บททั้งหมดของ Mates Deception : บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

Sirella’s POV The game had begun. Damien thought he was winning. He believed I had softened, that I still had feelings for him. He didn’t know that every smile, every hesitant touch, every lingering look was a carefully placed piece in the trap I was setting. Step one: weaken him. I started with small doses. Nothing strong enough to raise suspicion—just enough to make him feel off. It was tasteless, scentless, and dissolved easily into his wine. The first night, he didn’t even notice. The second, he frowned as he rubbed his temples. By the third, I saw the exhaustion creeping in, the slight hesitation in his steps, the flicker of confusion in his eyes. Good. But I couldn’t rush it. If he collapsed too quickly, they would investigate. I needed it to seem natural—like stress, like fatigue, like the weight of running a pack was finally getting to him. While the poison worked on his body, I planted doubt in his mind. It started subtly. A misplaced scroll, an altered report,

Sirella’s POVThe palace gates opened at dawn.Carriages rolled in one after the other, their wheels crunching against the gravel. The banners of noble families fluttered in the morning breeze, their symbols stitched in gold and silver. Women stepped out, one by one, their dresses flowing like spilled ink against the stone paths.The Luna candidates had arrived.I stood at the entrance of the palace, head bowed, hands folded in front of me like the obedient servant I was supposed to be. My uniform was plain, designed to make me blend into the background.And yet, I felt their eyes on me.The women whispered among themselves, their voices like the rustling of silk. They were the daughters of powerful Alphas, chosen for their beauty, their bloodlines, their ability to strengthen Damien’s rule.I watched silently as he greeted them.Damien stood tall, his posture firm, his expression unreadable. He was every bit the powerful Alpha they expected him to be. He smiled at them, nodded at the

Sirella’s POVThe night was cold.I sat by the servants’ quarters, my dress still damp, the chill seeping into my bones. My hands were clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms. My hair stuck to my skin, heavy with the scent of the fountain water. The humiliation from earlier still clung to me like a second skin.I had swallowed my pride.I had bowed my head.And Damien had done nothing.I should’ve expected it. I did expect it. But that didn’t stop the anger burning inside me.I should’ve snapped Vanessa’s neck the moment she laid hands on me.I should’ve let her drown in that fountain.A shadow moved behind me.I didn’t turn. I knew who it was.Keiran.He leaned against the wooden frame of the doorway, arms crossed, eyes unreadable. The moonlight cast sharp angles over his face, making him look even more detached than usual.“You’re here to destroy them,” he said, voice calm but firm. “Not to cry over their insults.”I exhaled slowly. “I wasn’t crying.”Keiran hummed like

Sirella’s Pov I stood before Alpha Donovan, my stance steady, my face blank. The training grounds were empty except for us. The morning sun hung low, casting long shadows across the dirt. I could feel the weight of his gaze, the way he studied me—not just my movements, but my reactions.He had been testing me for days.“Tell me, Sirella,” Donovan said, tossing a wooden training sword between his hands. “What makes a good leader?”I didn’t answer right away. I knew he wasn’t asking for a rehearsed response. He wanted to see how I thought, how I processed things.“Someone who understands people,” I said carefully. “Their strengths, their weaknesses. A leader isn’t the strongest person in the room. They’re the one who knows how to use the strong.”Donovan let out a small hum, stepping closer. “And how would you use me?”I forced my breath to stay steady. “That depends.”“On what?”I tilted my chin up slightly. “On what you want.”A slow smile pulled at his lips. “Good answer.”He moved,

Sirella’s POVThe night was a tapestry of shadows and shifting light, a realm where every secret felt exposed yet cloaked in darkness. I stepped lightly through the damp corridors of the palace, my heart still pounding from the echo of Damien’s kiss—a kiss that had been both a promise and a threat, leaving me trembling in its wake. The cool air carried the scent of rain and old stone, mingling with the faint trace of his musk. Every sensation seared into me, forcing me to confront the duality of what I felt: a desire that battled against the cold steel of duty.Earlier, as I lingered near the courtyard, I had witnessed Damien’s lips claim mine with a hunger that was as possessive as it was tender. The kiss was not merely an expression of passion; it was a silent declaration of power—a claim I was supposed to accept without question. Yet as his lips left mine, the lingering warmth did little to soothe the icy ache of betrayal. In that moment, I realized that the passion we shared was n