71 That Night

ARIELI woke up without Kazimir on my bed. The sheets were cold on the other side. The pillow still held the faint imprint of his head, but the warmth was gone, replaced by the chill of morning. I reached out, my fingers brushing the fabric, and felt the absence like a physical ache.I shouldn't have missed him. I'd spent ten years sleeping alone, running alone, surviving alone. I didn't need a man’s warmth. I didn't want it.But I did.I wanted his.I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, remembering the way he'd held me at the summit. The way his arms had wrapped around me, the way his breath had been warm on my hair, the way I'd slept through the night without a single nightmare.Then I pushed myself up, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and forced myself to move.Evie was still asleep when I checked on her. She was curled around her stuffed rabbit, the gray stone from Nikolai on her nightstand, her face peaceful in the soft glow of the crescent moon nightlight. I

72 Perform

ARIEL I knew what he was asking. Not just about the summit, about what we'd done. What we'd shared. I could see flashbacks in my head. "I'm not ready," I said. "Besides, what's there to talk about? I already told you, it won't happen again." He nodded slowly. "I'm not asking you to talk about it now. We can talk about it later. And yes, it will happen again."I opened my mouth, but promptly closed it. I had no response to what he said. He smirked, he looked like he was gloating. "I have to check the perimeter," he said. "Do you want to come?"Being alone with Kazimir? I didn't think so. I shook my head. "I have to take a shower." Back at my room, Evie was making a list.It was on a piece of paper that was covered in her messy handwriting, crayon scribbles that were supposed to be words. She'd listed everything she needed for school: backpack, pencils, water bottle, snack, friend.I looked at the last one."Friend?""Uh-huh. I'm going to make a friend. On the first day." She nodd

73 Breathe

KAZIMIR "Of course." She smiled. "What about?" "You need to tone it down." Her smile flickered. "Excuse me?" "All of it. The touching. The laughing. The acting like you're already my Luna." I stepped closer, my voice low. "I'm playing along for the council's sake. But I'm not your mate. And I'm not going to pretend to be." She stared at me. "You don't mean that." "I mean every word." "The council..." "The council doesn't control me. I control the council." I leaned closer. "I'm the Alpha. And I could cancel our arrangement at any time. Remember that." Her face went pale. Then her mask slipped back into place. "Of course, Kazimir. I understand." "Do you?" "Perfectly." She walked away. I watched her go. -——————— I tried to find Ariel. The pack house was sprawling with people who had arrived for the celebration. I didn't know what room Ariel or Evie would be but I doubted she'd be in my own room. I searched everywhere. I finally found her in Evie's room.

74 I don’t care.

KAZIMIR The full moon hung low and heavy over the pack house, bloated and golden, like a wound in the sky.I stood at the edge of the forest, watching the wolves prepare for the hunt. The pack was restless tonight, the full moon always did this. It stirred something primal in us, something hungry and wild. We needed to run. We needed to hunt. The needed to shed the skin of civilization and remember what it meant to be wolf.I could feel it too. The pull of the moon in my blood, the ache in my bones, the way my wolf was pressing against my skin, demanding to be let out. Every full moon was like this, a battle between the man and the beast. Some nights, I won. Tonight, I wasn't so sure.Because Ariel was here.And her scent was everywhere.The hunt was announced with a horn, low, ancient, echoing through the valley. Wolves gathered at the edge of the forest, their eyes gleaming in the torchlight. Some were already shifting, their bodies contorting, their bones cracking, their forms tra

75 Savior

ARIEL The morning light was gray and cold, filtering through the curtains like a judgment.I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything that had happened in the forest. The moss beneath my back. The moon above us. His hands on my skin. His breath in my ear. The way he'd looked at me after like I was the only thing in the world. I pressed my palms against my eyes and groaned.What have you done?I'd spent ten years running from men like him. Ten years building walls, protecting myself, surviving. And in one night, one stupid, moon, drunk night, I'd thrown it all away. Again. I hated him. I hated that I wanted him. I hated that I couldn't stop thinking about the way his body felt against mine. I hated that when it came to Kazimir I was senseless and stupid. And I hated myself for letting it happen again.I heard movement in the hallway. Voices. The pack was stirring, people preparing to leave the pack estate. I needed to get up. Needed to pack. Needed to face the day.

All Chapters of Claimed By The Wolf Kings: Chapter 71 - Chapter 75

71 That Night

72 Perform

73 Breathe

74 I don’t care.

75 Savior