Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
After my shift I had barely stepped out of the clinic when I saw her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw Cara waiting near the entrance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019s probably here to ambush me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perfect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s stepmother stood with her arms folded across her chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment she saw me, her posture shifted, expression tighter than her immaculate bun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t even bother starting with a greeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I didn\u2019t mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I do know, she\u2019s not here for chats and giggles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara looked at me. \u201cKaia. We need to talk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stopped a few feet away from her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised my head, looking at her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Calm. Neutral, trying not to feel intimidated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay. Talk, I\u2019m listening.\u201d I replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara scanned me up and down as if she was checking for fleas on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked disgusted. Unimpressed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0e23\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 voucher\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst, I want to acknowledge what you did for the king. You saved his life and for that, I\u2019m\u2026 grateful.\u201d Cara says, glaring at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara sounded like someone being forced at gunpoint to say thank you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t funny but I could sense where this was going.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara continued before I could respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut gratitude isn\u2019t enough reason for me to risk this pack. You were a stray when you came here, and a stray carries danger we cannot predict.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:27 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
There it was the real purpose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised a brow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this going somewhere?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara\u2019s lips tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d Cara firmly nodded. \u201cThe council, the elders, and I have come to a decision. A decision regarding Theo\u2019s Luna.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cElara will be Luna. She\u2019s from our pack, she\u2019s trained, she\u2019s aligned with us. And I won\u2019t have you\u2026\u201d She gestured vaguely at my existence. \u201c\u2026interfering.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked slowly. Then, I faced her seriously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd how exactly is that any of my business?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara froze. \u201cExcuse me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I repeated. \u201cWhy exactly would I be involved? Theo\u2019s personal decisions aren\u2019t my business.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara was still looking at me, I stepped forward slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not auditioning to be Luna. I never asked for that title, never wanted it. So if you\u2019re worried I\u2019m somehow standing in the way of Elara\u2026 that\u2019s a you problem, not mine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara\u2019s nostrils flared. Then a smile flickered on her lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood. Then stay in your place.\u201d Cara muttered, gritting her teeth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a soft, humorless laugh. \u201cWith all due respect, I don\u2019t have a \u2018place\u2019 you decide for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That hit. Cara\u2019s expression snapped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re awfully bold for a stray. No family. No pack. Charity taken in by my son\u2019s good heart.\u201d She sneered at\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes swept me like dirt on her shoe. \u201cYou\u2019re a stray. A lost girl who got lucky.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw flexed once but I didn\u2019t break eye contact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe. But I\u2019m still a member of Shadowclaw now. Officially. And I won\u2019t let anyone treat me like dirt. Not even you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara\u2019s eyes widened, probably not used to someone pushing back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA Shadowclaw? In your dreams, Kaia\u201d she chuckled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m Shadowclaw. That\u2019s what your Alpha decided. If you have a problem, take it up with him\u201d I retorted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:27 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara stiffened, taken aback.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara\u2019s face twisted. \u201cYou don\u2019t know your place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe it\u2019s time this pack learns mine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
ET 55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing\u201d Gritting, Cara mumbled. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to get on my bad record\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve survived worse than your disapproval. So if you came here hoping to bully me into disappearing\u2026\u201d I tilted her head. \u201cYou picked the wrong stray.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara\u2019s face flushed with anger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019s probably shocked. Felt insulted, thrown off by a stray.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have no idea who you\u2019re talking to.\u201d Cara says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I know exactly who I\u2019m talking to.\u201d I gave a tiny, satisfied smile. \u201cThe problem is\u2026 you\u2019re not used to someone talking back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow dare you? You stupid stray!\u201d Cara hissed, her face red with anger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so what if I\u2019m a stray, why are you so threatened?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That stunned Cara for a bit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at me and didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clearly furious by my audacity and want nothing more than to rip my hair out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara hissed, bitterly. \u201cShadowclaw gave you charity \u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shrugged. \u201cThen I guess you shouldn\u2019t have. Because I\u2019m not leaving anytime soon\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stupid bitch!\u201d Cara seethes. \u201cWe\u2019ll see how long that lasts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cara spun on her heel and walked away, furious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was hitting the ground so hard as if she wanted me to see how angry she was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I just stood there, watching her leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once she was gone, I exhaled, my shoulders relaxing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the first time in a long time, I didn\u2019t feel small.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt\u2026 like the old me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And completely unafraid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I returned to the packhouse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:27 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
Z.64)\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I went straight to my chamber. I pushed the door shut with my shoulder, more forcefully than I intended to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya glanced up from making the bed, her eyes immediately narrowing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t give me that face,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled sharply. \u201cNothing I can\u2019t handle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She raised a brow. \u201cSo\u2026 someone tried to bully you again?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stiffened. \u201cI said I\u2019m fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya stopped making the bed and crossed her arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia, you came back here looking like you\u2019re ready to set the whole pack house on fire. Don\u2019t make me crack my brains. Tell me\u275e\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw clenched so hard it hurt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned away, staring at the window, but the words slipped anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not here to steal anything from them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya paused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAh,\u201d she said softly. \u201cSo someone accused you of stealing\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed, heat crawling up my throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHis stepmother decided to \u2018warn\u2019 me about staying in my place. As if I\u2019m clawing for a position I never asked for.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya let out a breath and stepped closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia\u2026\u201d She touched my arm. \u201cYou did the right thing by not bowing to her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called me a stray,\u201d I whispered, the sting of it still fresh. \u201cLike I\u2019m dirt they picked up off the road.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you reminded her you\u2019re a Shadowclaw now,\u201d Maliya said firmly. \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I finally looked at her. She held my gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Steady, loyal, unflinching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let them scare you,\u201d she said. \u201cNot here. Not anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat tightened at the unexpected warmth of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not pity. Not fear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just\u2026 belief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:27 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the first time since Cara comered me, the tightness in my chest loosened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d I murmured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maliya smiled. \u201cAnytime. Now sit. I\u2019ll get you something hot before you punch a wall and break your hand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite myself, I laughed, just a little.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the anger wasn\u2019t gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
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18:27 Tue, Jan 20\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 37 Chapter 37\u00a0 \u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0 After my shift I had barely stepped out of […]<\/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-27282","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\/27282","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=27282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27282\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}