Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was early.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Earlier than I\u2019d ever been.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t sleep the whole night, my heart kept hammering at the thought of training with Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u015e(63)\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I arrived, the training grounds were empty except for the squad leader, who was in charge of the training fields.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was arranging the training weapons for the morning drills.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I did my stretches, warmed up, and waited by the training grounds, my pulse still buzzing from anticipation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kept scanning the entrance like an idiot, pretending I wasn\u2019t\u2026 waiting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Waiting for Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After everything that happened last night\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
The almost-kiss, the way he\u2019d held me, the way his voice softened when he was scolding me \u2013I stupidly thought things might finally be shifting back to normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe even better than normal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I caught myself smiling at nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then footsteps approached, heavy and clipped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not Theo\u2019s. I turned to look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Captain Alaric stopped in front of me, his expression tight. Too tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia,\u201d he said, his expression remaining firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach scooped. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Alpha won\u2019t be training with you today,\u201d he carefully said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oh\u2026What?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked, my stomach dropping. \u201cWhat? Why?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s\u2026 an emergency,\u201d Alaric said, as if that explained everything. \u201cA delegate from Elara\u2019s father\u2019s pack has arrived. The Alpha is needed elsewhere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to keep my face neutral. I tried not to show the stupid wave of disappointment that rushed up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned. \u201cDid something happen?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Captain Alaric hesitated. His gaze flicked away for a second, which was unlike him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He always looked people square in the eyes, especially nobodies like me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know yet,\u201d he said carefully. \u201cBut it sounded urgent. And politically serious.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest tightened. Political.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not good. The Goddess knows what Elara is up to this time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed, trying not to let it show. \u201cSo he won\u2019t be here at all?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot today.\u201d Alaric\u2019s voice softened, which somehow made it worse. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Kaia.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced a small smile. \u201cIt\u2019s fine. I will just train with\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u00a0<\/p>\n
instead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Z63)\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it wasn\u2019t fine. It hurts that this happened today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, Kaia. I\u2019m not a good sportsman like the Alpha but I will try\u201d Alaric said, chuckling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho said that?\u201d I asked, joking. \u201cShould I tell you something?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alaric nodded, looking at me with curiosity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are a way better sportsman than Alpha Theo, if we are being honest\u201d I whispered in his ear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh stop flattering me, Kaia\u201d Alaric says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey. Who says I\u2019m joking? I\u2019m telling the truth\u201d I argued.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe you\u2019ll be the reason Alpha Theo will have my head for dinner\u201d Alaric expressed\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t mean that. Captain but you\u2019re the best coach I\u2019ve ever had\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust kidding,\u201d Captain Alaric said. \u201cAlpha Theo is not so petty\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh what a relief\u201d I sighed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHaha\u201d Alaric laughed, patting my shoulder. \u201cI will go get ready for our drill. You should too\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay. I will just get ready\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Alaric left, my mind returned to Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This especially hurt me because of last night. After everything, a part of me thought we were starting something again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now he is gone, and we are back to square one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood there for several seconds too long, staring at the spot where Theo should have been.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he doesn\u2019t want to train me\u2026 fine,\u201d I muttered to myself. \u201cI will just train with Captain Alaric. It\u2019s better this way, anyway\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for the first time in days\u2026 I felt that old, familiar ache in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slapped my hand, scolding myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia, you were foolish to hope for anything\u201d I shook my head at my pitiful self.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Theo\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara wasn\u2019t blabbering when she said she would go to any length to win me back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat in the council hall with the parchment trembling slightly in my hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The seal of the Circle of Alphas gleamed ominously in the morning light.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach churned before I even broke it open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words hit me like a punch to the chest:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Theo, you are hereby ordered to marry and crown Elara as Luna within five days. Failure to comply will invoke the Circle\u2019s full intervention. Your father\u2019s promises and debts leave no room for negotiation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slammed the letter onto the table in front of me, the wood rattling under the force.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Circle didn\u2019t bluff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not when it involved old oaths or Alpha honour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara\u2019s father\u2026 I shouldn\u2019t have been surprised.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d never let go of his obsession with tying our packs together. He\u2019d wanted Elara as Luna since we were teenagers. And my father, guilty, grateful, and too trusting, had agreed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, I only have five days. Five days to make a decision I didn\u2019t want to make, five days to choose a Luna that my heart had already rejected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And all because of my father\u2019s promise. A debt he owed to Elara\u2019s father, a powerful Alpha who had aided him during the last attack on the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A favor was exchanged like currency-and now I was the payment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father didn\u2019t think it would come to this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t think I would grow up and love someone else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I dragged a hand through my hair, pacing the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia\u2019s face flashed across my mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fuck\u00a0<\/p>\n
463\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do they expect me to do?\u201d I snarled into the empty air. \u201cBend over? I won\u2019t be forced. I won\u2019t choose her\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ran a hand through my hair, my frustration boiling over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My pack\u2026 my people\u2026 they didn\u2019t deserve to be dragged into this. And I certainly didn\u2019t deserve to be ordered like some pawn on a chessboard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood up abruptly, pacing the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFive days,\u201d I muttered, my voice low and dangerous. \u201cWhat the hell does Elara think she\u2019s doing?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a serious matter, Alpha Theo\u201d Elder Matthew said, looking worried. \u201cWe have to do as they say otherwise, we will risk a war\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I scoffed. \u201cSo, they think they can force me to make Elara my Luna in five days? What a joke\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the only way out, Alpha Theo\u201d Councillor Daren urged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I fell silent and listened as the council argued among themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t just the Council.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was my father\u2019s promises weighing me down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my fists. \u201cNo. I won\u2019t let them decide what my heart wants. Not her. Not anyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet even as I said it, I knew the war wasn\u2019t just a threat\u2014it was real.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And if I refused\u2026 if I defied the Circle\u2026 the consequences could be catastrophic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone leave. The meeting is adjourned\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When they all left, I sank back in my seat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart conflicted, thundering with uncertainty\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have only five days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Five days to make sure the trust my pack has in me is not broken.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have to do everything to stop the war.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the pack always came first. Even before my heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hope I do not break Kaia\u2019s heart in the middle of this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 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 50 Chapter 50\u00a0 \u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0 I was early.\u00a0 Earlier than I\u2019d ever been.\u00a0 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-27295","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\/27295","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=27295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27295\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}