All Chapters of Marked by Gold and Ruin: Chapter 1 - Chapter 3

(ELARA’S POV)The anniversary feast was a masterclass in humiliation—my humiliation. The torchlights illuminating the Ironridge Hall were blinding. Roasted venison, honeyed bread, and several pitchers of wine were arranged on long wooden tables. Everything looked perfectly regal. One could hear the sound of laughter echoing from the walls as mischievous children chased one another between benches, while the warriors exchanged stories.Everyone looked happy.Everyone but me.I stood near the serving tables, trying to balance a heavy tray against my aching arms.Three days.That was how long I had spent preparing tonight’s feast.Three days overseeing the kitchens, tasting sauces, directing servants, and waking up way before dawn to make sure every tradition was observed properly.All that work had left burns on my fingers— burns that still stung whenever I touched metal. But none of it seemed to matter to anyone. A servant took the tray from me, snapping me out of my thoughts witho

(ELARA’S POV)The journey back to his territory felt less like a rescue and more like a slow, waking nightmare.Ronan Trueblood walked at a steady, unhurried pace, his hands supporting my weight whenever my trembling legs threatened to give out. He had introduced himself back in the deep woods, and in turn, I had also given him my name. Ronan Trueblood didn't force me to talk as we walked. He didn't even demand explanations about the horrific, gold-veined scar on my neck. He simply kept his heavy coat wrapped around my freezing shoulders, leading his elite guard through the dense terrain. But as the trees finally began to thin, revealing the borders of the Trueblood Pack, I realized I would miss the quiet safety of the forest.I had spent my entire life around wolves, so naturally, I knew how to read a pack's energy."Stay close to me, Elara," Ronan instructed as he moved slightly ahead of me, his broad shoulders blocking me from the direct line of sight of the guards flanking u