All Chapters of The Alpha’s claimed mate : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

I stepped closer, resting a hand gently on Kael's chest. His heart was pounding under my palm, his muscles taut with restrained fury. "Kael," I said again, softer this time. His eyes flicked to mine, and I saw the storm raging inside him. "We can’t risk it. If what Lira says is true, then you can’t come with me. Not yet." His hands gripped my shoulders, his touch firm but trembling slightly. "Astrid, I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever. If Alice’s wolves try to stop me, they’ll have to fight me for you." "You’re not thinking clearly," I whispered. "This isn’t just about us. It’s about keeping the baby safe. If Alice is our best chance, then we have to follow her rules." Kael’s expression hardened, his jaw clenching as he fought against his instincts. He was torn between protecting me and respecting my wishes, and it was killing him. Maya stepped forward cautiously, her face pale but determined. "Kael, maybe it’s best if you let Astrid go with Lira. Alice’s wolves are... p

-KAEL’S POV--The forest was deathly quiet after Astrid disappeared into the shadows with Lira and Dominique. I stayed rooted in place, staring after them even though they were long gone, my fists clenching and unclenching by my sides. I’d told myself I’d made the right call. Astrid needed to be as far away from Lucian and his hunters as possible. She had a better chance of surviving with her mother and Dominique than with me. But knowing that didn’t make the emptiness clawing at my chest any easier to bear. “Still sulking?” Maya’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and laced with amusement, but when I turned to her, her expression was softer than I expected. She crossed her arms as she leaned casually against a tree, her piercing gaze steady on mine. “I’m not sulking,” I muttered, turning away. “Sure you’re not,” she said, pushing off the tree and walking toward me. “You’re just staring at the spot where she disappeared like a lost puppy.” I shot her a glare. “Don’t y

The silver mist thinned, revealing a scene that made my stomach clench—a small cabin, its wooden walls scarred by age and fire. It was too familiar, too hauntingly vivid. This was my home. Astrid’s hand tightened in mine as she followed my gaze, her brows knitting together in concern. “Kael, where are we?” “My past,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The cabin door creaked open, and I froze. A shadow stepped out—a tall man with my eyes but colder, sharper. His movements were deliberate, and his presence radiated power and cruelty. My father. Astrid gasped softly, sensing the tension radiating from me. “Look at you,” the shadow of my father sneered, his voice laced with contempt. “The wolf who thought he could outrun his bloodline. You’re no better than me.” “I’m nothing like you,” I growled, my voice shaking with fury. The shadow smirked, stepping closer. “You killed me, didn’t you? My own son, striking me down like a rabid dog. Tell her, Kael. Tell her what y

The air shimmered with a strange, ethereal energy as Astrid and I emerged from the veil’s first test. My chest felt lighter, as though the invisible chains of doubt that Darion had tried to wrap around me had loosened—if only slightly. Astrid’s hand was still in mine, her grip firm, as though she were tethering me to reality. Ahead, the clearing was bathed in soft, golden light, an almost eerie calm settling over it. Two figures stood waiting—Lira, her sharp features softened with a mixture of relief and apprehension, and Alice, whose presence exuded raw, commanding power. Astrid hesitated for a fraction of a second, her eyes darting to me before releasing my hand and stepping forward. “Mother,” she said, her voice steady despite the exhaustion that clung to her. Lira’s gaze flickered to me, her expression unreadable, before she focused entirely on her daughter. “You made it through the first veil.” There was pride in her tone, but it was tempered by caution. “That is no small f

The air exploded with chaos as the shadows surged forward, their weapons glinting with an eerie, otherworldly glow. I barely had time to react before the first one was upon us, its blade slicing through the air toward Astrid. I moved instinctively, stepping in front of her and deflecting the blow with my claws. The force of the impact sent a shockwave up my arm, but I held firm, my wolf roaring in fury inside me. “Astrid, stay behind me!” I barked, twisting to block another strike from a second shadow figure. But Astrid wasn’t listening. She stepped to my side, her hands glowing faintly with a silver light I recognized as the remnants of the ritual’s magic. She wasn’t helpless—not anymore. With a sharp flick of her wrist, the light coalesced into a shimmering shield, deflecting another attacker before it could reach me. “Don’t think I’m just going to stand here while you do all the work!” she snapped, her voice steady despite the chaos. I didn’t have time to argue. More shadows