my spine."You…" My voice came out as a whisper, thick with betrayal. "It was you all along."Joren tilted his head, watching me like a predator sizing up its prey. "What did you expect, Cassia? That I would be your savior?"I took a step back, my body tense. My instincts screamed at me to run, but something told me it was too late."You helped me," I said, trying to make sense of the twisting knife of betrayal in my chest. "You warned me about Lucien, you gave me information—""I gave you just enough," he inte
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 26: Lucien’s Gamble
The scent of burning herbs and dark magic suffocated the chamber. My stepmother stood in front of me, her smirk deepening as the cursed chains tightened around my wrists. My body trembled with the force of the magic binding me, but my rage burned hotter."You were never meant to win," she whispered, her voice laced with triumph.A roar shattered the tension, and suddenly, the doors burst open. Lucien stormed inside, his golden eyes gleaming with fury. The guards lunged toward him, but he cut them down without hesitation, his claws tearing through flesh. The sight of him—powerful, relentless—sent a jolt through me."Let her go," Lucien commanded, his voice dangerously low.My stepmother chuckled. "You're too late, Alpha. She belongs to me now."I struggled against the chains, my magic surging beneath my skin, but the curse held strong. Lucien's gaze flickered toward me, and for the first time, I saw something other than dominance in his eyes—desperation."Then I challenge you," Lucien
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 27: The Death of a Queen
Lucien’s body slumped forward, collapsing onto the cold, blood-streaked ground. His breathing was shallow, his once-unbreakable strength slipping away with every second. I barely had time to think before I was on my knees beside him, pressing my hands against his chest, feeling the warmth fade beneath my fingertips.“Lucien,” I whispered, shaking him. “Lucien, open your eyes!”He didn’t respond. His face, usually hard and unreadable, was disturbingly still. A streak of crimson ran down his temple, mixing with the dirt. My heart pounded in my ears.Behind me, my stepmother let out a sharp, wheezing laugh. “Foolish girl,” she spat. “Did you really think this would end with your happiness? You were never meant for anything but pain.”I turned to face her, rage and desperation colliding inside me. She was weak, barely holding herself upright after the battle, but she still dared to smirk. The woman who had stolen my mother’s life tormented me since childhood, and now—now she had cost me t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 28: The Price of Power
"Don’t do this, Cassia."The voice was faint, barely more than a whisper, but I knew it was him. Lucien. The man I had fought against, hated, feared. The man I had begun to understand. And now, the man I was losing.I cradled his lifeless body against me, his blood soaking into my hands. His skin had already lost its warmth. His breath had stilled. His pulse had faded.“No,” I gasped, shaking him. “No, you don’t get to do this. You don’t get to leave me.”The battle had ended, but the war inside me raged on. My stepmother was dead, and her reign of cruelty shattered. But the cost—oh, the cost.Lucien had been the one to land the fatal blow, but her final curse had taken him in return. A cruel exchange, one life for another.I could feel the magic in the air, thick, heavy, waiting. It hadn’t disappeared with her death. It lingered, whispering to me, teasing me with possibility.I closed my eyes, inhaling sharply. The power inside me had been growing, breaking free of its chains. And no
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 29: The Shadow’s Awakening
The moment Lucien gasped, my body turned cold. His chest rose in a jagged, unnatural breath, and the room trembled. Power crackled in the air like lightning trapped inside a storm, suffocating and thick. My knees buckled beneath me, and I barely caught myself before falling.I had done it. I had brought him back.But something was wrong.Lucien’s body convulsed as if rejecting the very life I had forced into him. His fingers clawed at the ground, his sharp nails scraping deep into the wooden floor, leaving jagged marks in their wake. His skin, once warm and golden, had turned deathly pale. His muscles twitched beneath his skin, a slow, eerie movement as if something was shifting within him.I crawled toward him, my hands shaking. "Lucien?" My voice was barely a whisper.His head snapped up, and I recoiled. His eyes—once a piercing, stormy blue—now glowed with an eerie silver light, like the reflection of the moon against still water. They weren’t his eyes anymore. They were something
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 30: The War Within
“Cassia… what have you done?”Lucien’s voice was raw, jagged—something unearthly twisting through it. His eyes, once a stormy gray, now glowed with an eerie golden light, flickering like fire trapped beneath the surface. His body trembled, his fingers curling into claws as he struggled against the power coursing through him.I stumbled back, my breath catching in my throat. “Lucien?”He let out a guttural snarl and fell to his knees, his hands clutching at his chest as though something inside him was tearing apart. The shadows around him pulsed, stretching toward me like living things.“I—” His jaw clenched, his breath ragged. “I can’t stop it.”A wave of dark energy rippled from his body, knocking me off balance. I hit the ground hard, the impact sending a sharp pain up my spine. The moment I lifted my head, his eyes locked onto mine, wild and unrecognizable.I had seen Lucien angry before. I had seen him cruel. But this? This was something else entirely.“What’s happening to you?” I
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-17THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 31: The Final Choice
"Choose wisely, princess. One wrong move and he’s gone forever."The rogue’s voice was like a blade slicing through my resolve, cold and unforgiving. His smirk never wavered, his dark eyes glinting with amusement as if he relished watching me break.Lucien lay behind me, his body trembling as the darkness threatened to consume him. His breathing was ragged, his skin burning with fever. The beast inside him was winning, dragging him deeper into madness. I had tried everything—pleading, soothing, even using my power to hold him back—but it wasn’t enough.And now, this rogue—this stranger—was offering a way to save him. But at what cost?"What do you want?" I demanded, keeping my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.His smirk widened. "Ah, now we’re getting somewhere." He stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "I want what was stolen from me. Your stepmother’s curse wasn’t just about you, Cassia. It was about power—power that should have been mine."I clenched my fists. "Y
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18
Bab terbaru
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 130: The Legacy of the Wolf Bride
The fire crackled softly in the hearth, its warm glow casting dancing shadows across the stone walls of the old hall. The room was filled with the scent of roasting meat and the sweet, earthy aroma of herbs hanging from the rafters. A group of children sat in a half-circle, their eager eyes fixed on the elderly storyteller who sat at the center, leaning forward with a smile.“And now,” the storyteller said, his voice low and filled with weight, “you have heard the beginning of the tale. But as with all stories, it must be passed down, for there are lessons to be learned, even in the hardest of truths.”The children’s faces were wide with wonder. They knew of the Wolf Bride—Cassia, the strong, beautiful woman who had once been the captive bride of Alpha Lucien. She was a legend, her name whispered in awe and respect throughout the kingdom. Her strength, her defiance, her love for her family—it had all made her a symbol of something greater than any one person. And Lucien, the god-king
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 129: A Future of Their Own Making
"You should rest," Lucien’s voice was low, carrying a soft edge I hadn’t heard in years. It was both familiar and strange, like the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind, soothing but filled with tension. His large hand rested on my stomach, a constant reminder of the life growing within me.I glanced up at him, eyes flicking over his broad frame and the way his expression softened when he looked at me. It was a stark contrast to the man I had once known. He was no longer the distant, cruel Alpha I had married, nor the tyrant he had once been. He had become something different—a man I was still learning to trust, but who had, against all odds, become my partner."Lucien," I murmured, turning slightly on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. "I’m fine. I’ve been resting all day.""You’re carrying our child," he said with a slight smile, leaning over to kiss my forehead, lingering there for a moment longer than usual. "That’s no small thing."I smiled back at him, my hand restin
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 128: A Kingdom of Mortals
"Lucien, look at this." I held up the scroll, the seal broken and the message inside unclear to me, though I had a sinking feeling in my chest.He crossed the room swiftly, his large frame filling the space between us in seconds. His hand grazed mine, the touch lingering as though it held more weight than the parchment itself. Lucien had changed since the night we tore down the heart of our kingdom, and with it, he had become less of a tyrant and more of an equal."You look troubled," he murmured, his voice low and filled with a new, gentle strength.I swallowed hard, unfurling the scroll. "It's from the capital. They want an audience—"Before I could finish, he took the scroll from my hands, his eyes scanning it. His face hardened as he read, his jaw tightening."Lucien?" I stepped closer, my heart racing. The shift in his demeanor was enough to stir the unease in me."Look at this," he said, handing it back to me with a look that mirrored my own uncertainty.My eyes scanned the word
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 127: Breaking the Cycle
The echoes of destruction reverberated through the hollow chambers, but Lucien remained still, his hand trembling as it hovered above the blackened heart. The ancient pulsating darkness that had plagued our world, binding the lands in fear and suffering, awaited its end. The air was thick with tension, like a rope pulled taut between two worlds—the one we had known, and the one we would build."You know what this means, don't you?" Cassia’s voice cut through the chaos, steady and unwavering, despite the raw power that clung to the atmosphere. She stepped beside me, her fingers brushing against mine as if offering me the strength I needed to do what I had always feared."I do." My voice was barely a whisper, the weight of the moment heavy in my chest.We stood together before the heart—once a symbol of my cursed bloodline, a force that had shaped me, controlled me, and threatened everything I held dear. Now, in this final moment, I had the power to destroy it. To break the chains, to s
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 126: The Heart of Darkness
Lucien's grip tightened on the jagged stone as he stood before the ruins, his chest heaving with the weight of what lay ahead. The last remnants of Varyn's influence clung to the very earth beneath his feet, an ancient power that had corrupted everything it touched, including him. He knew what he had to do. Destroy the heart, and free both himself and Cassia from the curse that had haunted them for so long. But the cost was unimaginable.I turned to him, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him, the torment in his eyes. "Lucien," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Are you sure about this? Once it's done, you might never be able to use magic again."He turned to me, the haunted look in his eyes softening ever so slightly. "I’ve already lost so much, Cassia. But if it means setting you free, if it means ending this nightmare once and for all... I’ll do it. Even if it costs me everything."I shook my head, my chest tight with a mixture of f
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 125: A Love Unbroken
"Lucien, stop!" I grabbed his arm, tugging him back as he advanced into the ruins. The walls around us seemed to pulse, a faint shimmer of energy thrumming beneath our feet. The air felt thick, almost alive with a tension I could barely comprehend.He turned, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with an emotion I couldn’t place. "You want to stop? You want to run now, Cassia?""No." I shook my head, trying to steady my voice. "I don’t want to run, but I can’t let this illusion consume you. You’ve fought too long to let the past drag you back into the darkness. We have to trust each other, now more than ever."His eyes softened for a brief moment before they narrowed again, filled with uncertainty. "I thought I could control it. The void, the power, everything. But now... I don’t know what’s real anymore."I stepped closer, taking his hand in mine. His warmth was a comfort I didn’t want to lose. "This is real," I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest. "Our bond is real. We’ve survived the
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 124: The Final Test
I stood at the edge of the desolate ruins, the wind biting at my skin, carrying with it the whispers of forgotten souls. Lucien, at my side, seemed like a shadow, his presence always just a breath behind mine. His eyes were colder than the night air, but I could feel the tension in him—a battle he was fighting just as much as I was.“Are you sure this is the right place?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.Lucien didn’t answer at first. He just kept walking, his boots crunching over the brittle remains of what used to be stone pathways. The ruins of Varyn’s stronghold were all that remained of a once-mighty empire, now nothing more than a decaying relic of power long lost. And yet, it was here that we hoped to sever our ties to the void. To remove the curse that had shaped both our lives, to erase the fate that seemed to hang over us like a specter.Lucien finally spoke, his voice low. “I never thought we’d be here. Not like this.”I met his gaze, a flash of understanding passing bet
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 123: The Phantom’s Warning
“Lucien,” I whispered, my voice barely above a tremor, the letter shaking between my hands. The wax seal, still warm with the recent press, bore a symbol I could never mistake. It was Varyn’s—his mark, the same mark I had seen burned into the old tomes and whispered in the shadows of the pack’s darkest corners.Lucien’s fingers grazed mine as he reached for the letter. His intense gaze softened, and for the first time in days, I saw something like unease flicker in his stormy eyes.“What does it say?” His voice was low, strained.I unfolded the letter slowly, the weight of it pressing against my chest. The words on the parchment were short and cryptic, and yet they carried the weight of a prophecy I had never hoped to hear again.“A god who walks as a man is still bound to fate.”I felt the cold air in the room grow heavy as if the walls themselves were closing in, drawn tight by the threat in those few words.Lucien’s jaw clenched, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. “Varyn,
THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE Chapter 122: A Throne Unchallenged
I never imagined that standing beside Lucien would feel so... heavy. The weight of his silence, the pressure of his thoughts, it all pressed against me like an invisible storm. But this time, it wasn't just the looming danger of his past decisions or his oppressive presence that worried me. It was his own struggle—Lucien, the once-immortal Alpha, now feeling the pull of his humanity."How do you feel?" I asked, the words slipping out before I could think them through. The question felt small compared to everything we had been through, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to know. His face remained stoic as ever, but there was a subtle tightness around his eyes, something that spoke volumes without a single word.He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. "I feel... weak," he admitted, his voice low and strained. "The power I once had is gone. And without it, I'm just a man. A man who has spent his life commanding others, and now..." He paused, glancing up at the throne that once felt so fitti
