Chapter 51\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
The northern packhouse felt colder than I remembered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe it was just me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Walking through the halls with a weight in my chest I couldn\u2019t shake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
663\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every warrior bowed, and the elders smiled at me but I didn\u2019t bother,none of it mattered right now..\u00a0<\/p>\n
I returned to the northern pack to see my father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To show him how his promises are affecting me now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Father was waiting in his private office, standing instead of sitting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hands braced on the table like he\u2019d been replaying something in his mind over and over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheodore,\u201d he said quietly when I entered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No Alpha voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just\u2026 my father\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shut the door behind me. \u201cYou sent for me. What\u2019s going on?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He exhaled slowly. \u201cSit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t. \u201cFather.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The look he gave me was enough to tell me everything was bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He scrubbed a hand over his beard, shoulders sagging. Finally he said it:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re being cornered into marrying Elara.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw clenched. \u201cI know. Her father sent delegates.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more than just them now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He lifted his eyes to mine, tired and full of guilt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Circle of Alphas has intervened.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Circle didn\u2019t interfere unless the matter was grave. Or unless someone powerful pushed hard enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 Because of your promise,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 51\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father closed his eyes for a bit. \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence thickened between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sank into his chair, looking older than the last time I saw him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63)\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI made that promise years ago,\u201d he murmured. \u201cBack when your life was on the line and Alpha Varkon saved the entire northern border for us. It was a desperate moment, Theo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked at me, sadness clung to his eyes. \u201cI wasn\u2019t thinking straight. I didn\u2019t imagine he would enforce it or that his daughter would push for it even after everything she\u2019s done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I haven\u2019t seen my father like that since my mother died.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fists tightened at my sides. \u201cAnd now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now,\u201d he said, voice cracking, \u201che\u2019s calling in the favor. Using the Council to back him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course he was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father looked up, his eyes filled with regret he\u2019d never shown to anyone else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, son. I put you in this position. I never meant for my mistake to become your burden.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A harsh breath left me. \u201cSo what? I just\u2026 give in? Marry her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d He shook his head immediately. \u201cYou deserve to choose your Luna. Not be forced into one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words hit harder than I expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the Circle won\u2019t back down,\u201d he continued. \u201cAnd Alpha Varkon is threatening war if you stall.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
War. For a woman I didn\u2019t want.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Against a girl I\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stopped myself. Refuse to finish that thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t fair to you,\u201d Father whispered. \u201cIf I could undo it, I would.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment the room was quiet, the only sound was the sound of our heartbeats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he stepped forward and gripped my shoulder-firm, fatherly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will find a way out of this. Together.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, but my chest tightened painfully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because all I could think of was Kaia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her face when I\u2019d seen her the last time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 51\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
That look in her eyes that I was trying so hard to understand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was in a corner. Bound by a promise I never made.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pushed toward a future I didn\u2019t want.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the worst part wasn\u2019t the Circle, or Elara, nor her father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The worst part was knowing\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia would hear about this. And she\u2019d think I chose Elara over her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that thought alone hurt more than the entire damned Circle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00c0. (63 )\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
***\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t return to Shadowclaw immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was too much of a coward to face Kaia with the news of me taking Elara as my Luna.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even though I had assured her just a night before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That I wouldn\u2019t. That she meant nothing to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could hear myself breathing loudly when I stepped into the forest, trying to clear my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shifted into my wolf, ran until my muscles burned, then shifted back and sat on a fallen log.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The cold air bit into my lungs, but it grounded me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara. Her father. And the Circle of Alphas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were all closing around me like a trap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And somehow, every damn memory I\u2019d buried clawed its way back to the surface.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I must\u2019ve been fifteen the first time Elara showed up at our pack borders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her father stood tall and terrifying beside her, and she\u2026 she smiled at me like I was something interesting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We became friends easily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We were almost the same age. So, we had the same training sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Same future expectations hanging over our heads. Something we didn\u2019t ask for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When our fathers arranged our \u201cfuture union,\u201d we didn\u2019t complain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 51\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
We were young and liked each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I thought we were growing into\u2026 something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At twenty-three, we decided to try dating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone said we looked perfect together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was the golden girl. And me, the future Alpha.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the thing no one said out loud, the one I felt deep in my bones, was that I wasn\u2019t perfect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not with a failing heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My biggest secret.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something my father and I had to shamefully hide from everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone except a few people, including Elara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The reason I trained twice as hard as every warrior just to keep up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara knew. And at first, she pretended it didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Until the day it did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I remember the exact moment she walked into my office, dressed immaculately, eyes cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo,\u201d she said flatly. \u201cI think we should end this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked. \u201cElara? What-why?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t hesitate. Not even for a second.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re too weak to be an Alpha worth standing beside.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Those words sliced painfully through me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cElara\u2026\u201d My lips quivered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She actually laughed. She looked amused at most.\u00a0<\/p>\n
4663\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI hoped you\u2019d find your mate someday,\u201d she said. \u201cMaybe she\u2019ll be patient with your\u2026 condition.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said \u2018condition\u2019 as if it disgusted her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe it does, because of the way she looked at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then she packed up her things and left with another Alpha-one of immense power, someone she said was worthy of standing beside her\u00a0<\/p>\n
463\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 51\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
And she didn\u2019t look back. Not once.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t sleep for weeks. Didn\u2019t shift for months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I threw myself into training until my lungs nearly collapsed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the worst part?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It still took me two damn years to get over her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two years of trying to forget the girl who looked at my heart like it was a flaw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I drag a hand through my hair and let out a harsh breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now she\u2019s back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back with her father\u2019s threats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the Circle of Alphas dancing behind her and her father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She seeks to claim a place she abandoned when she decided I wasn\u2019t strong enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lean back against the tree, staring up through the leaves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How the hell do I tell Kaia any of this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
How do I explain that the woman from my past who made life miserable for me is back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Trying to suffocate the future I\u2019m just starting to care about?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I close my eyes again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The truth is simple, and it terrifies me; I don\u2019t want Elara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not now. Not ever again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But everyone around me is trying to force her into my life\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026right when I\u2019m finally starting to breathe again because of Kaia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even hear Zane approach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One moment I was staring at the dirt, hating my life, and the next a branch snapped behind me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look like shit,\u201d Zane said casually, stepping into the clearing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAtleast I know that much\u201d I huffed. \u201cThanks\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t joke after that. He just studied me quietly, eyes sharp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One good thing about Zane is that he always knew when to drop the sarcasm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 51\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you going to do now?\u201d he asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw tightened. \u201cI don\u2019t know yet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you do realize,\u201d he continued, stepping closer, \u201cif you refuse the Circle of Alphas\u2026 they\u2019ll drag Shadowclaw straight into a political nightmare. Maybe even war.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes. The truth sat heavy in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane crouched down beside me, elbows resting on his knees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t fight the entire Alpha circle, Theo. You can\u2019t let your father take the fall either. Since he made that promise, they\u2019ll use it as leverage until you break.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I know,\u201d I snapped, but not at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the situation. At myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane didn\u2019t flinch. He just waited.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cElara hasn\u2019t changed,\u201d I muttered, my fingers digging into the dirt at my sides. \u201cShe\u2019s still that cunning and manipulative girl who\u2019ll do anything to get her way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 She knows how to use her father. And she knows exactly how to box me in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane exhaled slowly. \u201cSo what-you marry her to prevent war?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The answer was already there, even if I hated it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll do anything to protect this pack,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cEven if it destroys me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence stretched between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then Zane asked the one question I\u2019d been trying not to think about;\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Kaia?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart stuttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A sharp, painful sting hit my chest. One I didn\u2019t want to admit had anything to do with her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What about Kaia?\u00a0<\/p>\n
What about the girl who looked at me like I wasn\u2019t a broken Alpha?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl who ran into fire for kids she doesn\u2019t even know?\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 51\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl who challenged me, who fought me, who made me feel something I thought I\u2019d buried years ago?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe deserves better than\u2026 this,\u201d I muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane raised a brow. \u201cBetter than what? An Alpha who actually gives a damn? Or better than watching you sacrifice your life for a woman who abandoned you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not the point.\u201d I looked away, my jaw clenched tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s exactly the point.\u201d Zane\u2019s voice dropped low. \u201cDo you really think when she finds out, she won\u2019t think you chose Elara over her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought punched me straight in my gut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I dragged a hand down my face. \u201cI don\u2019t know what to do, Zane.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLiar,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cYou know exactly what you want to do. You just don\u2019t think you\u2019re allowed to want it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I opened my mouth, then closed it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had nothing to say. Because he was right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that was the worst part.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
Comment\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send gift\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 51 Chapter 51\u00a0 \u2026\u00a0 The northern packhouse felt colder than I remembered.\u00a0 Maybe […]<\/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-27296","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\/27296","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=27296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27296\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}