Semua Bab The Alpha's Beta: Once Rejected, Now Desired: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Lloyd’s POVMy study looked like a battlefield. Tomes, scrolls and books lay open in every corner of the room, littering everywhere from the desk to where I stood.Some of the scrolls were stacked in precarious towers, half-burned candles dripping wax across very surface. Virtually all the books in the shelves were down, and the shelves were virtually empty.The registry with Valerija’s name lay at the center of it all, like a wound I couldn’t look away from. I’d been studying for hours. The fire in the room had died twice, and I didn’t notice until the cold started biting into my skin. My hands were black with ash and ink, eyes raw and painful from staring and scanning lines of page after page.Still, I haven’t found any clue of Elora’s whereabouts. One of these tomes was supposed to say something about her or her father. The Starks were no ordinary family, so something here should leave trace about them. But, nothing.I slammed the book I was currently reading shut, frustration b

Lloyd’s POVThe night bled red in the firelight of the torches we walked with.I pushed forward through the thicket, my cloak snapping at my heels and getting caught in the lower branches. Inside my cloak, I could still feel the weight of the map inside. Behind me, Xavier led the group of men that followed me. Ahead, I could see the entrance to the tunnels, black mouths on the rock. The scent of sweat and iron drifted into my nostrils. Guards. My clenched my jaw and drew my blade. Behind me, the sound of blades being drawn sounded. “Alpha,” one of the men muttered, sidling up beside me. “That’s a lot of steel waiting for us ahead. You’re sure you want to charge in there head first?”I shot him a glare. “Do you have any options? A beta who’s done nothing wrong is down there.”“I was suggesting if we could give them a distraction,” he said. “They are too many, and we don’t know how many is inside the tunnel.”Xavier sidled up to me on the other side. “Ragnar is right, sir. We need t

Lloyd’s POVIn the firelight of our torches, the night bled red. The woods stank of smoke and iron. I led the others, ignoring my torn cloak and boots caked with mud and blood. Behind me, the betas followed, everyone still in one piece.We had managed not to lose anyone to those riff raffs back in the tunnel. The night pressed in, the air thick with damp fog and heavy with pine. Branches clawed at my arm and face as I cut through the undergrowth, the others following suit.We busted through a clearing and stopped.“Well, this is very surprising,” I said.“Does it mean we get to go back?” Ragnar asked. Xavier crouched, looking at the grass before us and ahead. “Tracks leads this way.” His fingers brushed the earth as he traced the scuffed dirt and bent grass. “But they are light,” I added, my eyes on the path Xavier just touched. “Whosoever is with her knows hw to move unseen. She’s not alone.”“Shouldn’t that worry you, sir?” Ragnar asked. “It’s better than her bleeding out in a

Lloyd’s POVWe had just returned from the tunnel and the kidnap. By my authority, I had restored all of Elora's privilege, including scaling her up the ranks so she can stay close and be under the radar of my protection detail.That seemed like the way to keep her safe and free from the ploys of Darius and the others. It doesn't stop me though from looking for a way to find out what it is that that they are really going on about.But pending that, Elora can be safe, and her father's actions cannot be used against her.That afternoon, I was outside, watching the others train when she showed up.“Alpha,” she breathed as she got close.I turned to her. “Elora Stark. How are you feeling now?”Her colour had returned, and she was looking ready in her new, black uniform.Her hair was parked together behind and braided into a single ponytail, lying on her right shoulder.“I'm great,” she drew in the afternoon air. It was sunny, but it was a little airy too.I nodded at her. “You should tak

Lloyd’s POVThe numerous, open tomes and scrolls in my study had reduced, but were still open. This time, I was looking for things to help me deal with my current situation.I believed that there was a loophole somewhere in the law that allowed for alphas to escape standing a hearing after going against the council.It’s been since morning, but I’ve not been able to find something reasonable. At some point, I was beginning to wonder if there was any loophole in the law at all. I slapped the tome I was looking through shut and stood up from my deskchair. Walking to one of the shelves, my eyes scanned the tomes there until I noticed an ancient one.This one had an old, textile material cover. The binding was well stricken in years. I slammed it on the desk, sending a century of dust ascending towards my face. I covered my nose with my cloak.Slowly, I peeled the book open and read slowly. Everything I saw contained information that could help an alpha escape a trial by the council,