Semua Bab Alpha’s Regret: Reclaiming His Forsaken Mate: Bab 51 - Bab 55

Thalia’s POV: “What in the world—?” The words were a breathless whisper, stolen from my lips by the sheer impossibility of what I was seeing. I moved slowly, almost reverently, to stand beside Xander, my arm brushing against his. We stood at the heart of the garden, but it felt like we were standing at the heart of the universe itself. At the heart of the garden, was a vast, circular pool and in it stood a tree so ancient it seemed to hum with the memory of a thousand years. But this was no ordinary pool. The water was thick and viscous, shimmering with a silvery, mercury-like glow. It looked as if the night sky had been melted and poured into its basin, a million tiny stars winking and glittering on its surface. A few fallen leaves from the great tree floated there, not like debris, but like offerings on a celestial sea. And the tree… the tree was alive with magic. Its bark was etched with swirling, luminous veins that pulsed with a soft, rhythmic light—a slow, steady he

Thalia’s POV: A hand clamped onto my arm and yanked me into the shadows of a hallway pillar. I was pulled behind it, my back pressed against the person who held me. I opened my mouth to scream, but another hand slapped over it, silencing me. I struggled, trying to twist my way free. “Let me go,” I snarled, the command muffled against her palm as I tried to wrench myself free. “It’s me, it’s me,” a familiar voice whispered urgently from behind. “Calm down, Thalia.” I knew that voice. Could it be—? “It’s me, Lillian.” she whispered, taking her hand slowly away from my mouth and turned me around to face her. And then, she pushed back the hood of her black cloak. *Gods.* “Lillian!” I gasped, my voice a quiet whisper full of excitement. I threw my arms around her in a tight hug and held on for a long moment. When I finally let go, I kept my hands on her arms. “Wait, how did you—?” I started to ask. “No time to explain,” she said, her voice low and rushed. “You need