Chapter 84\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Theo turned to look at me, my heart jumped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had promised myself I would stay composed throughout the wedding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t matter that I\u2019d spent half the morning curled against Theo\u2019s chest, whispering my fears about his fated mate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was unnecessarily worried about the ghost of a woman who might appear one day and take everything from\u00a0<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t matter that he\u2019d held me, kissed my forehead, and sworn he wanted me, only me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I told myself I\u2019d be fine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the ceremony started and I saw Elara walking down the aisle like a princess, I was moved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Lucien stood at the end, smiling brightly at his mate-to-be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Honestly, they make a cute couple only if they mind their own business and make this work, instead of causing trouble for Theo and me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew this day would test every inch of me. But it was going pretty well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I reached out my hand and brushed it against Theo\u2019s hand to support him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He must be having a hard time now that both Elara and Lucien will be present in his life from now on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I breathed without looking at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The high chief spoke the ceremonial words. The hall held its breath:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you, Elara Varkon, accept Lucien Asford as your mate and partner.? To support and to hold, leading together in harmony and humility?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara didn\u2019t answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She just turned straight toward Theo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes locked on him like she was waiting for him to object, to stand up and claim her, to destroy the\u00a0<\/p>\n
ceremony.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach twisted so hard I thought I might collapse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because I had just told him this morning that I feared losing him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That I feared a woman claiming to be his fated mate would appear one day and I wouldn\u2019t be enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:43 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 84\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now here was Elara\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was waiting, with a hopeful, radiant look in her eyes, for him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
She still wanted him and even at this moment, she was willing to risk it for him if he decided to fight for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t dare look at Theo, afraid I might break down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew for certain I didn\u2019t breathe or move during the long wait.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart clawed against my chest like a trapped animal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If he looked back at her just once, she would run into his arms and that would be the end of everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t sure my heart would survive it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The waiting seconds dragged on like hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then slowly Theo turned. And his eyes found me, landing and engulfing me like I was all that mattered to\u00a0<\/p>\n
him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath stuttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My vision blurred. I didn\u2019t realise tears had risen until one threatened to spill.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo squeezed my hand, grounding me, claiming me without a single word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara saw it. Her face cracked, barely but enough for anyone to notice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She turned away sharply, jaw tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d she said finally. \u201cI accept.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The hall exhaled. And the pack members began to murmur amongst themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucien smirked as if the sun shone just for him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Theo didn\u2019t look away from me, his gaze held mine until the vow-taking ceremony ended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I felt something inside me loosen, warm, unfold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not because everything was suddenly easy. Or that my fears were gone \u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was because Theo chose me again in front of everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the whole world watching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
they weren\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I may not be his fated but with everything happening, I believe he loves me as much as I love him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe I could believe in that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:43 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 84\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would you like to eat?\u201d Theo asked once the vow-taking ended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think they have what I\u2019d love to eat,\u201d I replied, grumpily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure they do,\u201d Theo said taking my hand. \u201cAnd if they don\u2019t, I will make them get it for you. Come with\u00a0<\/p>\n
me\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo took my hand and led me down the middle of the party.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Guests were having fun and when we walked past them, they stopped to stare but it doesn\u2019t bother me\u00a0<\/p>\n
anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swayed my hips, letting them know how comfortable I had become.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo,\u201d Kingley\u2019s voice stopped us mid-walk. \u201cMay I have a word\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo looks at me, and I nod.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia, it\u2019s good to see you here and happy too\u201d Kingsley commented and I smiled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Kingsley. It\u2019s great to see you too\u201d I squeezed Theo\u2019s hand. \u201cI will be at the table with Justine\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
If I could, I wanted to listen to whatever Theo and Kingsley were going to talk about\u00a0<\/p>\n
But eavesdropping on others was wrong, so I left them alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thankfully, I found Justine at the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I went up to her, smiling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey Justine, you look breathingly gorgeous\u201d I said, and came to sit next to her. \u201cHow is beta Zand handling all of this hotness?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine chuckled. \u201cKaia, you are crazy. I didn\u2019t know you were this much of a sweet-talker. If you have time, you should teach my husband to sweet-talk like you\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s all you want?\u201d I squinted. \u201cThen, consider it done\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re too funny, thank you for making me laugh. That was a good one\u201d Justine said still laughing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look extra gorgeous yourself,\u201d Justine said to me. \u201cAnd happy. You and the Alpha are not taking it slow\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A smile tugged at my lips, remembering everything Theo and I talked about.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know,\u201d I began, my mind drifting. \u201cWhen I fell in love for the first time, I didn\u2019t care if he was my fated or not, I just loved him. Thankfully, he turned out to be my mate. But what did that me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
get\u00a0<\/p>\n
I just looked at me seriously, I had never told her about my past so she was surprised that I was opening up to\u00a0<\/p>\n
her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:43 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 84\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bit my lips, swallowing the hurt I felt. Then, I continued. \u201cHe betrayed me in a way that I never imagined. I could have lost my life because of him, because of his actions and the way he turned his back on me\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything we had meant nothing to him, I was disposable and he didn\u2019t think twice before showing me how disposable I was\u201d I bit back the hurt in my chest. \u201cWhen I found Theo that night, I didn\u2019t expect him to be kind to me or take me in considering I was a stray who had just been cast away from her pack but he did something I never expected from him\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe brought me to his pack, fought everyone for me and fell in love with me. He never treated me badly. Yes, his fated mate might come around sooner or later, it\u2019s inevitable. I have thought about it and the feelings scare me, if my fated can betray how much more a man who is not my fated?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine noticed the sadness in my eyes and lifted a hand to pat my shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want Theo to lose his fated, that would mean his strength would weaken and I don\u2019t want that. If his fated shows up, I will move out of the way and let her have him. But until then, I\u2019m going to allow myself to love him as much as I can\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine\u2019s hand pressed against my back, tapping me gently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are a strong woman, Kaia,\u201d Justine muttered, locking eyes with me. \u201cI\u2019m happy for you and the alpha. I pray to the goddess, the alpha turns out to be your fated somehow\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope so too,\u201d I let out a dry laugh. \u201cYou know, the goddess can be such a trickster\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, she is\u201d Justine joined me and we laughed for no reason. \u201cIsn\u2019t Elara and Lucien such a good-looking couple? Only if they can be normal for once\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are,\u201d I nodded, looking in their direction. \u201cThey look so good together\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to brace yourself,\u201d Justine suggested.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I asked. \u201cWhat for?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Elara,\u201d Justine said still looking over. \u201cShe\u2019s going to live in the packhouse with us from now on. I know it\u2019s not going to be easy. She\u2019s a difficult one\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I didn\u2019t think about that,\u201d I muttered. \u201cI will try to avoid her as much as I can. But, if she pushes me to the wall, I will turn back and fight her\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoa, Luna Kaia is already showing itself\u201d Justine teased, laughing. \u201cI like it. I like this version of you very much. With you around, Theo\u2019s reign will be smoother and nobody can ride you as they did me because I wasn\u2019t Luna, especially Cara\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was taken aback.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she give you a hard time?\u201d I asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs if it wasn\u2019t worse. She made my life harder than I ever thought it would get\u201d Justine recalled. \u201cShe would override every order I give, belittling me in front of the women of the pack. She would constantly remind me of my place\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:43 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 84\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was mad that Kingsley decided to step away from Alphaship so soon and gave Theo the position. She still wanted to stay as Luna but she couldn\u2019t stay so she took it all out on me\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine looked hurt, Cara must have really given her a hard time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry you went through all that,\u201d I placed my hand on hers. \u201cDoes Theo know about this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine shook her head. \u201cNo, the alpha was already going through a lot because of Elara, I didn\u2019t want to add to his misery\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI will never let her bully you again, Justine. I promise\u201d I stood up and hugged her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We stayed hugging for over a minute.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d I heard Theo asked and we broke the hug to accommodate him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing,\u201d I replied. Justine and I exchanged glances.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVery well then, Justine, may I borrow my Luna for a moment?\u201d Theo turned to Justine and asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Justine laughed. \u201cBut of course, Alpha. She\u2019s all yours, take her with you\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat. Blue-eyes, let\u2019s go\u201d he took my hand and led me away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I will have a word with him about Cara\u2019s behaviour towards Justine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t okay how Justine was treated for trying to help keep the pack in order in the absence of a Luna.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would you like to eat for brunch, blue eyes?\u201d Theo asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bit my lower lip and answered. \u201cAll I want on my menu is you\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo looked at my lips. \u201cYou are getting punished for tempting me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
Comment\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send gift\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 84 Chapter 84\u00a0 \u2013Kaia\u2013\u00a0 When Theo turned to look at me, my heart […]<\/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-27329","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\/27329","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=27329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27329\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}