Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Lucien\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
0:\u00a0<\/p>\n
62\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I entered the living room, my mother was pacing, as if she were about to pull someone\u2019s hair out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t look like the cunning and calculating woman she usually was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was pacing frantically. Her hands trembled from rage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cZane threatened me,\u201d she snapped the moment she saw me. \u201cThat mutt thinks he can speak to me like that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised a brow, leaning against the couch. \u201cThreatened you. What do you mean, mother?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She scoffed, but her voice shook.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said I should stop interfering.\u201d She muttered. \u201cHe warned that if I kept pushing Theo, there would be consequences.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her fingers clenched at her sides. She was furious probably a little scared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched her for a moment longer before speaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re angry,\u201d I said slowly. \u201cBut this isn\u2019t just about Zane, is it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That pause told me everything I needed to know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I straightened, my tone casual, almost curious. \u201cI told you how I feel about Elara. You know I want her. Yet you keep forcing Theo toward her instead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes flicked to me, sharp and defensive. \u201cThat\u2019s not what I\u2019m doing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t it?\u201d I pressed. \u201cYou could have supported the circle\u2019s earlier compromise. You didn\u2019t. You could have let this end quietly, no you\u2019re hellbent on making Elara Theo\u2019s Luna instead of my wife.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She turned away, jaw tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019ll ask again,\u201d I said. \u201cIs there a special reason you\u2019re so desperate for Theo and Elara to marry?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her silence stretched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then she exhaled harshly. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t understand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laughed softly. \u201cTry me. I\u2019m sure you know I don\u2019t need crayons to understand intentions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She faced me then, eyes blazing. \u201cBecause Theo is weak.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
There it was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:37 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
62\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always has been,\u201d she continued bitterly. \u201cAnd Elara brings power and alliances. Without her, he\u2019ll cling to that stray and ruin everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tilted my head. \u201cAnd where does that leave me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hesitated, just a second too long for me to notice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll have your place,\u201d she said quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled, bitter and cold. \u201cFunny. Because it feels like you\u2019re willing to sacrifice what I want to keep Theo under control.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes flashed. \u201cI\u2019m protecting this family.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I corrected quietly. \u201cYou\u2019re protecting your image of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her mouth opened, then closed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this were really about Elara,\u201d I said, \u201cyou wouldn\u2019t be shaking right now. You\u2019d be confident. You\u2019re not.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that,\u201d I finished, \u201cmeans you\u2019re afraid Theo choosing Kaia breaks something you can\u2019t fix.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her hands curled into fists. \u201cYou should stay out of this, Lucien.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I chuckled. \u201cToo late.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because for the first time, I saw it clearly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t about Elara. My mother was hiding something from me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was as if Mother was this desperate to force Theo\u2019s hand\u2026 To save her own skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Elara\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hate losing. Especially to a bottom-tier girl like Kaia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I can\u2019t deny the truth in front of me. I knew I was losing, there\u2019s no need to deny it anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It hit me all at once.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now that the Circle stopped looking at me when I spoke, they wouldn\u2019t take my protest seriously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And my father? He would do anything for me, gave me everything I wanted but now the way my father\u2019s silence stretched longer each time we talked to each other is breaking my heart\u00a0<\/p>\n
The way my name no longer carries weight in the room; even the omegas do not flinch when I walk by.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:37 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
62\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
The realisation tasted bitter. I had spent years believing I could bend things back in my favour if I pushed hard enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If I reminded them of debts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Using my father\u2019s power and influence, I thought I could collect what was promised to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turns out, I was utterly wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Father didn\u2019t even argue when the Circle finalised my marriage to Lucien.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two days. They gave me two days before my marriage to Lucien takes place and I\u2019m supposed to be okay with it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought made my stomach twist with fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was not how it was supposed to end. I was not supposed to be discarded like trash for some damned girl.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I made up my mind, I didn\u2019t scream or beg for Theo to take me back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I adjusted. Because surrender had never been my style.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If I couldn\u2019t have Theo outright, then I would take the long way around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien lived in the same house as Theo now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They share the same halls, council chambers and pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I would be living here too as Lucien\u2019s wife.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I would stay close enough to watch Theo and Kaia fall apart when I finally start interfering in their relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I would be close by to remind Theo of everything we used to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marriage was not the end of a game, it was just a different board.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo thought he had won because he chose Kaia as his Luna. But he\u2019s wrong, Kaia\u2019s existence and the circle\u2019s decision cannot stop me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I would become Luna of this pack, one way or another, even if I have to marry Lucien for that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And when Theo finally realised what he had lost, I would be right there, wearing another man\u2019s ring, living under the same roof as him, close enough to take everything back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled to myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Getting married in two days isn\u2019t bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:37 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
I combed my hair and stepped out to look for my future husband, Lucien.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I found Lucien outside in the garden, having a wine party with some girls serving him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sat with his legs wide like the pack already belonged to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
(62\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked up when he saw me and smiled slowly, the kind of smile that said he\u2019d been expecting me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLeave us,\u201d he barked at the girls and they quickly left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d he said, putting his glass down., \u201cI hear you\u2019ve decided to stop fighting the inevitable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t correct him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve agreed to the Circle\u2019s decision,\u201d I said. \u201cWe\u2019ll marry in two days.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien\u2019s brows lifted. \u201cThat\u2019s it? No screaming? No threats? You were ready to burn the pack down yesterday.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople change,\u201d I replied calmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He laughed, low and amused. \u201cNo, Elara. You don\u2019t.\u201d He stepped closer, studying my face. \u201cSo tell me. What made you change your mind?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I met his gaze. \u201cI realised resistance gets you nowhere. Influence does.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His smile widened. \u201cCareful. That almost sounds sincere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBelieve whatever you like,\u201d I said. \u201cYou wanted me. You\u2019re getting me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien tilted his head. \u201cAnd Theo?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw tightened for half a second before I smoothed it out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo made his choice,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019m making mine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien watched me, clearly enjoying this far too much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know,\u201d he said, \u201cI always wondered how it would feel to finally win something he couldn\u2019t take back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped past him toward the doorway. \u201cThen don\u2019t waste it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He caught my wrist lightly, possessively.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not doing this just to be my Luna,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cYou\u2019re doing this because it puts you back in his orbit, right?.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned in, lowering my voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it matter,\u201d I said, \u201cif it gets us both what we want?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien released my wrist and laughed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:37 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 68\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he admitted. \u201cIt really doesn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I walked away, I felt his eyes on my back. He had a satisfied and confident smile on his lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Let Lucien think he\u2019d claimed me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had only agreed to stand close enough to take everything else back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u7530\u00a0<\/p>\n
62\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\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
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Shadows Follow Lonely Minds \u2014 Christopher Harris 68 Chapter 68\u00a0 \u2013Lucien\u2013\u00a0 0:\u00a0 62\u00a0 E55 vouchers\u00a0 When I entered the living […]<\/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-27313","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\/27313","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=27313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27313\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}