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Chapter 18

Author: TESSA YOUNG
last update Last Updated: 2025-02-24 15:31:15

~Luca~

I stepped through the castle doors, the weight of everything pressing down on my shoulders. But I didn’t show it. Wouldn’t.

The second I walked in, every gaze snapped to me.

The guards stiffened. The servants lowered their heads. The air fucking changed. Because I was home. And everyone knew what that meant.

Aria was a step behind me. Silent. Tense.

Too stiff, too wary.

She should be.

This place? It chewed people up. Spit them out.

And Aria?

She had no clue what she’d walked into.

But I didn’t have time to ease her into it.

Boots against stone. Sharp. Purposeful.

Elijah.

My Beta. Eyes flicked to Aria—assessing, always fucking assessing—then landed on me.

“We need to talk.”

I nodded once. Then, to Aria, “I won’t be long.”

She hesitated. Like she wanted to say something.

Didn’t.

Just nodded.

I turned and followed Elijah down the hall.

The meeting room was dim, shadows stretching too far, wall sconces doing jack shit to brighten the space.

Arkif was already there, arms crossed, fa
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