Chapter 45\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I woke up, the first thing I saw were the missed calls from Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I saw them my stomach dropped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why would he call me that many times?\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that hour?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something had to be wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even think.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ran.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My feet barely touched the floors as I raced through the corridor, my heart hammering wildly against my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If he was hurt, if something happened, if\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t finish the thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I reached his door and pushed it open without knocking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo\u2013?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was standing in the middle of his room, hair messy, shirt half-buttoned\u2026 and a bright smear of lipstick marked the corner of his jaw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw the world tilted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not just lipstick, several smudges, faint fingerprints on his collar like someone had held his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A woman\u2019s perfume clung to the air, sweet and sugary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heartbeat went silent. I felt a pang of jealousy gripped me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He noticed my stare and immediately rubbed his jaw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia\u2026.wait it\u2019s not.. it\u2019s not what you think.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat tightened painfully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hated how jealousy stabbed me, sharp and uncontrollable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:31 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 45\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw your calls,\u201d I managed. \u201cI thought you were in trouble.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His expression twisted in guilt. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. I didn\u2019t mean to make you worry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d I whispered, looking anywhere but his mouth. \u201cWell\u2026 you look fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned to leave before my voice cracked\u00a0<\/p>\n
but I didn\u2019t make it three steps.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A sugary, triumphant voice cut through the hallway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, well, isn\u2019t this interesting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course. Who else would it be if not her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She strutted toward us. Her eyes gleaming the moment she saw me standing there beside Theo and the lipstick on him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh,\u201d she gasped dramatically, hand to her chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the rumors were TRUE.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stiffened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat rumors?\u201d I asked tightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She sneered. \u201cThat you\u2019re a desperate little stray trying to claw your way into Theo\u2019s bed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes flicked to his jaw. \u201cAnd clearly, you\u2019ve been\u2026 working hard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest clenched so hard it hurt to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cElara,\u201d Theo snapped, voice sharp. \u201cStop. What the hell do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she wasn\u2019t done.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly,\u201d she said with a cold laugh, \u201cI didn\u2019t believe it at first. But seeing you here, at his door, with lipstick all over his neck? Pathetic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted. My vision blurred for half a second.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hated how much it hurt and I hated that she could see how her words hurt me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed, lifted my chin, and walked past her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not because she was right, but because if I stayed one second longer, I was going to shatter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t look at Theo when I said, \u201cI\u2019ll stay out of your way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:31 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 45\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
And then I walked out. Fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before either of them could see the emotion burning behind my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Theo\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cElara,\u201d I said, my voice burning with low fury, \u201cwhat the hell is wrong with you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She blinked innocently. \u201cI just told the truth. She was practically-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShut up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her mouth snapped closed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t get to talk about Kaia like that,\u201d I growled. \u201cEver.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut look at her-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cElara.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped closer, letting my anger bleed into my voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne more word about Kaia, and you will to answer me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the first time, something like fear flickered across her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t wait for her reply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shoved past her and ran after Kaia. But she was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Completely gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to smell her but her smell disappeared immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She must have been so hurt that she ran away in pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is all my fault, I made her run.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I dragged a hand through my hair and cursed under my breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had to find her and explain everything to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I needed to tell her that the lipstick wasn\u2019t what she thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have to let her know that I didn\u2019t let Elara or any other woman touch me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia. You\u2019re the only woman I want. I swear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she was nowhere in sight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:31 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 45\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for the first time in a long damn while-I panicked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I turned around Elara was still standing in my room,aggrieved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I raised a brow. \u201cWhat are you waiting for? Leave my room\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo,\u201d her voice cracked. \u201cWhy are you doing this to me? Don\u2019t you remember everything you and I shared?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara looked at me,her face slightly pale as if she was about to cry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember everything,Elara.\u201d I step closer,facing her. \u201cAll the more reason why I don\u2019t want anything to do with you anymore\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t understand-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to understand,\u201d I muttered. \u201cPlease leave now\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara shook.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at my eyes burning with rage. Then,she made a run for the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turning back to steal one last glance at me before leaving.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have to go look for Kaia and talk to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The only place to find her at this time is the training field.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where I\u2019ll go to get her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
***\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I left Theo\u2019s room, I rushed out for training.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had to keep myself busy since I\u2019m not allowed at the clinic for now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I stepped into the training field, I knew something was wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
People pretended not to see me at first.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They looked at each other, then at me, then quickly away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ugly ripple whispers clung to my ears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced my shoulders back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fine. Let them stare. Let them whisper. I\u2019d survived worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then I actually heard it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:31 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 45\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026heard she\u2019s only here because she\u2019s good in bed\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha must be bored\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPowerless wolf, no lineage, who even let her stay here?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re so naive. Of course,she slept her way through\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A cold, familiar rage coiled behind my ribs. This wasn\u2019t normal gossip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was a coordinated attack against me by Cara and Elara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard and kept walking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pretending I didn\u2019t hear any of it, acting like my chest wasn\u2019t aching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it hit harder when one girl sneered just loud enough for me to hear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe probably seduced him. It\u2019s the only way someone like her\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 You need to mind your business,\u201d I saw Alisha snarled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart ached when I saw her. Apart from Maliya, Alisha is the only friend I have here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who didn\u2019t think I was as bad as they say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d The girl exclaimed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alisha\u2019s voice shook, but she didn\u2019t back down. \u201cI said what I said. She\u2019s done nothing wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A second voice scoffed. \u201cDefending her? Why? Planning to join her on Theo\u2019s bed?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat tightened when the two female warriors crowded Alisha, pushing her back against the wall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a stray,\u201d the taller girl spat. \u201cA whore who thinks she can climb into the Alpha\u2019s bed and steal the Luna title.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you\u2019re defending her?\u201d the other sneered. \u201cYou must be desperate too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alisha lifted her chin, tiny but fierce.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe saved captain Alaric\u2019s son,\u201d she snapped. \u201cNone of you even moved.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, please,\u201d one hissed. \u201cTrying to play hero to impress a man, classic whore tactic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop calling her that,\u201d Alisha said, her voice trembling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt something inside me twist. Hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:31 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 45\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
The insults didn\u2019t hurt me as much as\u2026this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone is getting attacked because of me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because she stood up for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped forward before they could hurt Alisha anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s enough.\u201d Their heads turned to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alisha looked relieved to see me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The warriors didn\u2019t hide their disgust for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe shows up right on cue,\u201d one muttered. \u201cProbably can\u2019t wait to cry on Alpha\u2019s shoulders to play victim.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ignored them and walked straight to Alisha, placing myself between her and the others.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou okay?\u201d I asked softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She nodded, but I saw the way her hands shook.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned to the two women, keeping my voice low but steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have something to say to me, say it to my face. Leave her out of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The taller one crossed her arms. \u201cOh, so you can stand up for yourself. Surprising.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately,\u201d the other added, \u201cthe rest of us have to clean up the messes you make.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhores don\u2019t deserve any regards\u00a0<\/p>\n
,\u00a0<\/p>\n
A growl ripped across the training field.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t come from me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A deep, furious, unmistakable growl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart stumbled. I turned to look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo stood behind us. And he looked murderous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes were glowing- stormy, dangerous like he was two seconds from shifting right there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscle ticking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone went silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat,\u201d Theo said, \u201cdid you just say?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl paled instantly. \u201cA-Alpha\u2026. I didn\u2019t\u2026 I wasn\u2019t-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:31 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 45\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo took a step forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stumbled back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSay it again.\u201d His voice was cold as ice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone in the training filed their breaths.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI-I wasn\u2019t talking about Kaia-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Theo snapped, \u201cyou were.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
This\u2026this was exactly what I didn\u2019t want. Not like this. Not him defending me like I was something fragile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Theo,\u201d I said sharply. \u201cStop.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He ignored me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone else want to open their mouth about her?\u201d Theo growled, glaring across the crowd. \u201cGo on. Try me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
God. My heart thundered. Whether from the fury in him or his protectiveness, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe both.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped in front of him, forcing him to look at me instead of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Theo,\u201d I said quietly, \u201cthis isn\u2019t helping.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His chest rose and fell, too fast. He was beyond angry. Beyond reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia, they shouldn\u2019t-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d I forced the words out. \u201cLet it go.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at me, eyes flicking over my face like he was checking if I was okay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that made it worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hated how much I wanted that concern. And I hated that everyone could see it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a step back. \u201cAlpha Theo\u2026 please.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He exhaled slowly as if he was trying to pull himself back from the edge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine,\u201d he muttered. \u201cBut we\u2019re talking. Now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Alpha Theo\u201d I shook my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Theo\u201d I shook my head, moving away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:31 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 45\u00a0<\/p>\n
He took a step toward me. I immediately stepped back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pain that flashed in his eyes almost broke me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia,\u201d he said, \u201cdon\u2019t pull away.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I already was. And I hated myself for it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I can\u2019t help it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I couldn\u2019t stand there under all those watchful and judgemental eyes, waiting for me to slip up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to my room,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cI don\u2019t want to stir up more trouble.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And before he could say anything else,I turned and walked away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But my chest felt tight. A little too tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rumors were terrifying enough but the way Theo looked at me just now?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That terrified me more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
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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 45 Chapter 45\u00a0 \u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0 :\u00a0 When I woke up, the first thing I […]<\/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-27290","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\/27290","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=27290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27290\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}