All Chapters of Bound to the Alpha Who Ruined Me ( MM Romance): Chapter 21 - Chapter 25

********** The darkness in the bush is absolute, a heavy,a suffocating blanket that swallows the moonlight before it can reach the forest floor. Far from the borders of the Blood Moon Pack, the silence is not peaceful; it is the silence of a holding breath. Kael moves through the undergrowth, his boots sinking soundlessly into the damp, rotting mulch of the forest floor. Every muscle in his body is pulled tight, a wire ready to snap. He stops, his chest heaving slightly, and glances over his shoulder. His eyes dart between the tree trunks, scanning for the flicker of movement, the glint of eyes, or the sound of a twig snapping under a pursuer’s weight. Nothing. The shadows remain still, clinging to the trees like leeches. Satisfied he is alone, Kael turns back to the path ahead. Through a break in the dense foliage, a small hut looms. It sits in a clearing of crushed weeds, looking like a scab on the earth. The wood is gray and weathered, sagging in the middle as if the weight o

*********** The training grounds smell of churned dirt and sweat, the air thick with the sounds of grunting exertion and the thud of practice swords. Aiden stands near the edge of the clearing, his arms wrapped around himself, watching the guards spar. He feels useless, a hollow shell where a wolf should be. The seal inside him sits like a heavy stone in his gut, silent and dormant, mocking him with its stillness. A low vibration starts in the soles of his boots. It’s not the rhythmic thumping of sparring men, but a chaotic, rapid drumbeat. Aiden turns his head just as a massive shape explodes from the tree line. It is a wolf, larger than any natural animal, a blur of grey fur and muscle tearing across the grass. It kicks up divots of earth, flinging them into the air as it moves with terrifying speed. Its eyes are locked onto Aiden, burning with a feral, predatory hunger that freezes the blood in his veins. Aiden’s feet root to the spot. He tries to reach for that dormant par

*************** Aiden’s heart hammers against his ribs, a frantic rhythm that drowns out the clinking of silverware and the low hum of aristocratic conversation. He watches Harris lift a spoonful of leafy greens, the vibrant dressing glistening under the chandelier lights. The poison is fast, invisible, a silent reaper waiting to strike. But it’s in the wrong bowl. Aiden’s muscles coil, tension snapping tight like a rubber band about to break. He lunges forward, his hand snapping out with blinding speed. Crack. The sound echoes through the dining hall, sharp and violent. Aiden’s palm connects with the silver spoon, knocking it from Harris’s fingers. Utensils go flying, clattering across the pristine tablecloth and onto the marble floor with a chaotic jingle. The room plunges into dead silence, every eye turning toward the head of the table. Aiden doesn’t hesitate. He points a shaking finger at the bowl, his voice tight. "Cockroach. There was a cockroach in the salad." Harr