Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
-Theo\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
After lunch with the Stormriders, I was too tired to do anything else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alpha Draven showed me to my room to rest while he put my men in the room next door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I showered, I slammed onto the bed, exhausted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could count to fifty, I was snoring already.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I woke up, it was already dinner time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alpha Draven himself came to get me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I went down to the dining hall, many of his officials were there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpha Theo,\u201d Draven cleared his throat. \u201cThis is the spokesperson of our council, Elder Norman\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pointed to an older man with grey hair and a beard. His eyes were sharp and focused, scrutinising me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he introduced a bunch of them to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t really paying attention; I wanted to eat, go back to my room, and call my Luna.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I planned to stay at a motel when I came to Silvermoon, but Draven said it would be rude to stay at a cheap one and that it wasn\u2019t safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The reason why I\u2019m here, I\u2019m not in the mood for some parties that I didn\u2019t sign up for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know that is not the real reason, he wanted to keep an eye on me the whole time I was here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t blame him, I would do the same if a more powerful Alpha came to my pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice to have you with us, Alpha Draven\u201d Draven\u2019s mate, smiled at me and her eyes were bright. \u201cMy husband was worried you wouldn\u2019t come around after you took so long to reply to him\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I cleared my throat. \u201cOh about that? I had an important matter to handle back at the pack so I got busy\u201d I looked at Draven, \u201cI\u2019m sorry for keeping you waiting, Alpha Draven\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, please,\u201d Draven chuckled. \u201cIt\u2019s okay, what\u2019s most important is that you are here now\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d the elder Norman chimed in. \u201cTwo powerful Alphas sharing a table. This is history and I\u2019m happy to be part of this moment. Let\u2019s toast to that\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We all raised our glasses, cheering to the soon-to-be alliance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for coming, Alpha Theo,\u201d Draven said, walking me to the door after dinner. \u201cTomorrow, I will give you a tour of the pack\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:45 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s alright, Alpha Draven. You can just call me Theo\u201d I urged. \u201cWe can sign the contract after the tour. Moreover, I need to see everything for myself first\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand, Theo,\u201d Draven said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell then, I suppose, I will get some sleep. Im a little too tired\u201d I groaned, confessing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGo ahead,\u201d Draven pointed to the door. \u201cGood night, Theo\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood night, Alpha Draven\u201d I said, heading in. Then, he stopped me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should call me Draven too,\u201d he said with an awkward smile. \u201cTitles are a little too formal\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree, Good night Draven\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After bidding the man good night, I went inside and immediately fell asleep the minute my back touched the bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
**\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next morning, I woke up to the omega inviting me to breakfast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I went down, I saw a massive spread and I concluded Draven was trying to impress me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t need to do all of this, I have it in mind to work with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If he throws mud at me, I will still have him around. Just to watch him get destroyed slowly and painfully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven took me on a tour of the pack after breakfast. The packhouse has a massive grounds to cover so we set out early.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t speak as Draven showed me around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I walked beside him through the thick pines of his territory, pointing out the defence lines, the elevated watch posts, the training pits beneath the ridge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Silvermoon was different from Shadowclaw, it was older and heavier. A pack built on endurance rather than sheer size.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We paused on a cliff overlooking the valley. Warriors trained below, the clang of steel echoing upward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven folded his arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d he said, eyes still on the field, \u201cdid you ever find her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew who he meant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My mate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled slowly. \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:45 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked at me then, searching my face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t look away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut,\u201d I continued, \u201cI found someone better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven raised a brow. \u201cBetter than a fated bond?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A grin tugged at my mouth despite myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
(61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone who makes me feel alive again. Someone who chooses me, not the Alpha title, not the power, just me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven studied me for a long moment, his expression was unreadable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he asked the question I\u2019d been avoiding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what happens if your fated mate shows up one day?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze. For a heartbeat, the world went painfully silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had never truly thought about it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the moment I imagined it, the bond snapping into place, the pull, the instincts, I felt nothing but dread.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia\u2019s face flickered behind my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her laugh, fire, and the stubbornness she wields.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed, voice low. \u201cI don\u2019t know what the Goddess planned. But I know this-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I met Draven\u2019s gaze fully. \u201cI\u2019m not letting Blue Eyes go. She\u2019s the one for me, nobody else.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven blinked. \u201cBlue Eyes?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I huffed out a chuckle. \u201cThat\u2019s my nickname for her. She\u2019s so beautiful like a blue sky\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A rare smirk touched his lips. \u201cYour fianc\u00e9e.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u201d I nodded. \u201cMy fianc\u00e9e and Luna\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Saying it out loud warmed something inside my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something I thought had died with everything Elara broke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We continued walking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven took me deeper into Silvermoon, showing me the farms, the weapon storage, and the outer walls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We talked like we used to when we were young boys, before we knew duty, betrayal, and heartbreak came to play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:45 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we didn\u2019t spend our time talking about war strategies and defeat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or affected by our fathers. And what it meant to lead packs that once hated each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eventually, the conversation quieted, settling into something heavier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven stopped near his old family cabin, he looked at me with a shaky breath smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
(61)\u00a0<\/p>\n
355 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTheo,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we sign this alliance, our packs become tied. What comes to mine will affect yours, and what threatens yours will reach mine. Are you sure you want this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because I knew why I was here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t about politics, power, and money.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But for Kaia, to give her the justice she deserved and return everything these people stole from her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She deserved a future where she didn\u2019t carry around the shame of being a traitor over someone\u2019s manipulative schemes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven\u2019s jaw tightened, something sharp flickering in his eyes, maybe approval mixed with something else. Something like respect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He clapped my shoulder once. \u201cThen I\u2019ll stand with you every step of the way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After this, Draven took me around and I noticed a lot of stagnation and underdevelopment in the towns of his pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to raise a question but I held my tongue. This wasn\u2019t why I was here but I made a mental note.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is a chance to turn things in Kaia\u2019s favour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We were exhausted when we finally returned to the pack after the tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We stood on the balcony. I rested both my hands on the railing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSince we\u2019re being honest\u2026.\u201d I began casually, but his jaw tightened. \u201cWhy did you let her go?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven stiffened. \u201cWho?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t look at him. \u201cYour first love. Your Luna. The one you couldn\u2019t shut up about back at the academy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven shifted and the air grew heavier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven-scoffed, trying to act carefree. \u201cThings didn\u2019t work out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what you said back then.\u201d My voice lowered. \u201cBack then you were feral about her. Would\u2019ve taken on the entire warrior class just to keep her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:45 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven\u2019s eyes flickered with guilt, or memory. \u201cPeople change. I guess that\u2019s what happened to us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hummed, unconvinced.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I remembered it vividly the night in the academy barracks when Draven came back flushed and triumphant, announcing that the girl with the ridiculous blue eyes was his.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I, young, dumb, and too noble for my own good, had smiled and congratulated him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I thought I had no chance to fight for a girl like her. She was from the same pack as Draven and they had grown up together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt I had no right to come between what they had.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Truly, I had no right. One day, I saw this ridiculously beautiful girl with blue eyes and fell head over heels in love with her but I couldn\u2019t bring myself to tell her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was scared she was Draven\u2019s girl and I didn\u2019t want to hurt either of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The girl, whom I later came to know as Kaia, was the toughest and bravest girl in the warrior academy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven told me she had worked hard to get enrolled in the academy despite her background.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was the only person apart from Draven who got enrolled from their pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Honestly, she was more talented and stronger than Draven.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time, I saw her with Draven. They looked so happy together and close too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood no chance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Draven announced that he confessed his feelings to her, a year after I told him, I loved a blue-eyed girl and she loved him right back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart sank, I had almost a year to tell her how I felt but I didn\u2019t make a move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had covered my own disappointment with laughter, and buried it,\u00a0<\/p>\n
I disappeared the moment the warrior academy ended and kept the secret buried for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t look at Draven, my face was grim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t even fight for her,\u201d I said quietly, almost to myself. \u201cYou adored her. Then suddenly she was gone, and you acted like she never existed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven didn\u2019t answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence stretched between us. It felt a little awkward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled and forced a small laugh. \u201cWell\u2026 life\u2019s strange, isn\u2019t it? The people we lose and the ones we find come at a price.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:45 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 90\u00a0<\/p>\n
Draven shot me a look. \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing,\u201d I replied quickly, genuinely. \u201cJust people move on. She probably did too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
(61)\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
But my chest felt tight, the old memory of a blue-eyed girl I admired first, long before Draven ever claimed her, long before fate tore her apart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Long before I ever thought I would see those eyes again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I straightened my shoulders and said firmly, \u201cCome on. The council contract won\u2019t sign itself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I walked ahead, refusing to let myself break. Thinking about everything Kaia went through.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
Comment\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 90 Chapter 90\u00a0 -Theo\u2013\u00a0 After lunch with the Stormriders, I was too tired […]<\/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-27335","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\/27335","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=27335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27335\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}