All Chapters of Bound To The Ruthless Alpha: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

We have until dawn. One night. One chance.Julian pulled me into his private chamber and closed the door behind us. The room was dim, lit by a single lantern. He did not speak at first. He just looked at me, eyes heavy with everything we had carried for so long.“Tell me the truth,” I said, stepping closer. “No more hiding behind duty or fear. What are you really scared of?”He ran a hand through his hair and let out a long breath. “I am scared that if I mark you, I will lose control completely. That the power in your blood will push my wolf too far and I will become something I do not recognize. Something that might hurt you.”His voice dropped lower. “But I am more scared of not marking you. Of watching the bond tear us both apart while I stand there doing nothing. I love you, Selina. I love you in a way that makes me stupid and weak and willing to burn everything down just to keep you safe.”I reached up and touched his face. His skin was warm under my fingers. “Then stop choosing

The eastern gate was gone. Splinters and dust, nothing more. Rivals flooded through the gap like water through a broken dam, and I stopped counting them after the first wave hit.I fought beside Julian, knife in hand, lungs already burning from the smoke. Every time I swung my arm, the veil aura flickered between us and pulled at something deep inside me. Not just energy. Something closer to the core.A wolf lunged at my throat. I dropped under it and drove my knife into its ribs. It crashed to the ground and I straightened, gasping.Too slow. That was too slow.Julian appeared at my shoulder, his blade already dripping. He grabbed my arm and dragged me behind a broken cart before I could argue.“You felt that?” I asked.“The aura?” He pressed his back to the wood, chest heaving. “Yes.”“It is getting worse. Every time I use it, it takes more than it gives. Julian, it feels like something is eating me from the inside out.”He looked at me for a second, really looked at me. The worry i

The pack was quiet by the time I slipped out.Not silent. There were always guards somewhere, always someone moving between posts. But the deep part of the night had settled over everything, and people moved differently in it. Slower. Less alert. I had counted on that.The old storage hall sat behind the east wing, half forgotten between two larger buildings. The door hinges were old so I lifted the handle as I pushed to stop them from making a sound. Inside, the air was cool and smelled like dust and dry timber. Thin moonlight came through the gaps in the roof boards and laid pale strips across the floor.Ethan was already there.He stood in the centre of the open floor space, arms loose at his sides, completely relaxed in the way that only people with real confidence ever manage. He had changed out of his battle clothes. Simple shirt, boots and dark trousers. He looked like someone who had planned this carefully and was not in a hurry.“You came,” he said.“You knew I would,” I said

Rhoda found me before breakfast.I was moving through the main corridor toward the east hall when she appeared from a side passage like she had been waiting there, which she probably had. She fell into step beside me smoothly, the way someone does when they want the interaction to look accidental to anyone watching.“You look tired,” she said pleasantly. “Late night?”I kept walking. “I slept fine.”“Did you.” She smiled, and there was nothing warm in it. She was beautiful in a smooth, deliberate way, the kind of woman who understood exactly what she looked like and used it with precision. “I heard you were up and about well past midnight. That is quite something unexpected especially with a fresh wound.”“People hear all sorts of things,” I said.“They do,” she agreed. “Especially when those things are interesting.” She slowed just slightly, enough to draw my attention without stopping. “Training in secret, Selina. That is a bold move for someone in your position. I have to say, I al

Nobody moved for a full second after the warrior finished speaking.Then Julian said, “How long ago did she pass the gate?”“Just over an hour, Alpha.”“And the guard believed she had my permission.”The warrior’s expression answered that before his words did. “She was convincing. She knew details about the eastern patrol rotation that only senior members would have access to.”Julian looked at Hector, who had appeared in the doorway at some point during the last thirty seconds, and something passed between them that did not require words.“Pull the gate guard,” Julian said. “Quietly. I do not want the compound knowing what we know yet.” He turned to the senior warrior. “Who else saw her leave?”“Two others on the wall. Both are juniors. They would not have questioned a senior warrior moving with purpose.”Keep them on post but do not Brief them about anything. Julian moved to the desk and spread the patrol map flat with both hands. “Ethan. On the Eastern route,how many branch points