When the Hidden Luna Rises novel Chapter 11

**Chained by Fate**
**Eliza Rowan**
**Chapter 11**

Ryan’s head jerked upward, the sudden motion a reaction to the weight pressing down on him. Claire had him pinned at the edge of the bed, her presence both suffocating and commanding.

Her fingers, sharp as daggers, dug into his shoulders, and a dangerous spark flickered in her eyes.

“Who do you think you are?” she spat, her voice laced with a chilling laughter that sent shivers down his spine. “Just a bastard son, surviving on the scraps of Alpha William’s generosity, and you dare to refuse me?”

With each word, her tone sharpened, dripping with disdain that felt almost tangible.

“Remember this, Ryan: without Alpha William’s backing, you wouldn’t have even crossed the threshold of the Stormclaw Pack.”

“And I am the cherished daughter of the Darkfang Pack,” she continued, her voice dripping with arrogance. “The mere fact that I even acknowledge your existence should feel like an honor to you.”

Ryan’s face remained eerily calm, an unsettling detachment cloaking his features.

He straightened the collar of his shirt, the action almost mechanical, and spoke in a voice that was both low and unwavering.

“You’re absolutely right. I am unworthy of Miss Sullivan. Therefore, once the inter-pack agreement is concluded, our association will be over.”

“No!”

Claire’s teeth sank into her lip, a wild glint igniting in her eyes.

“Ryan, I, Claire, have never failed to claim a male I desired!”

With a predatory grace, she stepped closer, her smile a dangerous invitation that sent alarm bells ringing in Ryan’s mind.

He instinctively took a half-step back, his mouth opening to respond, but then an unexpected, searing heat surged within him, catching him off guard.

His fingertips tingled with numbness, his breath constricted in his throat.

That all-too-familiar warmth coursed through his veins like a potent drug, intoxicating and overwhelming.

“Claire, you… you drugged me?”

His voice wavered, eyes widening in disbelief as his pupils constricted in a mixture of fear and anger.

She laughed softly, a sound that was both mocking and triumphant, tossing her golden hair over her shoulder with a practiced flick.

“You should have put the pieces together sooner, Ryan. When you caught the scent of those candles, didn’t you suspect something was amiss?”

Leaning in closer, she whispered into his ear, her voice dripping with seduction.

“I’m merely guiding you toward the right decision.”

Ryan felt his legs give way beneath him as he stumbled, collapsing onto the bed. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, and he clung desperately to the last fragments of his sanity, his voice barely a whisper.

“My mate is Kelsey.”

“You need to remember that,” Claire hissed, her eyes narrowing, fierce and unyielding. “The moment I reveal her status publicly, you will become the laughingstock of every pack.”

A cruel sneer twisted her lips as she leaned even closer.

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