All Chapters of Claimed by the Ruthless Alpha Prince: Chapter 181 - Chapter 190

DINNER IS EXACTLY as chaotic as Seth predicted.Marina sits at the head of the table like a queen holding court, with Vera, Catherine, and Eloise arranged on either side. Seth and I sit together, his hand finding mine under the table within the first five minutes.“So, Seth,” Marina begins, her tone deceptively casual as she cuts into her chicken. “Tell us about the last few months. You’ve been so busy, we hardly see you anymore.”Seth’s jaw tightens. “I’ve been working.”“Avoiding,” Vera corrects him with a sweet smile. “The word you’re looking for is ‘avoiding.’”Catherine laughs. “Remember when he ducked into that supply closet when he saw us in the palace hallway?”“I didn’t—” Seth starts, then stops. “That was one time.”“Three times,” Eloise says cheerfully. “I kept count.”I squeeze his hand, fighting back a smile. His sisters are ruthless, but there’s so much love underneath the teasing.“We understand why, of course,” Marina says, her eyes softening as they land on me. “You w

The need to shift, to escape the confines of my human skin, pulls at me like a physical ache. The nightmare has left me restless, my wolf sensing my disquiet and wanting to run it off.I slip from my chambers, moving silently through the palace as only someone who guards it can. The servants’ passageway leads me to a small side door—my regular exit when I need solitude after a night watch.Cool air hits my face as I step outside, and I take a deep breath. The forest edge beckons, dark and welcoming, far from the palace where everyone else sleeps soundly, undisturbed by dreams of blood and pursuit. I’ve always found more peace among trees than people.My strides are long and confident as I cross the grounds toward the tree line. The physical strength that makes me an effective royal guard serves me well here, my body responding perfectly to my commands. Only a lingering unease from the nightmare follows me into the shadows of the forest.The familiar scents of pine and earth welcome me

I stare out the window of my assigned chamber, feeling the walls closing in around me more and more with each passing moment. The palace’s gilded constraints press against my lungs like a physical weight. Ironic, how these enclosed spaces represent power in the Wolf Kingdom when true strength comes from the boundless mountains that have sheltered my pack for generations.But here I stand. Trapped in this ornate cage of political necessity.The scent of pine needles and fresh mountain air still clings to my clothes, a reminder of home that both comforts and haunts me. I roll my shoulders, trying to shed the discomfort of being so far from my territory.“Have you actually thought this through?” Artisem’s voice breaks the silence as he enters without knocking, comfortable with the familiarity earned through decades at my side.I don’t turn to face him. “The prophecy was clear. Blood will be shed. This kingdom will fall.”“And what does that have to do with us?” He comes to stand beside m

I jolt awake, my lungs struggling for air. The ceiling above me is unfamiliar—not the ornate moldings of my assigned chambers, but simpler stonework with flickering shadows cast by candlelight.Pain radiates from my shoulder, but it’s different now. Deeper. Wrong. Something cold and foreign spreads through my veins, a sensation I recognize vaguely. I try to sit up, but my limbs are like lead.My heart. There’s something wrong with my heart. Each beat feels labored, as if it’s pushing through mud rather than blood.I close my eyes, focusing inward, calling upon my magic to cleanse whatever invader has taken up residence in my body. The power stirs sluggishly, but when I try to direct it toward my heart, it slips away like water through fingers.The arrow! The memory slams into me. The forest, Daciana sleeping, the attack, and then… the arrow that struck me. Not just any arrow—a poisoned one.I force myself to move, gritting my teeth against the pain. I need to neutralize the poison bef

haven’t seen Kieran since he left my room three nights ago. I thought that would be the end of it.Instead, the nightmares are getting worse.They’ve plagued me for months, ever since I helped Astra escape. But lately, they’ve intensified. New images bleed into the old ones. Recent blood mixing with ancient guilt.I wake up gasping, sheets twisted around my legs, heart racing like I’ve run for miles. Every single night. Sometimes twice.By the time my shift with Astra ends and another guard takes over, I’m practically swaying on my feet. I need sleep. Real sleep. Not the fractured, terror-filled hours I’ve been having.That’s why I find myself heading toward the healers’ compound instead of my room.The compound is massive—a sprawling collection of buildings where the sick and injured are tended to. I stop one of the younger healers hurrying past, her arms full of bandages.“Where’s Selene?”“Treatment wing, I think.”I weave through the corridors, past rooms where healers work and p