Semua Bab The Cursed Lycan’s Substitute Bride: Bab 11 - Bab 18

As we drove toward the pack house, the silence between me and Freya hung heavy, like a dark cloud that wouldn’t dissipate. The world outside passed by in a blur of dull colors, the winter trees stripped bare of their leaves, the occasional house tucked away behind tall gates. It felt like the world was shutting down, just like Freya had.I tried to console myself, but my mind raced in circles. The image of my sister, broken and bruised, kept playing over and over again in my mind. What had she been through? Why hadn’t she come to us sooner? I wanted to ask her so many things, but every time I opened my mouth, the words felt hollow.Freya sat beside me, her eyes focused on the floorboard, her shoulders trembling ever so slightly. I couldn’t stand the distance between us. It felt like we were both drowning, and the silence was only pulling us deeper. I reached over and placed a hand on hers, feeling the coldness of her skin, the tremor in her fingers.“Freya, you’re not alone,” I whispe

I sat in my office, papers scattered around me in a chaotic mess. The weight of the day pressed heavily on my eyelids, making them feel like bricks. I rubbed my face, attempting to shake off the fog of exhaustion that stubbornly lingered. Damien hadn’t come by yet, and I was growing impatient. It was past noon; he was my right hand, my rock, the one who kept everything in check. His absence was an itch I couldn’t ignore. Where the hell was he?My chair creaked as I shifted, the silence of the room only amplifying my frustration. I glanced at the clock on the wall yet again. Still no word. My fingers drummed absently on the desk, but it only fueled the irritation building in my chest. Was he upset with me? I couldn't dwell on it. A storm was brewing inside me as the minutes dragged on.Then, the door swung open, snapping me from my thoughts. Asher strode in, a leather package tucked under his arm. He flashed that grin of his—the one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. I didn’t return it.

Maya povI felt the fury building in my chest, my heart pounding against my ribcage. I fixed my gaze on Demian, fists clenched at my sides. What part of this didn’t he understand? I had made myself clear—I wasn’t going to stand idly by while he made this decision. No means no.The murmurs from the council buzzed around us like an irritating swarm of bees. They were watching, waiting, anticipating, and I despised it. I hated how they appeared eager for Demian to take control, and I loathed even more that he stood there, glaring at me as if I had violated some unspoken rule by challenging him.But I refused to back down. Not this time. Not when something so important was at stake.I struggled to breathe, the tension in the air thick and suffocating. I locked eyes with Demian, and I could sense the storm brewing inside him. He wrestled with his control, but I recognized that look—he was angry, no, furious. He didn’t like being challenged, especially not by me.The longer we remained like

Demian’s POVThe growl surged again—this time louder, more insistent, like a deep, threatening warning. The tension electrified the air around us, sharpening my senses. Something wasn’t right.“Asher,” I snapped, my voice leaving no room for debate. “We didn’t send any invitations, so who the hell is that?”Asher, who had been observing the chaos with Freya, stood tall at my command. "No idea," he replied, amusement flickering in his eyes. "But we’ll find out soon enough."Freya’s presence beside me heightened my irritation. Despite my efforts to shield her from this world—the world I had created, the one I’d dragged her into—she was determined to be part of it. To understand it.I turned to her, my tone steady but firm. "Freya, you need to stay here," I instructed, my hand on her shoulder. "It’s not safe."She met my gaze, fire igniting in her eyes. "I’m not staying put, Demian. I refuse to be a fragile thing you can hide away when things get rough."I opened my mouth to counter her,