جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 450

Kayla's POVFor the first time in weeks, I woke up warm. Warm happy and safe, cocooned in strong arms that held me like I might disappear if he loosened his grip. For a second, I didn’t know where I was. My eyes blinked against the morning light spilling through the curtains, and then I remembered. Adrian. I shifted slightly, careful not to wake him, but his arm instinctively tightened around me, pulling me closer. My face pressed against his chest, and I heard the slow, steady beat of his heart. It was almost unreal. For weeks, I’d been caught between anger, betrayal, fear… and now, for the first time, I felt… giddy. Happy. Because I was his. Truly and completely his. I had been Marked and claimed by my mate. My fingers itched to trace the spot on my neck, the spot that still tingled from where his teeth had claimed me. But instead, I let my hand travel slowly up to his face. He was still asleep, his sharp features softened by the light of morning. I traced his jawline with the

Kayla’s POV I rose slowly when Lady Catherine’s sharp gaze landed on me. My legs felt like they had turned into stone, but I forced myself to keep an unreadable expression as she stood right in front of me. My heart was pounding against my ribs for no unexplainable reason, but I bowed my head respectfully. “L–Lady Catherine,” I murmured, keeping my voice steady even though my throat felt tight. From the corner of my eye, I saw Adrian—who had been speaking quietly with Logan—turn toward us. He inclined his head at his mother. “Mother.” His tone was formal, but there was obvious warmth and respect buried beneath it.Logan, sensing the tension in the room, quietly excused himself and walked out of the hall, leaving the three of us alone. Lady Catherine’s lips curved slightly as she gestured for me to sit. Then, to my shock, she sat down right beside me. Adrian came over and took the seat on my other side, watching us carefully, as though unsure where this conversation would lead. I

Kayla's POVI was doomed. I couldn't believe it, but I was actually in trouble this time.The hall was turned into a storm of noise, buzzing with the sound of murmurs, accusations, and sneers. They all now believed that I had actually tried to kill Adrian. They thought I was a liar.My skin prickled as I felt eyes drilling into me from every direction.“She set fire to the Alpha’s palace.”“Reckless, dangerous traitor.”“Ungrateful! After all he’s done for her.”The words slithered through the air, sharp and merciless, and I sat frozen in my seat, horrified.“I didn’t do this,” I whispered, my voice shaking. My hands trembled as I pressed them against my tummy, willing the nightmare to disappear.Because that’s what was happening in the video— I had been having a nasty horrific nightmare.I remembered it too clearly. Rogan's face had been half hidden in the shadows of my dream with his voice like venom: "Join me, Kayla… or watch them all die and know it's your fault."That had been

Kayla's POVXavier inhaled slowly, then spoke. “It was me. I was the one who orchestrated the last vicious attack that put your Alpha in a coma. I was the one who poisoned Alpha Adrian and left him for dead.” The council hall was dead silent after Xavier’s last words. I couldn't blame them, because hell! even I couldn't believe that my ex husband had just thrown his life on the line like that! My heart pounded so loudly in my chest that I could almost swear everyone around me could hear it. He had confessed—actually confessed—to attacking Adrian?!Had the sky turned green? was fire no longer hot and water no longer wet? What the hell was going on? Adrian’s voice cut through the air, low and sharp. “Do you realize,” he said, his gaze boring into Xavier, “that confessing to trying to kill the Alpha is a crime punishable by death?” “I know.” Xavier’s tone was calm. Almost… resigned. A ripple went through the room. People gasped. My stomach tightened because truly,Why was he doing t

Adrian's POVThe council hall was suffocating with tension, every pair of eyes fixed on me, on Mia, on Augustine. The echo of Mia’s trembling voice still hovered like a ghost in the hall after she spat out Rogan’s name.Augustine slammed his palm against the table, the sound sharp enough to make a few councilmen flinch. His face flushed red with fury.“Lies!” Augustine roared. “This woman is a liar, a pathetic jealous mistress. She was Xavier’s plaything, nothing more. How dare you take her word as evidence? She was working with Rogan. She and Kayla both—don’t you see? Rogan used them as pawns to manipulate us all!”I crossed my arms slowly, letting his rage hang in the air before I answered. “That’s your fucking defense? Calling a repentant woman a liar while she risks her neck to expose the truth?” I leaned forward on the table, locking eyes with him. “Think, Augustine. Rogan left Mia to die. She admitted it herself—he abandoned her when she was no longer useful. Why would she help