Chapter 012\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stirred when soft footsteps entered the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A young woman \u2013 barely twenty carried a tray with steaming broth and bread.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I raised my head to see, she looked as young as me. Maybe a little younger than I am.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her scent was faintly sweet, gentle. Not threatening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re awake,\u201d the maid said quickly, eyes downcast. \u201cAlpha Theo said you should eat something light. The healer, Seira made it\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d I murmured, sitting up slowly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The motion still hurt, but I refused to let it show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shouldn\u2019t let something so small pull me down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The maid hesitated, fingers gripping the tray. \u201cI\u2019m Maliya. I\u2019ll be your attendant\u2026 for now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught and I paused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What does she mean by that?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t plan to stay here permanently anyway. But still,I was caught off guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She gave a faint smile that didn\u2019t reach her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaliya,\u201d she repeated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does everyone here look at me like I\u2019ve committed murders without knowing?\u201d I asked,tired.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya flinched. \u201cMy lady, I\u2013I shouldn\u2019t say-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t call me lady,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cJust tell me the truth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl swallowed, torn between fear and honesty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say you came out of the wilds half\u2013dead, covered in rogue blood. That the rogues followed you here. That you\u2019re cursed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCursed,\u201d I echoed softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya nodded. \u201cAnd that the Alpha nearly died because of you. Some say you brought death into the Pack lands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My lips tightened. \u201cDid you believe that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya\u2019s gaze darted up, trembling. \u201cNo. You don\u2019t smell like death. Alpha said you saved his life. We should be grateful to you instead\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The answer was innocent, but it struck something deep in my heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For years, I\u2019d been told that I didn\u2019t deserve to be Luna\u2013that I reeked of sin, of a wolf I didn\u2019t have.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A cursed orphan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Raised by an elderly grandmother. Alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Somehow. I rose to the top. To everyone\u2019s surprise and others dismay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced a brittle smile. \u201cYou\u2019re brave, Maliya. Keep that. You\u2019ll need it here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl blinked, confused. \u201cWhy?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause kindness,\u201d I said, looking toward the dark corridor outside, \u201cis the first thing people try to kill when power gets involved.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayliya nodded. Then,she asked. \u201cThey weren\u2019t able to kill yours, did they?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised a brow. Confused. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Successfully unlocked!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 012\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya pointed out. \u201cI can feel your kindness. It is still there. That\u2019s why you saved the Alpha without thinking of your safety first\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t say anything. Not sure what to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saving others has always got me in trouble but somehow I can\u2019t stop myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Especially when I looked into Alpha Theo\u2019s gray eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He needed saving. I\u2019m glad I could do something to help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Silvermoon Pack took everything from me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe the only thing they didn\u2019t take away was my humanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI will get the doctor for you.\u201d Maliya said, breaking my daze.\u201d Please eat something\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leaving me to my raging thoughts and the hot broth she brought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe I really do need to eat something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something hot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
~~Theo\u2019s POV~~\u00a0<\/p>\n
The big chamber hall of Shadowclaw Pack was colder than usual.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood at the head of the long obsidian table, flanked by my Beta, Gamma, Delta, Marcus, and three Council Elders People old enough to remember my father\u2019s reign and bitter enough to compare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elder Corwin\u2019s voice was the first to cut through the silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA stray wolf. Brought into the fortress by the Alpha himself.\u201d His tone was sharp, disbelieving. \u201cWhat were you thinking, Ashford?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I folded my arms. \u201cI was thinking about saving a life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elder Daisy leaned forward, eyes like flint. \u201cWe have rules for a reason. Strays bring danger. Disease. Deception. You know that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe isn\u2019t a stray,\u201d I said evenly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what is she?\u201d Corwin demanded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2015\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause every healer in this pack claims she carries no scent \u2013 no wolf. For all we know, she could be a spy from the enemy Packs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This made my jaw tighten. In pure annoyance\u00a0<\/p>\n
I remembered the assassin\u2019s blade, the venom, the fear in Kaia\u2019s eyes when she was almost slain to death.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d said nothing, but her silence spoke of something buried deep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019s a victim. Just like us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elder Marcus finally broke the silence, voice cautious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha\u2026 the Elders aren\u2019t wrong. Bringing her here without trial or scan\u2013it sets a precedent. The men are restless. They fear you\u2019ve been bewitched.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My gaze snapped toward him. \u201cDo I look bewitched to you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marcus didn\u2019t flinch. \u201cYou look like a man who forgot the cost of mercy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped closer to the table, every inch of me radiating authority. Something I didn\u2019t intend to show off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But. Their words were stirring up something I didn\u2019t like.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe saved my life. That\u2019s not mercy. That\u2019s loyalty \u2013 something this council seems to have forgotten.\u201d I replied, eyes blazing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elder Daisy\u2019s lips pressed thin. \u201cAnd when that loyalty turns to betrayal?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
444\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 012\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll deal with it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter she\u2019s already inside your walls?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My patience cracked. \u201cEnough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air in the hall shifted \u2013 heavy with my Alpha dominance, pressing down until Elder Corwin\u2019s hands trembled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou forget yourselves,\u201d I growled. \u201cMy pack is safe. My word stands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They shifted uncomfortably.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned away to look out the window.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t let anything happen to the people under my watch. This is my pack.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the meeting adjourned, Marcus followed me out into the corridor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just made enemies in there,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t slow my stride. \u201cThey\u2019ve always been enemies. They just wear better clothes now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marcus muttered. \u201cShe\u2019s changing you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stopped. \u201cMaybe I needed changing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marcus sighed, glancing back toward the council chamber. \u201cJust remember, Theo \u2013 wolves fear what they don\u2019t understand. And she\u2019s an enigma wrapped in blood and silence. That kind of thing doesn\u2019t end well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My voice was low. \u201cMaybe not. But I\u2019m not about to let the Council decide who deserves saving.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marcus left. Returning to the other council members.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a long breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Looking at the hallway. I saw my beta, walking up to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Theo,there\u2019s something you have to see,\u201d he reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside, a scout came up to us with a report file in his hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha\u2026 the men who attacked her carried no marks, but they had orders. Someone wants that girl dead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes drifted back toward the chambers where Kaia is staying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we find out why.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRight away, Alpha,\u201d The scout said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We watched the scout leave in a hurry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t this reason enough for you to let her go? Kaia is bad news, Theo\u201d Beta Zane muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Theo,\u201d I growled, teeth gritted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry Alpha Theo,\u201d Zane lowered his head,remorseful.\u201cI\u2019m just concerned\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coldly. I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave that to me to deal with,Zane. Do your job and I will do mine\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nodding, Beta Zane said.\u201cI will keep that in mind moving forward. But, you\u2019re still my friend at the end of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
day. I\u2019m just watching out for you\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My rang out, colder than I intended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019m watching out for Kaia.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re breaking too many rules already. Can\u2019t you see?\u201d Beta Zane asked, calmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you. Let me worry about it. Do your job as Beta\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane didn\u2019t say anything else. He left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 012\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shouldn\u2019t have been so harsh with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know he means well but I can\u2019t let Kaia go. Not in this situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019s my responsibility now. I don\u2019t mind breaking rules and protocols for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leave the consequences to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the council meeting. I decided to go see Kaia again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019d doubt her intentions\u00a0<\/p>\n
They think she\u2019s bad news but I can\u2019t help the throb in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought of letting her go scares me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The image that refused to leave my mind wasn\u2019t the Council\u2019s sneers \u2013 it was Kaia\u2019s face the night I\u2019d bumped into her at the old cottage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was bleeding. Dying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I found myself standing outside her door before I realised how fast I got here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door creaked open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia sat on the window ledge, wrapped in a thin shawl, moonlight spilling over her hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t turn at first. Her gaze was fixed on the dark courtyard beyond the glass \u2013 where wolves trained, laughed, lived freely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She seemed fascinated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I cleared my throat softly. \u201cYou\u2019ll catch a cold. Kaia.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice came quiet, detached. \u201cI\u2019m already cold, Alpha.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be out of bed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t sleep,\u201d she said. Her tone wasn\u2019t defiant. Just tired. \u201cEveryone looks at me like I don\u2019t belong. Maybe they\u2019re right.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled, leaning against the wall beside her. \u201cThey\u2019re afraid of what they don\u2019t understand. That\u2019s all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She gave a brittle smile. \u201cAnd you? Do you understand me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t answer \u2013 not immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, I noticed the fresh bandage wrapped around her wrist, darkened where blood had seeped through.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re bleeding again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knelt in front of her, removing the bandages.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dabbing the wound with my sleeves carefully. Afraid, it hurts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia\u2019s breath hitched. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d My voice dropped, steady. \u201cBut I want to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a long, suspended moment, we stayed that way -Our breaths caught, staring at each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia broke the quiet first. \u201cWhy did you bring me here?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up at her then. For some reasons the question shifted something in my heart uncomfortably.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could have said \u2018Because I owe you my life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could have said \u2018Because something in me won\u2019t let you go.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
But all I said was, \u201cBecause no one should die alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes glistened. Not tears, exactly, but something raw. Something almost like hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I stay,\u201d she murmured, \u201cI\u2019ll only make things harder for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
4\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 012\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rose slowly. \u201cYou let me worry about that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I turned to leave, Kaia\u2019s voice stopped me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze at the sound of my name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes met mine; dark, storm\u2013bright.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever they think I am\u2026 I\u2019m not your enemy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat worked, but no words came.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, I nodded once and left the room before I could betray more than I should.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside, the corridor was empty. But,I could swear, her voice rings in my ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Drawing me closer. Or maybe,I\u2019m just hallucinating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia. Don\u2019t worry, I won\u2019t let anything happen to you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is my promise to you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An Alpha\u2019s promise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
5\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shadows Follow Lonely Minds \u2014 Christopher Harris 12 Chapter 012\u00a0 I stirred when soft footsteps entered the room.\u00a0 A young […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-nightshade-heir-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27257"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27257\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}