THE ALPHA’S PUBLIC REJECTION のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 121 - チャプター 130

DRAKE POVThe first light of dawn was a pale, yellowish gold on the horizon, doing little to warm the chill that is deep within my bones. I stood in the pack house gardens, as the dew filled grass soaked my boots, but I barely felt it. My mind was a prison, and every corner of it was filled with the same image…Lillian’s eyes, wide with terror, just before she silently pleaded with me to break her own heart.How is she? The question kept replaying over and over in my chest. Did she sleep? Is she blaming me? Does she hate me now for that denial?The noise of gravel under shoes broke the morning’s quiet, and a young messenger, looking as sleep deprived as I felt, approached gingerly and bowed.“Alpha Drake,” he said quietly, “Alpha Kael requests an audience with you at your earliest convenience.” I do not turn. “Inform Alpha Kael that I am receiving visitors on the gardens this morning. The fresh air is…..necessary.”The messenger bowed again and hurried off, and I did not have to wait

ANDRE POVLucas and I left Drake’s study in a heavy silence, with the weight of his confession pressing down on us. We did not speak until we were well down the hallway, away from any prying ears.“Moon Goddess,” Lucas finally breathed as he ran a hand over his face. “He did not just step on the tiger’s tail, he pulled it out by the roots. Declaring war on a powerful Alpha in his daughter’s sitting room…. I knew he was stressed, but this…”“He is not just stressed, Lucas,” I nodded, with my mind racing through the fallout. “He is backed into a corner. A corner filled with silk and poisoned with Elara’s perfume. I can’t even blame him. That princess would try the patience of even a saint, and our Alpha is many things, but he is no saint.”“Us sympathizing with him is one thing,” Lucas murmured. “And dealing with the consequences is another. Kael’s pride is legendary. He will not just slink away. He will retaliate. We need to be ready for anything from economic sanctions to outright bor

LILLIAN POVI was folding a sweater into my suitcase when a sharp knock at the door made me jump out of my skin. I froze and sniffed the air cautiously, then a wave of relief washed over me as I recognized the familiar scents.“It is open, come in,” I called out as I relaxed the tension of my shoulders.The door swung open to reveal Salome and Lydia, with concern etched on their faces. “How are you holding up?” Salome asked as she stepped inside.I forced a bright smile on my face. “I have never been better, honestly. Just…getting a head start on packing.” I looked at their worried faces with guilt in my heart. “I am so sorry, both of you. It seems my issues are a constant source of worry. I never meant to drag you both into this drama.”Salome waved her hand dismissively. “Do not dare apologize. That is what friends are for. And for the record, you did not drag us, we jumped in willingly.”“She is right,” Lydia added, as she perched on the edge of my bed. “We are in this with you.”I

ANDRE POVThe dinner was filled with so much tension that we had to finish our meal with bated breath. Alpha Kael, who seemed to be in a happy mood, turned his attention to me. “Beta Andre,” he began, with his tone dripping with a false sincerity. “I feel I must apologize once more for the way my daughter and I treated your mate, Lillian, during our little meeting. It was an unfortunate incident.”I gave a polished, diplomatic smile, the kind I had reserved for difficult pack negotiations. “Think nothing of it, Alpha Kael. I hope the misunderstanding has been cleared up so it won’t….repeat itself.”“It has, it has,” he said, and nodded slowly. “And I must admit, I see her as a truly dashing young woman. I like her and her mother very much. Such strength and grace.” He took a long sip of his wine. “But I could not help but notice something….curious. She is unmarked. Even with her mate present. Why is that?”I could feel Drake’s gaze on me like a physics weight on my skin. So I crafted

LILLIAN POVElara’s voice was like a shrill cry in the peaceful night. “You are nothing but a pack prostitute! Today it is Drake, tomorrow it is Andre, and the next it is that new wolf, Baron! You are so man-hungry and shameless!”The accusation was so vile and unfair that it stole my breath. “You know nothing about my relationship with Andre to say such spiteful words!” I shot back with so much bitterness I had ever felt before.“Relationship?” She spat back in disgust. “What relationship? The one where you are a whore who can not decide which brother to sleep with?”Drake growled angrily, “That is your last warning, Elara.”Before the confrontation could go out of hand, Alpha Kael’s voice boomed from the corridor. “Is everything alright in there? I heard raised voices!”What happened next was so fast that my mind could barely keep up. In the split second we were distracted, Elara’s eyes darted, from the hallway to Drake, and then she moved. She did not look at me, she threw herself