Beranda / Werewolf / THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE / Chapter 26: Lucien’s Gamble

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Chapter 26: Lucien’s Gamble

Penulis: Steve Mathew
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-17 18:35:03

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
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  • THE 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 : 2025-02-17
  • THE 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 : 2025-02-17
  • THE 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 : 2025-02-17
  • THE 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 : 2025-02-17
  • THE 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
  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 32: The Battle of the Forsaken

    The night air was thick with the scent of blood and burning wood. The battle had begun.“Lucien!” I shouted, my voice barely carrying over the howls of wolves clashing in the moonlight.Lucien stood in the center of the battlefield, his chest rising and falling in ragged breaths, his body covered in wounds. His eyes—once sharp, commanding—now flickered with something else. Fear. He was fighting something inside himself, something clawing its way to the surface.I sprinted toward him, my heart pounding. The rogue stood beside him, a wicked grin on his face. He looked so at ease as if the chaos around us were nothing but a show put on for his amusement.“You’re running out of time, princess,” the rogue taunted. “I’d choose wisely if I were you.”Lucien let out a strangled growl, staggering forward, his body trembling. His veins were dark, pulsing with whatever poison the rogue had unleashed into him. His skin burned where the darkness spread, his power fighting against it, but he was lo

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18
  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 33: The Heart’s Last Stand

    Lucien lay motionless, his breath shallow, his skin cold beneath my trembling fingers. My heart pounded against my ribs as I pressed my hand to his chest, willing the bond between us to spark, to pulse with life."Lucien," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Don't you dare leave me like this?"The battlefield around us was eerily silent, save for the distant howls of retreating rogues and the crackling embers of the once-thriving village now reduced to rubble. The war had torn through everything—our pack, our home, and now, it threatened to take him from me, too."He's gone, Cassia," a voice sneered behind me.I stiffened, my fingers curling into Lucien’s tunic. That voice. I knew it too well. Slowly, I turned to see my stepmother standing over me, her dark eyes alight with cruel satisfaction. Blood smeared her hands, but none of it was her own."You did this," I spat, my body trembling with rage. "You cursed him."She smiled, tilting her head. "Oh, sweetheart, I didn’t just curse him,"

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18
  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 34: The Alpha’s Return

    "Lucien—please, wake up."My voice trembled as I pressed my hands against his chest, willing him to move, to breathe, to come back to me. His body was still—too still—and for the first time since I met him, he looked fragile. The mighty Alpha, broken and silent before me.I had fought for this moment. I had fought for him.The battle had left scars, not just on my skin but deep within my soul. The rogue Alpha was dead, his reign of terror shattered, but the cost had been unimaginable. Lucien had collapsed after the final blow, his body drained, his soul slipping into darkness.I refused to accept it."Lucien," I whispered again, leaning in closer, and gripping his lifeless hand. His warmth was fading. My heart clenched. No. No, I wouldn’t lose him."You are not leaving me, do you hear me?" My voice cracked, but I didn't care. "You are too damn stubborn to die, Lucien. You made my life hell—don’t you dare abandon me now."A flicker. A twitch in his fingers.I sucked in a sharp breath.

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-18

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  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 100: The Keeper’s Bargain

    My breath comes out in shaky gasps, my heart racing in my chest. The Keeper looms before us, towering, its presence suffocating in the air. His form is an enigma—shrouded in shadows, like a living void. His eyes, black as the abyss, penetrate me.Lucien stands beside me, his presence is as solid as ever, yet his usual steely composure is replaced with something I haven’t seen before: fear. His jaw tightens, fists clenching at his sides. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t move, as if the air around him is too thick to break.I feel the weight of his hand on my shoulder, a small comfort, but my mind is consumed by the Keeper. This ancient being before us holds the power to alter everything. To change our fate.The Keeper’s voice echoes through the space, as cold as the grave, “I’ve waited for this moment, little wolf. To test the limits of your strength. You think you can save him?”I open my mouth, but the words catch in my throat. My gaze shifts to Lucien, his face a mask of determination, but

  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 99: The Prison of Lost Souls

    “Do you hear that?” My voice was barely a whisper, and I strained my senses to catch the faint sound that echoed from the depths of the shadowed realm. We had entered this place not by choice but out of desperation. A world between worlds, a limbo where the lost and forsaken souls were bound, trapped in endless torment. This was the prison where Lucien was trapped, where the essence of those who had fallen from grace lingered, unable to move on.“What is it?” Arawyn, my closest ally, and protector, asked, her voice tight with apprehension. I could feel her unease radiating from her, her normally composed demeanor shaken by the weight of this place. She was a seasoned warrior, but even she had her limits.“I don’t know,” I said, my eyes scanning the landscape ahead. The sky above us flickered with unnatural colors, the swirling hues of violet and crimson casting an eerie glow over the endless expanse. The ground beneath our feet was cracked and jagged as if it had been torn apart by so

  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 98: A World Between Worlds

    I stepped forward, feeling the pull of something beyond the veil of reality. The air around me shimmered as if it were made of liquid light. My heart pounded, the rhythm syncing with the pulsing glow that surrounded us. This place, this strange world we had entered, was unlike anything I had ever encountered. It wasn’t just the colors—shifting in shades I couldn’t name—but the very sensation of being here. It felt unreal and yet, at the same time, undeniable. There was weight to it, a heaviness in the atmosphere that weighed down on my soul.I could feel the presence of my companions behind me, their breathing shallow, and uncertain. We had crossed into a realm between realms, a world suspended between life and death, where the laws of nature and time seemed to bend and twist. The ground beneath us was soft, like the deepest sand, yet it didn’t give way beneath our feet. It was as though we were walking on air, hovering just above a surface that shifted with each step.“Is this…real?”

  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 97: The Guardian of the Gate

    "Do you believe in fate, Cassia?" His voice echoed in the stillness, sharp and disembodied, yet so real I could feel his breath on my neck. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a sudden cold sweat trickle down my spine."No," I replied, my voice firm despite the tightening in my chest. "Fate is a lie told to keep us in place."The mist swirling around us seemed to thicken, the shadows elongating into strange, shifting shapes. The portal in front of us flickered, its edges glowing faintly, like the last remnants of a dying star. But just as I thought we might be able to cross into the realm beyond, something changed.A figure stepped forward, so suddenly that I couldn’t even react in time. It was cloaked in shadow, its features hidden beneath the hood. Yet, I knew who it was before it even spoke."You are not welcome," the figure growled its voice a low, gravelly whisper that resonated through my bones.I froze, my blood turning to ice. The Guardian of the Gate had appeared.Lucien had

  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 96: The Realm Beyond

    The air was thick with an unnatural chill as we ventured deeper into the forbidden lands. The trees towered over us, their twisted branches like skeletal fingers reaching toward the sky, blocking out what little light remained from the setting sun. The ground beneath our feet was soft, as though the earth itself had grown tired of bearing the weight of time. Every step felt like a warning, a reminder that we were walking on the ground not meant for mortals.I had never been this far from the pack’s territory. The stories of the forbidden lands were whispered in fear, told in hushed voices by the elders to keep us from venturing too far. They spoke of ancient magic, of rifts between worlds, and of dangers beyond our comprehension. But I had no choice. Lucien, my Alpha, my husband—or the man who was once my husband—was lost to me, pulled into a realm beyond the mortal world. And I would stop at nothing to bring him back.The others were close behind me, their eyes scanning the surroundi

  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 95: The Beginning of a New Quest

    The air around me buzzed with an energy I couldn’t quite explain. My body hummed, both with the power that I had finally learned to control and the anticipation of what was to come. Every fiber of my being was ready for the next step, but there was a gnawing ache in my chest—a fear that no amount of magic could erase."Are you sure about this?" Caden’s voice was soft, yet firm, as if he too was carrying the weight of this decision. I turned toward him, meeting his brown eyes with a steady gaze.“Lucien is out there. Somewhere. I can’t just walk away from him,” I replied, my voice filled with an emotion I hadn’t let myself feel in so long—hope.Caden gave a small nod, his lips pulling into a tight line. I could tell that he understood the depth of my words, that he knew just how much I had suffered, yet still—somehow—how much I loved the man who had once tormented me. “I’ll go with you,” he said, his tone resolute. "You don’t have to do this alone."“I know. I’ve never been alone. You’

  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 94: The Echo of a Hero

    I hadn’t expected this.A hooded figure stood before the palace gates, the fabric of his cloak flowing like shadows in the dim light of dusk. I had been pacing within the palace, the weight of my responsibilities heavy on my shoulders. I had almost convinced myself that Lucien was lost forever—that his absence, his death, had been the final, inevitable end to our tangled story. But then the guards came rushing in, breathless, their eyes wide with shock."The man at the gates," one of them said, his voice trembling. "He claims he has a message. For you, Your Majesty."A message. My heart skipped a beat, but I buried the tremor beneath the surface. "Let him in," I ordered, my voice steady, though my thoughts were anything but. I had not known peace since Lucien’s disappearance. His memory haunted every waking moment of my life. Could this man bring me answers? Or was it just another cruel twist of fate?The hooded figure was escorted into the throne room. I studied him with careful eyes

  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 93: A Kingdom Mourns

    I stood at the balcony of the palace, gazing out over the land that Lucien had fought to protect. The sky was a dull gray as if the heavens themselves wept for all we had lost. My fingers traced the edge of the stone railing, cold and firm, much like the reality I had come to accept. He was gone.The war had ended, and the battle was won, but at what cost? I had gained everything, yet the price was unbearable. Lucien, the man I had come to love despite all the darkness that had surrounded him, was lost to me forever.I could still feel his presence in the corners of my mind, in the spaces between my breaths. He had been my tormentor, my savior, and in the end, he had been my love. The contradictions were maddening. But it was those contradictions that had made him who he was. A man who had loved with all the ferocity of his broken past and, in doing so, had given me the strength to rise above my own chains.I didn’t know how to rule without him. We had been a team, his fierce leadersh

  • THE WOLF BRIDE’S ESCAPE    Chapter 92: Love and Loss

    "Lucien," I whispered, barely able to make the words escape my lips, my heart heavy with the weight of everything I knew was about to happen.He stood before me, the air around us crackling with energy. His golden eyes locked with mine, and in that moment, everything I had ever feared and wanted collided. There was a fire in his gaze, a fire that burned for me, for us, for the world we were trying to save—yet it was tinged with sorrow, an almost unbearable sadness."Cassia," he replied, his voice low, almost a growl. "This is the only way. You know that, don't you?"I nodded, my throat tight with the grief I could no longer suppress. My body was trembling—not from fear, but from the deep sorrow of knowing that everything we had fought for, every moment we had shared, was leading up to this. Lucien was about to make the ultimate sacrifice, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."I love you," he whispered fiercely as if trying to etch those words into the very fabric of my soul. "

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