Chapter 52\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane didn\u2019t look away from me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had his eyes locked on me like I was going to disappear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cdo you want Kaia?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I opened my mouth. And swallowed hard without saying anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane\u2019s jaw flexed. \u201cThat\u2019s all I needed to know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I dragged a hand through my hair, I stood up from the fallen log.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I paced around for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0b28\u0b43\u0b24\u0b4d\u0b28 63 )\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d I muttered. \u201cNone of it matters. The Circle is already breathing down my neck and Alpha Varkon is threatening war\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked away. \u201cKaia deserves peace, not\u2026 this mess.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop,\u201d Zane cut in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I kept going. \u201cI can\u2019t push her into this mess. I can\u2019t let her fight a political batter with me when she\u2019s barely finding her place here\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo.\u201d Zane\u2019s voice snapped like a whip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know how strong she is,\u201d he said slowly, \u201cbecause you\u2019ve never seen her true strength. Kaia is not weak.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That hit like a fist to my ribs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane stepped closer, eyes sharp, glaring at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you marry Elara,\u201d he said, \u201cKaia will walk away.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd this time\u2026 she won\u2019t come back\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something tore inside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something I didn\u2019t even realise I\u2019d been holding together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026..Zane, I can\u2019t-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou survived Elara once,\u201d he continued, voice low. \u201cBarely. You damn near died getting over her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest burned. The memory of that weakness\u2026. of her leaving. The humiliation I suffered. It still lived\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 52\u00a0<\/p>\n
under my skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Kaia?\u201d Zane\u2019s voice softened. \u201cYou won\u2019t survive losing her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes, but it didn\u2019t help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia\u2019s face -hurt, distant, slipping away-ripped through me like lightning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The truth was brutal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No\u2026 I wouldn\u2019t survive it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane exhaled and placed a steady hand on my shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen do something,\u201d he said. \u201cUse your title. Use whatever the hell you need to. Just don\u2019t sit here and hand your life over because the Circle of Alphas snapped their fingers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t speak. I have nothing to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo,\u201d he said gently, \u201cyou love her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane sounded as if he was trying to convince me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t need convincing. My heart knows what it wants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I can\u2019t help the situation. The pack comes before my selfish desires.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It has always been the rule. It won\u2019t change now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe looks at you like you\u2019re worth something,\u201d he said. \u201cDont you get it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gods. I felt my heart was scarred because I couldn\u2019t do anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt broken inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought of her walking away from m\u2026\u2026 Of letting her go made me feel like like I was drowning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I opened my eyes, Zane was glaring at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane raised a brow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo?\u201d he asked softly. \u201cWhat are you going to do?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t reply because I have nothing in mind\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane watched me struggle to catch my breath, chest tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t plan on doing anything, Zane,\u201d I replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re thinking about her, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Zane says softly. \u201cDo you think you can live with yourself if you lose her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 52\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane sighs. \u201cTheo\u2026. Kaia matters to you. More than you want to admit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
56 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ran a hand through my hair, pacing. \u201cShe shouldn\u2019t. She\u2026.she deserves someone healthy. Someone strong. Someone who isn\u2019t one bad day away from a heart attack.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not your choice to make,\u201d Zane shoots back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head. \u201cWhat if I die? If my heart fails? She gets destroyed. She already lost everything once. How could I do that to her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane folded his arms. \u201cYou think marrying Elara protects her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he stepped closer, he looked at me firmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re acting like choosing Elara keeps Kaia safe. But you\u2019re forgetting something.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I look up at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane didnt stop. \u201cElara doesn\u2019t just want the title. She wants you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath hitched for a second.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Zane saw this, he pressed further.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Kaia? She\u2019s the girl who won your heart without even trying. Elara will see that. She\u2019ll smell it. And she will hurt Kaia the very first chance she gets-Luna or not.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A chill ripples through me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know Zane is right. And I hate how true this was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think announcing Elara as Luna ends this? No. It just paints a bigger target on Kaia\u2019s back.\u201d Zane muttered, pacing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt my throat tightened with a painful lump.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t make Kaia part of this political chaos. She\u2026 she didn\u2019t choose this life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither did you. But here we are.\u201d Zane replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart thunders painfully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo choose the chaos that protects her.\u201d Zane suggested.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d I asked. \u201cChoosing Kais means war for the pack. I can\u2019t put the pack in danger to keep Kais by my side. That would be selfish of me and Kaia wouldn\u2019t approve of it\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine. Then, use the nuclear option\u201d Zane suggested and I looked at him sharply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 52\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d my heart stuttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cClaim Kaia,\u201d Zane said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My blood ran cold hearing this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
63)\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnnounce Kaia as Luna. Claim her.\u201d Zane said, he looks dead serious too. \u201cThrow the Circle into confusion and then they will reconsider the entire Luna selection process.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cZane-this is madness.\u201d My eyes widened in shock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane shrugs. \u201cNot as insane as letting a viper become your Luna.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Council will never accept a Luna with a powerless wolf.\u201d I voiced.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is exactly why you should choose Kaia,\u201d Zane muttered. \u201cChoosing a powerless wolf will completely stop the marriage. At least for a while\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ran my hand through my hair. \u201cIt\u2019ll put Kaia in danger.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything puts Kaia in danger now. Elara wants you\u2026 which means Kaia is a threat regardless.\u201d Zane says, gripping my shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It almost felt like I stopped breathing. I didn\u2019t know I held my breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe Zane is right Kaia is already in danger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is the worst that could happen?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia doesn\u2019t know how I feel about her.\u201d I said. \u201cNor my heart problem\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell her. For once in your life, tell someone the truth before it\u2019s too late. Theo\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I squeezed my eyes shut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if this doesn\u2019t end well?\u201d I asked, feeling worried. \u201cIm afraid this plan is dangerous\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDangerous?\u201d Zane scoffed. \u201cIf Kaia was in danger, would you save her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t think twice. \u201cOf course. What kind of a question is that? I will never let anything happen to Kaia\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane nodded once. \u201cThen stop pretending you have no choice. You always fight hardest for the one you love most.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you walk into that ceremony and announce Elara as Luna, you\u2019re not saving the pack. You\u2019re not honoring your father\u2019s promises.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re just lying to Kaia. To yourself.\u201d Zane argued.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t lose her.\u201d I sound like a broken record.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:32 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 52\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen don\u2019t,\u201d Zane says simply. \u201cPull the world apart if you must, but choose the girl you would die for.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hear my weak heart, beating dangerously faster at Zane\u2019s words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane steps back, giving me space. \u201cIt\u2019s your call, Alpha.\u201d\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 52 Chapter 52\u00a0 :\u00a0 Zane didn\u2019t look away from me.\u00a0 He had his […]<\/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-27297","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\/27297","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=27297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27297\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}