Chapter 101\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Draven\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
I spent the whole sorting out the pack affair. I didn\u2019t have time for lunch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After signing the last file, I stood up to stretch my legs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when I saw the blue hat Theo had given me as a present.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been years, and he still remembers my favourite blue Lakers hat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Theo came, I was worried he held a grudge against me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
155 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe because I took Kaia away from him, and in the end, things didn\u2019t work very well between Kaia and me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was afraid he was going to take revenge against me for that. To be sure, he wasn\u2019t planning to double-cross me in my own pack. I did what I thought was best.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment Theo arrived in Silvermoon, I showed him to his room, but before that, I had someone install a network jammer to stop him from scheming behind my back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had someone keep an eye on his every move and report back to me,\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was afraid that, if our alliance didn\u2019t push through, what I did to him might prompt him to attack my pack and claim it as his territory, so I took this drastic measure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the end, everything worked out well, and we signed the agreement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, Theo is my ally, not my enemy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turns out, Theo has already gotten over Kaia; I was worried over nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t come to seek revenge for Kaia; she\u2019s nothing to him anyway. Theo just came to make business deals, and it went well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Come to think of it, not even Theo, who supposedly was madly in love with Kaia, took her side; that means I did nothing wrong in punishing her for her treasonous act.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lit a cigarette and dragged a big puff from it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you investigate this, or did you take everything the rogue said at face value because you were too eager to get rid of Kaia?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Theo\u2019s words flashed into my mind for some reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was there to investigate again? Everything was open and closed. Kaia was behind the attack on Liora, and that was the truth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was about to head out when a knock on the door, and Beta Rowan worriedly walked in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:48 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 101\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d I frowned, asking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDraven, you need to see this,\u201d he said, holding up an envelope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d I asked, reaching for it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I skimmed through the letter, and my eyes widened with each word I read.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at Rowan, shaking my head in confusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cW-what is this about?\u201d I asked, raising the letter. \u201cWhere did this come from?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
El 55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the alpha lord,\u201d Rowan replied. \u201cIt\u2019s a decree of acknowledgement. The Alpha lord sent it to acknowledge your willingness and decision to join his battle against the Nightshade pack\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThats not possible!\u201d I exclaimed, shock gripping me. \u201cI never agreed to align with him. Where did that come from?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut there is a letter with the Silvermoon seal from you,\u201d Rowan came closer to me and showed me another document. It was a photocopy. \u201cYou signed this five days ago\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFive days ago?\u201d I repeated. \u201cNo, I did nothing of that sort. Five days ago, I was hunting for bush meat for Alpha Theo. I wasn\u2019t in the office the entire day. There is no way. I sent a sealed letter to him through his courier\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFive days ago,\u201d Rowan tapped his head, trying to recall something. \u201cFour days ago, we went hunting together, but Liora\u2026.She was home, roght? Perhaps, she \u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, that\u2019s impossible,\u201d I said, shaking my head. I know Liora, and she wouldn\u2019t do that. \u201cLiora wouldn\u2019t do something like that behind my back\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Alpha, we can never be too sure, you know\u201d, Rowan said, and I knew what he was implying. \u201cMaybe you should ask her about it once\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI will think about it,\u201d I said, but my mind wasn\u2019t in it. \u201cBut I need you to investigate how this happened and get back to me in three hours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, Alpha\u201d, Rowan agreed and left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t shake his words out of my mind when I thought them over and over again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I decided to ask her. There was no harm in asking; I would casually ask her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If she had nothing to do with it, then fine, I will find out who was behind this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I left the office and returned home. Liora was watching TV in the living room while snacking on popcorn and apple slices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When she saw me, her eyes lit up brightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, darling, you are back?\u201d she shouted out for me, and I walked in to hug and kiss her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:48 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 101\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI see you have a great alone time, nice\u201d, I complimented, looking at the TV.\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
E55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAFCON is ongoing, so I decided to tune in as my favourite team is playing today. Would you like to join me? I will get more popcorn for us,\u201d Liora suggested, getting ready to stand up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDont walk around too much, baby, have your seat. I will go get the popcorn and your medicine, it\u2019s time, remember?\u201d I said, pointing to my watch. Liora nodded and smiled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood in the kitchen to fetch popcorn, but my mind was boggled by the question I hoped to ask Liora. She looked happy. I don\u2019t want to ruin her mood. It might affect her and her baby\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTada!\u201d I raised the popcorn bowl. \u201cLook what I got, the biggest bowl\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are definitely stuffing ourselves to a stupor\u201d, Liora commented, clapping happily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s do that, our baby would love that too,\u201d I said, sitting beside her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes remained fixed on the screen while she stuffed her mouth with the popcorn. I fascinatingly watch\u00a0<\/p>\n
her eat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a while, the game ended, and her favourite team won. Liora was overjoyed, and she danced around happily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was about to head upstairs when I followed her. I dont want the omegas to hear what I was going to ask her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I grabbed her hand when she was about to head to the bathroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBaby, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d Liora asked, cupping my face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have something to ask you, and I need you to be very honest with me\u201d, I said, and Liora\u2019s breath hitched. \u201cThis is your chance to come clean to me\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it, baby?\u201d she asked, her lips quivering with a small smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alliance with the alpha lord, did you sign it behind my back?\u201d I asked, and her eyes blinked ten times in one second. \u201cDid you agree to align with the alpha lord behind my back?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Liora\u2019s face dropped, and she looked away, avoiding eye contact with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d her voice came out small. \u201d The alpha lord sent his courier and threatened to withdraw the privilege if you disagreed immediately. You were away when the courier came, so I signed the papers on your behalf\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy! Why would you!\u201d I screamed, pulling my hair, and frustration was biting my chest. \u201cHow dare you take such an important decision behind my back!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I barked hard, and Liora flinched. I looked like a devil with horns right now, and she should be scared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI-I thought it was the right thing to do,\u201d Liora mustered the courage to say. \u201cI thought it would help the pack grow in influence and wealth, and I know this is what you always wanted\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:48 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 101\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou thought this would help the pack?\u201d I let out a bitter laugh. \u201cDo you realise what you\u2019ve done? Does your thick skull know the kind of trouble you\u2019ve put the pack in?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Liora didn\u2019t say anything; she just looked down, but I knew she wasn\u2019t sorry for the problem she had caused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of you, Liora, the pack is at risk of being recruited into war; we will be forced to give up our resources and workforce to fight for the Alpha lord\u2019s greed. Why would you think it\u2019s a good idea to align with him?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Liora moved close, trying to touch me, but I dodged her. She looked hurt, and tears welled up in her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Alpha Theo wouldn\u2019t show up. It was the only way to help the pack grow, so I took the chance without telling you, hoping you\u2019d understand why I did this,\u201d Liora said, tears streaming down her cheeks bitterly. \u201cClearly, I made the wrong choice, and I can\u2019t repent for it now\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, you were wrong!\u201d I barked, unable to control my hot, burning rage. I walked to the wall and punched it. \u201cYou should have left the decision to me. And you didn\u2019t even think to tell me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to tell you, but Alpha Theo came, and we got busy with him. It slipped my mind after that. I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Liora\u2019s voice cracked as tears choked her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry is not going to fix anything, Liora\u201d, I mouthed, trying to bring my voice down and not alert everyone. \u201cWe are in deep shit, and it\u2019s all because of you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was about to walk out of our room, but Liora grabbed my hand, attempting to stop me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you going, Draven?\u201d she asked, pulling me back. \u201cYou are angry, don\u2019t go anywhere, please\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to stay here and look at the face of a woman who made a stupid mistake that would put my pack in grave danger\u201d, I said, and tried to walk past her, but she wasn\u2019t willing to let go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to move my hand away, as carefully as possible. She was heavily pregnant, and I don\u2019t want to hurt Liora and the baby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow would I know what to do when you didn\u2019t teach me the basics about running a pack? You don\u2019t bring me along to meetings and negotiations and councils as you did Kaia\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKaia wasn\u2019t like you; she would never make a dumb mistake like this!\u201d I said and pushed past her. Liora didn\u2019t try to stop me again, and I was thankful for that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was too angry to keep seeing her face. I don\u2019t want to say anything I\u2019ll regret later.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I went to the bar and took out a tequila. I poured a glass for myself and gulped it down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aligning with the alpha lord, like making a deal with the devil, nothing good ever comes out of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only sacrifices that would never be rewarded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn it! Damn it!\u201d I kicked the wall, trying to vent my anger as the alcohol didn\u2019t do an excellent job.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time I finished the bottle of tequila, I was seeing things that weren\u2019t there, but I refused to admit I was\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:48 Tue, Jan 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 101\u00a0<\/p>\n
drunk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A\u00a0<\/p>\n
61\u00a0<\/p>\n
55 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I grabbed the bowl of ice a maid had brought for me, and I shoved a few pieces in my mouth, waking my drunk eyes up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
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18:48 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 101 Chapter 101\u00a0 \u2013Draven\u2013\u00a0 I spent the whole sorting out the pack affair. […]<\/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-27346","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\/27346","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=27346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27346\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}