All Chapters of CLAIMED BY MY SWEET LYCAN BEAST: Chapter 31 - Chapter 38

MARA Jacob’s been a constant shadow since that night when his intentions became clear. Not the creepy kind of shadow, but the thoughtful, steady one that makes you feel like someone’s got your back. He calls, texts, and checks in regularly as his own way of weaving himself into my life. It’s not like I need anything; the black card my father handed me that morning is more than enough to cover all my expenses. Yet Jacob keeps surprising me, showing up with random gifts that make me smile despite everything I’m going through. When classes run long—especially after those brutal pharmacology lab sessions—he waits outside, either ready to walk me home or drive me to the dorm in his beautiful but modest Toyota Corolla. It’s old enough to feel relatable, but well-kept, with a gleaming navy-blue exterior that suits his grounded personality. I think he calls it “Bluebell,” which is honestly adorable. Sometimes, as I watch him, I wonder if Voltex is a university or some odd hybrid b

MARA Ria hums in my mind, satisfied but restless. It’s been six months since I’ve shifted, and tonight was when I released her. The cool twilight air still sticks to my skin as a testament to my run which left a trail of euphoria and pleasure in me. The run was like a stolen moment where I could just exist as I am, without the pressure of my disguise or the suffocating rules of this human world. But as I approach the dorm window from the woods, the sharp tang of alcohol and the smear of too-bright makeup meet my senses. It is Axel. Of course, it had to be her. She’s perched at the window, fumbling with the latch, her glittered dress shining bright under the moonlight. She's stumbling, her high heels dangling loosely from one hand. The strong smell of vodka clings to her, making me feel nauseated within seconds. Our eyes meet for a brief moment - hers flashing with drunkenness and accusations, mine wide with fear. I try to move past her without a word, but her voice cuts

ROLAN The wind hums low and steady through the little opening from the tinted window as I keep my eyes on the long road gripping the wheel tighter. The drive back to Seattle is quiet except for Mara humming softly beside me occasionally. Beside me, Mara is sitting, her legs tucked up on the seat. She’s gazing out the window with a calm face, though the occasional furrow of her brow betrays the constant sight of her pretty face. I know she's been thinking about something ever since she returned from wherever she was taken to from my surgery. Her mind is clouded with a worry she refuses to share with me. Every time I try to bring up the topic, the deal she had to make to save me, she becomes distant—sensitive, closed off, and unwilling to talk about it. “Mara.” My voice breaks the quiet, and she turns to me. Her sharp and questioning green eyes meet mine. “What?” I pause, considering my words. “You’ve been quiet for the last twenty miles.” “That usually means you’re about

MARA My phone buzzes in my hands, pulling my attention away from the intense tension that hangs between Rolan and me. I glance down at the screen, expecting maybe a text from my masked man, but instead, it’s a memo from my school. I open it, the words blurring together as I skim through the message. My heart sinks with each line. “An indefinite strike?” “A state of emergency in Seattle.” I read the outline out a bit loud, out of my subconsciousness. Something about suspicious creatures wreaking havoc in the city. I scroll further, my fingers trembling as I absorb the details—there were records of deaths and injuries. And the government is scrambling to identify the threat. Pictures of the dead and injured flash across the screen, their faces twisted in pain, bodies scarred by deep, claw-like marks. My stomach churns as I recognize the marks. The jagged, uneven lines stretch across the skin, deep and raw, like something had slashed through it with savage force. The edges a