Chapter 62\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Lucien\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I walked away from Elara, I didn\u2019t stop smiling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gods, she made it too easy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The way she looked like she was about to burst when I turned her down was so satisfying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice still rang in my ears, tight and desperate, trying so hard to hide the panic vibrating beneath every word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara always strutted like royalty, but today\u2026 She walked up to me like a beggar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I enjoyed every second.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I headed toward the north wing, hands in my pockets, humming under my breath. I didn\u2019t even try to disguise the satisfaction curling warm and sharp in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara wanted help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I\u2019m the only one she can ask it from. She needed me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Me. Lucien Ashford.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The same man she used to look down on every chance she got.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She must be choking on the irony.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stopped by the window overlooking the training grounds and watched the pack warriors sparring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, I imagined standing down there as their Alpha instead of Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A weak-hearted Alpha.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who doesn\u2019t deserve to be Alpha? I mean who allows a fragile man to become Alpha?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019s nothing more than a walking liability on the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought made me laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara\u2019s proposal echoed back through my mind. \u201cI want Theo. You want the throne.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t wrong. Not completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she made one fatal mistake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She thought I would be her pawn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:35 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 62\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her tool, something she can conveniently weaponise against her supposed man.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stupid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t understand that I only ever play one game \u2013 my own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And according to my rules as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slipped into my private guest room, closed the door, and leaned back against it, letting my smile finally stretch into something darker.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAn alliance,\u201d I whispered to myself. \u201cTemporary strategy annual benefits.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oh, please. Elara is not all about that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara thought small. Always had.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t about getting Kaia out of the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t about helping Elara reclaim Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was an opportunity-a big one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat on the edge of my bed, tapping my fingers against my thigh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If Elara failed to regain her place, she\u2019d be humiliated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If Theo defied the Council again, he\u2019d be weakened politically.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the pack doubted his leadership, elders would start whispering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If Kaia became Luna\u2026 pressure would crush her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If the bond was unstable\u2026 even better.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every crack could be widened and lead to collapse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And when the pack needed someone strong, stable, and unburdened by a pathetic heart condition\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Guess whose name they\u2019d start saying?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned back, letting the idea settle, heat crawling up my face when I finally realised how close I was to getting what I wanted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara thinks she\u2019s using me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But truly, I\u2019m the one in charge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m using her. Her emotions are high and desperate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:35 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 62\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
And desperate people make mistakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mistakes that could be useful to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes and muttered to myself, smirking, \u201cI\u2019ll help you, Elara\u2026 but only enough to watch you burn.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whether Kaia survives, and whether Theo holds his throne-none of that matters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the end, everything they build will fall straight into my hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have to wait.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And Lucien Ashford, I was very, very patient.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After making my decisions, I left\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t planning to stop by my parents\u2019 quarters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I only wanted to grab something from my old room and leave before Theo\u2019s perfect little packhouse suffocated me again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then\u2026 I heard voices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Raised voices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kingsley never raised his voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze just outside the door, every instinct urging me to lean closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026you will not interfere anymore, Cara.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father\u2019s tone was low but sharp enough to slice through the walls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I edged toward the slightly open door, my pulse ticking with curiosity creeping into irritation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My mother snapped back, \u201cI never interfered. Everything I did was to support you\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything you did,\u201d Kingsley cut in, \u201cdrove a wedge between my son and me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Son.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He only uses that word for one person.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My hands curled into fists, nails digging into my palms as I leaned closer to the doorframe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:35 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 62\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kingsley continued, firmer now, \u201cYou pushed me away from him. Every time I tried to reach out, you stepped in. You wanted all the attention on you and Lucien. And I let it happen. That was my mistake.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A crack went through my chest like a whip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So that was it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He regretted giving me attention?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gritted my teeth, breath shaking with contained fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside the room, my mother scoffed. \u201cOh, please. That boy ignores us both. He always did-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Kingsley snapped. \u201cHe drifted because of us because of you constantly provoking him, belittling him, and poisoning every small interaction he had. And I allowed it. But no more.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
No more? My stomach dropped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kinglsey\u2019s voice hardened. \u201cYou will not stand between us again. And you will not undermine him in pack matters. From this day onward, you have no authority.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath stopped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No! No, he didn\u2019t just-\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mother gasped trembled with disbelief. \u201cYou\u2019re stripping me of my influence? After everything I\u2019ve done for this pack?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou undermine our Alpha. You feed Lucien ambition instead of grounding him. You whisper resentment into every situation,\u201d Kingsley shot back. \u201cThat ends now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt something cold crawl up his spine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My ambitions and plans?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wanted to clip my wings-now?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mother\u2019s voice cracked. \u201cYou\u2019re choosing Theo over me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m choosing the pack,\u201d Kingsley said. \u201cAnd Theo is its Alpha.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo. Theo. Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My head rang with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That name lingered around me like a curse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like he was some chosen saviour instead of a weakling with a failing heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped back slowly, face burning with humiliation and a rage that tasted metallic on my tongue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:35 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 62\u00a0<\/p>\n
So this was the truth; Kingsley never cared about me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He only tolerated me until now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
63\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now, after one little mating miracle, he was ready to throw both his wife and second son aside to polish the golden child\u2019s crown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If that\u2019s how he wanted to play this\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
I would remember every word he said now and I\u2019ll remind him of it later.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I should have walked away after this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But their voices kept rising, pulling me in like a magnet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside, mmothet hissed, furious and wounded,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou dare speak to me like this after everything? After I kept this family together when your wife died?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kingsley exhaled sharply, the kind of breath that usually came before a command.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t twist this, Cara. I was grieving, and you saw an opportunity. You inserted yourself into every decision and shut Theo out because you knew I listened to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, please\u201d she scoffed, \u201cThat boy always hated me. He made sure I felt it every day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you provoked him every day,\u201d Kingsley fired back. \u201cYou compared him to Lucien. Questioned his strength and worth. You pushed until he stopped coming to me altogether.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A bitter laugh tore from my mother. \u201cSo now it\u2019s my fault he was weak? My fault he hid behind his heart condition? My fault he wasn\u2019t-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSTOP.\u201d Kingsley\u2019s voice cracked like thunder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even I flinched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHis condition was never your weapon to use against him,\u201d he growled. \u201cAnd you know it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mother shot back immediately, \u201cWell someone had to hold him accountable! You babied him. And look, now he\u2019s reckless, stubborn, and blinded by some nobody girl without a powerless wolf!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia. Of course, she\u2019d bring her up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kingsley\u2019s voice dropped to something colder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will not speak of Kaia that way. Not in this house.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My mother froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:35 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 62\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
C63\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re defending her now?\u201d Mother spat. \u201cA stray girl Theo picked up from the wild? You have lost your mind, Kingsley.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve finally regained it,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And wow. I didn\u2019t expect that answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mother\u2019s breath shook, anger splintering into disbelief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what then? Are you choosing Theo and his mate over your own wife? Your own son?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kingsley didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt my lungs tighten without air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d he repeated, voice steady. \u201cTheo is the Alpha. And Kaia is his mate. That is what matters for this pack. Not your pride and manipulation. And certainly not Lucien\u2019s ambition.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart pounded hard enough to crack ribs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ambition. Manipulation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s all I was to them?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mother\u2019s voice trembled with venom. \u201cYou\u2019ll regret this, Kingsley.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he said, exhausted but firm. \u201cI\u2019ve regretted the last ten years. And I will regret the next ten if I don\u2019t take a stand now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence thickens between them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped back from the door just before one of them could storm out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My blood froze like smoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So that was it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father had chosen his side, and it wasn\u2019t ours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d chosen Theo and the powerless wolf little mate over his own family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But that was fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Let him choose their side\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because I\u2019d already chosen mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And it wasn\u2019t theirs either.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:35 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 62 Chapter 62\u00a0 \u2013Lucien\u2013\u00a0 \u2026\u00a0 :\u00a0 The moment I walked away from Elara, […]<\/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-27307","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\/27307","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=27307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27307\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}