Chapter 025\u00a0<\/p>\n
~~Theo~~\u00a0<\/p>\n
22\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My mind racing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silvermoon. Draven\u2019s pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The one responsible for the border massacre last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t move, didn\u2019t speak, but Kaia saw the flicker of shock in my eyes before I masked it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYouve heard of them?\u201d She said quietly, not a question.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s heard of them\u201d I replied\u00a0<\/p>\n
A pause.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our gazes met.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Heavy, cautious, magnetic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a long time, neither of them spoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia\u2019s hand tightened around her glass. Her knuckles pale.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something I didn\u2019t tell you,\u201d she said finally, her voice so low I almost couldn\u2019t hear her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked up. \u201cThen tell me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her throat worked as she swallowed, the words tasting like ashes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t just a healer in Silvermoon Pack,\u201d she says.\u201cI was their Luna\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words hung between us like lightning, bright and deadly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze, studying her face; searching for the lie that wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir Luna?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia nodded once, the movement sharp and brittle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDraven was my mate. Chosen by the moon goddess herself,or so I thought\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She laughed bitterly. No warmth in it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe betrayed me. Took another woman to his bed. And when she got pregnant, she decided I was in the way and needed to be removed\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t move. Didn\u2019t interrupt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just listened \u2013 jaw tight, hands clasped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said I tried to kill her,\u201d Kaia whispered. \u201cThey called it treason,called me a murderer, and cast me out by the moonrise\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes glistened but she didn\u2019t cry. She\u2019d cried enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI begged him to see the truth but he wouldn\u2019t even look at me. The pack I bled for,the pack I led\u2013They wanted my head\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside, thunder rolled. Cracking the sky open and rain begins to pour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neither of us moved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The balcony went utterly still. Only the rain splattering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My voice was rough when I finally said, \u201cAnd yet here you are. Still standing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBarely,\u201d Kaia muttered.\u201cNow do you understand\u201c, she said. \u201cwhy I don\u2019t trust anyone who says they\u2019ll protect me\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter everything, I just can\u2019t bring myself to..\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 025\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead, I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, eyes locked on hers. \u201cSo tell me, Kaia-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My tone changed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Low, deliberate, the kind that could command a room into silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want me to be your Alpha?,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her breath caught.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia looks at me sharply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not sure, she heard me right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPardon?,\u201d Kaia remarks. \u201cWhat did you say?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was no teasing in my eyes now, only that dark steady promise that came with my title.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI ask do you want me to be your Alpha?,\u201d I repeated.\u201cBecause if you do, I will protect you with my life. No matter what it takes, this is an Alpha\u2019s promise\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia still looks aghast. Not sure how to process this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I totally understand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This came as a shock to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Afterall, the council has been on her neck for weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Theo,do you know what you are saying?\u201d She muttered,her lips quivering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nod, making eye contact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou heard me, Kaia\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia shakes her head, unsure if I was pulling her legs. Her chest tightened with disbelief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know what you\u2019re saying, Theo,\u201d Kaia laughs dryly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know exactly what I\u2019m saying,.\u201d I say firmly. \u201cI don\u2019t say things I don\u2019t mean\u275e\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air thickened between us, with Kaia shaking her head,still not sure of my decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked away. \u201cYou\u2019re not thinking straight. You\u2019re paranoia \u2026Confused maybe. You just want to protect me because\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I want to,\u201d I cut in, my voice low.\u201cBecause I have to\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That silenced her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t speak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a long minute, the only thing I heard was the sound of her heart pounding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Loudly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scared maybe. Or she doesn\u2019t want to stay here permanently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, she said, squeezing her fingers. \u201cI need some time to think over this\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, my jaw tight but my gaze soft. \u201cTake your time,Kaia. As much as you need\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned away, afraid I was going to say something I shouldn\u2019t say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Afraid, I wouldn\u2019t be able to take it back if I did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks for dinner, Theo.\u201d Kaia stood up. \u201cI will go ahead first. Good night\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood night. Kaia\u201d I smiled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched her go,my chest rising for some reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once she\u2019s gone,my wolf stirred.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[You felt that too, didn\u2019t you, Theo?]\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 025\u00a0<\/p>\n
My wolf, Stash, curiously asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop it,\u201d I muttered. \u201cShe\u2019s not ours\u201d My jaw clenched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[Then why do you feel a pull whenever she\u2019s near you?]\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not true,Stash. Stop imaging things. Delusional freak\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
[You\u2019re denying it, aren\u2019t you?]\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,Stash. If she was our mate. We would have known.\u201d I replied,calming him down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[Would we? Or has the moon goddess hidden her away from us? I want Kaia, she\u2019s perfect]\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re being reckless again, Stash. Not every shewolf is our mate\u201d I scolded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[Reckless? You call protecting what\u2019s ours, reckless?]\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe doesn\u2019t belong to us, what\u2019s wrong with you today?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
[She does. You\u2019re just too scared to be disappointed]\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled sharply trying to drown out Stash\u2019s growls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had a mate, Stash,she\u2019s not ours. Stop projecting and go away\u201d I whispered,shaking my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[No! She\u2019s something. You feel it, don\u2019t you? Don\u2019t lie to me]\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust go away,Stash\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After pushing Stash to the back of my mind, my pulse thudded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It thudded hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I feel something. Something I can\u2019t explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stash was right, I feel it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that scares me more than anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Theo,\u201d I heard Zane running up to me. \u201cYou good?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s good about the night?\u201d I growled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane smirked. \u201cSo that\u2019s a no\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shot him a look,but just Zane shrugged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t look at me like that. Everyone can feel it,man. The tension between you two\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t reply,my mind muddled up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d I finally muttered. \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m afraid\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing to worry about. You\u2019re just paranoid about nothing\u201d Zane patted my shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t reply. Maybe he\u2019s right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m just worried over Stash\u2019s silly antics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[it\u2019s not silly. You\u2019re in denial] Stash yelled in protest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a while, I looked over the Packhouse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked to become her Alpha,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane\u2019s eyes widened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked to become what? Man,what\u2019s\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cWhat did she say?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA little more time?\u201d I say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure about this?\u201d Zane asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at him, nodded.\u201cNever been more sure of my decision\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright. I\u2019m always on your side. Go for it\u201d Zane says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,Zane\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\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 25 Chapter 025\u00a0 ~~Theo~~\u00a0 22\u00a0 I froze.\u00a0 My mind racing.\u00a0 Silvermoon. Draven\u2019s pack.\u00a0 […]<\/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-27270","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\/27270","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=27270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27270\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}