Escaping the Alpha, Claimed in the End novel Chapter 58

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8:51 Tue, Jun 30

Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Amelia’s POV

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The fireplace crackled, throwing shadows across the rug where Ryder and I sat cross-legged, knees brushing. Outside, a steady hush of snow thickened the woods, muffling the world. The scent of cedar and pine hung in the air, mingling with the herbal smoke of the incense Delilah gave us. We had lit three sticks. One for Lyra. One for Kieran. One for hope.

“Ready?” I asked softly.

Ryder nodded once, eyes shut, jaw tight.

We inhaled together. Held. Exhaled. Again. Again. Delilah’s meditation script played low on the speaker beside us, her voice slow and grounding.

“Sink into the bond. Let your wolf rise. Let him see. Let him search.”

Ryder’s breaths slowed, syncing with mine. I placed my hand over his chest, right where I could feel the rhythmic thump of his heart. Lyra stirred within me-soft-footed, alert. As my vision blurred behind closed eyes, the warmth of Ryder’s hand found mine.

Then came the shift.

Not of body. Of mind.

It was always subtle at first: a lightening behind the ribs, the sensation of being pulled deeper into myself. Through layers-through the “onion,” as I’d once teased him. Surface thoughts slid away, until I hovered beside Lyra in the snowfield of our shared mindscape.

She stood poised, ears flicked forward, nose twitching.

A howl rang out in the distance.

Low. Distant. Familiar.

It wasn’t a sound meant for us-it wasn’t a call. It was a search. A plea.

Lyra answered, tipping her head back. The sound echoed out of me physically, my breath catching in my throat as if some part of it had been real. Across from me, Ryder stiffened.

He was deeper now too.

I reached for him through the bond.

Ryder?

Nothing for a beat. Then-

He’s here.

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45, Jun JU

Chapter 58

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The words weren’t audible so much as known, imprinted on the bond. A flicker of motion in Ryder’s mino gold blur pacing just beyond reach.

Kieran.

I felt him then. Not fully. Not clearly. Like the pressure of a body behind a frosted window. Alive. Restless. A growl in a throat that didn’t quite open.

“Talk to him,” I whispered.

Ryder’s head twitched. Jaw clenched harder.

He’s refusing to answer, Ryder sent, the frustration sharp under his skin. He’s there. I can feel him. But it’s like he’s punishing me. Every time I reach out, he turns away.

“You’re not wrong to keep trying.”

His hands trembled slightly on his knees. “What if I broke it too far?”

“You didn’t,” I said. “He’s listening, even if he won’t speak.”

“He used to tear through my mind like a storm. Now he won’t even growl.”

“And yet,” I said, “he’s closer than he’s been in weeks.”

Ryder’s shoulders sagged. “Then why do I still feel like I’m failing?”

I leaned forward, brushing a kiss to the center of his forehead. “Because you care. That’s not failure. That’s progress.”

He exhaled and opened his eyes, a flicker of hope cutting through the tension.

The next day dawned pale and glassy. Solstice Eve.

We spent the morning wandering the village market, bundled in scarves, laughing at the children pelting snowballs at statues of old pack heroes. A booth served roasted chestnuts and hand pies. Ryder bought both. I burned my tongue and made a show of glaring at him. He licked the filling from my thumb like it was

revenge.

In the afternoon, we made candles in ceramic molds with Delilah and one of her apprentices, Callum, who somehow managed to set his entire sleeve on fire.

“I barely touched the flame!” he protested.

“You punched the flame,” I said.

Ryder snorted so hard cider came out of his nose.

When the sky dimmed, we returned to the villa.

A sleigh waited for us near the edge of the woods, the mare’s mane braided with silver ribbons. I squealed

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8:51 Tue, Jun 30

Chapter 58

when I saw it, and Ryder pretended it hadn’t been his idea, even though he was visibly proud of himself.

We climbed in under a heavy wool blanket. Snow crunched beneath the runners as we slid into the forest. Everything was lit with soft yellow lanterns strung through the trees. A fox darted across the path, and I caught Ryder watching me instead of the view.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said, brushing my gloved fingers. “Just… you’re glowing.”

“Might be the hot chocolate.”

“Might be the fact that I bought a ring today.”

I blinked. “What?”

He pulled it out of his coat pocket-silver, simple, and set with a single tiny amethyst.

“It’s not the wedding,” he said. “Just… something steady. A promise.”

He slid it onto my finger.

It fit perfectly.

My throat locked. I stared at it for a full five seconds before launching myself at him.

We kissed for so long the sleigh driver cleared his throat twice.

Later that night, curled in front of the fire, I sat between Ryder’s legs with his arms around me, my head resting back against his shoulder.

“I’ve never seen you this peaceful,” I said.

“I feel… content,” he murmured.

I twisted enough to meet his eyes. “You look it. But I know you’re still hurting.”

“I’ll get there,” he said. “You’re helping me get there.”

We kissed, slow and familiar, like the hundred times before it. But it changed. Grew deeper. Softer. Our fingers twined. Ryder’s hand cupped my cheek as if I was something fragile and sacred. I shifted, straddling his lap, and let the weight of him beneath me be proof of the moment. The warmth of his skin under mine. The steady rhythm of his breath.

We made love like we were rediscovering each other. Not frantic. Not fiery.

Just us. Skin and sighs. Warmth and weight. The sound of his heartbeat under my ear.

I woke the next morning to pale light and a sky full of falling snow. The world outside the window was quiet and perfect. A white landscape untouched by tracks. But something in me ached.

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8:51 Tue, Jun 30

Chapter 58

Not physically.

Emotionally.

Lyra.

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She stirred restlessly beneath my skin, nose pressed to an unseen glass. Without Kieran, it was like she couldn’t fully experience the world. The snow, the cold, the beauty-none of it felt whole.

I slipped from the bed quietly, letting Ryder sleep. I padded barefoot to the window and placed my palm against the glass. “He’s close,” I whispered. “I know he is.”

Lyra pressed up against the barrier in my mind, ears perked.

That afternoon, we tried again, like we had been every single day these past three months. Without fail.

Ryder and I sat cross-legged before the hearth, the candles flickering low. I laced our fingers together.

We began to breathe.

This time, I slipped faster. Lyra was already waiting in the mindscape, tail twitching.

Another howl rang out-closer now.

Ryder’s breath stuttered.

Across from me, Ryder sucked in a breath.

“Amelia,” he whispered. His voice shook.

“Kieran?” I asked, heart racing.

“It’s-” His hand shot out blindly, grabbing mine in a tight grip. “The wall. It’s… cracking.”

I felt it too.

That solid, cold barrier that had stood between us and Kieran for months shuddered. A line split down the middle. Light leaked through. Not real light. Just… presence. Heat. Power.

Lyra threw herself at the crack with another howl. This time, something howled back.

It was deep and rough and furious and so familiar it knocked the air out of me.

Kieran.

The wall exploded.

A rush of energy slammed into me like a wave. My vision went white behind my eyelids. For a second, I couldn’t tell where I ended and Ryder began. Heat roared through the bond, wild and happy and loud.

“Ryder!” I choked out.

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Chapter 58

Not physically.

Emotionally.

yra.

She stirred restlessly beneath my skin, nose pressed to an unseen glass. Without Kieran, it was like she couldn’t fully experience the world. The snow, the cold, the beauty-none of it felt whole.

I slipped from the bed quietly, letting Ryder sleep. I padded barefoot to the window and placed my palm against the glass. “He’s close,” I whispered. “I know he is.”

Lyra pressed up against the barrier in my mind, ears perked.

That afternoon, we tried again, like we had been every single day these past three months. Without fail.