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Semua Bab The Alpha's Betrayal: My Second Chance To Defy Fate: Bab 31 - Bab 40

170 Bab

THIRTY ONE

RONAN'S POVI left my lounge to find Sara. It had been a while since I'd seen her, and I was starting to worry. The hallways of the estate were quiet except for the soft footsteps of servants going about their duties. I stopped an Omega who was passing by."Have you seen Lady Maychild?" I asked her.She shook her head. "No, my Alpha."I continued down the hallway, turning the corner when I nearly bumped into my mother. I stepped back, about to apologize, when I noticed the streak of red running from her nose."Mother, you're bleeding," I said, reaching out to tilt her face toward the light. The blood was bright red against her pale skin."What's going on?" I asked, pulling a handkerchief from my pocket. "Sara was bleeding too."My mother's eyes widened. "Yeah. I bumped into her." She paused but I could tell there was something she wanted to know. "Did Riona, my maid show up?""No, she didn't," I said, watching her reaction carefully.She sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly. "Good.

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THIRTY TWO

CIARA'S POV My phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Again and again, her name flashed across the screen.Mom.I didn’t need to answer to know what it was about. The healer had probably told them. Maybe even the sentinel too. The whole estate was a mouth that couldn’t keep itself shut.By the time I reached the gate of our territory, I already knew what I’d find.The guard posted there stared at me. Not the usual casual glance, not the nod of recognition I was used to. This one was stiff, overly alert, like I had sprouted a second head since the last time he saw me. He opened the gate, no words spoken. Just a look that confirmed my suspicions.The drive in was short, but not short enough to avoid the tension building in my chest. And there they were, standing by the foyer. My parents. My mother’s expression unreadable. My father holding something behind his eyes that didn’t sit right.I stepped out of the car slowly, trying to maintain a calm I no longer felt. “What is this about?” I asked, k

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THIRTY THREE

DARRAGH'S POVI turned when I felt someone watching me.Sara.She was standing there, half-shadowed by the breeze that tugged at her hair, and she looked—off. Her eyes were red, her expression caught somewhere between anger and something else I couldn’t place. There was blood on her shirt.My smile faltered.I walked up to her slowly. “Sara,” I said, careful. “What’s wrong?”She blinked like she’d forgotten I was there. “Something got into my eyes,” she said.That didn’t explain the blood. I looked again, more carefully. It was streaked on her collar, dried into the fabric. “That doesn't explain the rest of this.”She shrugged. “Must be stress,” she said with a small laugh. “I’m not bleeding anymore.” She leaned forward a little and tilted her head back, pointing to the inside of her nose. “See?”I wasn’t convinced, but I didn’t push. Not yet.“We should have that checked when we get back home,” I told her.“Sure,” she said with another short laugh. Her voice was tired.We locked eyes

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THIRTY FOUR

CIARA'S POVThe pack healer was kind about it, which made it harder to say no. Or at least, not now."I think we should start practicing together," she said, her eyes warm with an understanding that somehow made everything worse. "Nothing too deep. Just simple control exercises. You need to stretch it, Ciara. The source will grow faster the more you engage with it."I nodded slowly, heart thudding behind my ribs like a trapped bird. "I hear you... I just... need a little time."She studied my face, her gaze both gentle and knowing, as if she could see the storm churning beneath my skin. Then she smiled. "You don't have to rush. I'll be here when you're ready."I told her I'd get back to her soon and thanked her for understanding. The moment she walked off, I turned and started pacing. Back and forth. Across the long hallway near the west windows, where the early afternoon sun leaked through the curtains in golden lines that warmed my skin when I passed through them, only to feel the c

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THIRTY FIVE

DARRAGH'S POVI pushed open the pub doors and stepped into a wall of noise and heat. Liquor fumes mingled with sweat and cheap cologne in the amber-lit space. The crowd wasn't exactly the country club type—more the sort who settled arguments with fists rather than words. My gaze swept across the room until I spotted her.Ciara sat slumped on a barstool, hair tumbling wildly around her face. Her cheeks were flushed pink, eyes half-lidded as she swayed slightly to music only she could hear. But what made my blood run cold was the man sitting beside her, leaning in close enough to count her eyelashes, his fingers inching toward her hand like a spider.Something primal took over. I crossed the floor in four long strides and caught his wrist before he made contact."Keep your fucking hands to yourself," I growled, applying just enough pressure to make him wince.The man jerked back, eyes widening with surprise before narrowing into slits.Ciara looked up, blinking slowly as recognition daw

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THIRTY SIX

CIARA'S POVMy stomach growled at the worst possible moment.I pulled my hand away from Darragh like I'd been caught stealing bread. "That is so embarrassing," I muttered, though a laugh was already escaping my lips.Darragh chuckled, low and warm. "Sounds like we need to fix that. I know just the place.""What, you have a restaurant for inappropriate stomach noises? How specific." I raised an eyebrow, enjoying the way his lips quirked up at the corners.My phone vibrated again—probably the fiftieth time since I left the estate—and this time, I didn't even bother to look. I shut it off completely and shoved it into my pocket. For tonight, I didn't want to be anyone's daughter, anyone's Luna, or anyone's healer.Just Ciara.The drive was short, and when we pulled up to the restaurant, my eyes widened. The place looked like something straight out of a fairy tale—soft golden lights wrapped around tall columns, flowers blooming across carved wood archways, and a faint scent of jasmine in

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THIRTY SEVEN

SARA'S POVI sat on the cold bench outside the mall, glaring at the bags around my feet. The place was mostly empty now. Staff wandered by, cleaning up, locking doors, switching off the bright fluorescent lights one section at a time. It was getting late. Too late.I pulled out my phone, thumb hovering over Darragh’s contact. I should call him. Maybe he forgot. Maybe he got caught up in something important. He always kept his promises. Always.Before I could press the button, another call buzzed in.I frowned. It wasn’t Darragh. It was Weirdo—the unfortunate name I’d saved Eamon Byrne under.I hesitated, then sighed and picked up. "What?""Are you still at the mall?" Eamon’s voice was way too casual for someone who should mind his own business."Why do you want to know?" I snapped."Because I'm coming to pick you up," he said, like it was the most natural thing in the world.I scoffed. "I can go by myself.""You don’t have a car," he pointed out. "And Darragh said you bought a lot of

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THIRTY EIGHT

CIARA'S POVThe vision hadn't faded. Not even after two glasses of water and another bite of food. It stayed right behind my eyes, flickering like a cruel memory that hadn't happened yet.Darragh. Screaming my name.A gun.A bullet tearing through his head.Blood. So much of it.I didn't know guns well, but it looked small. Sleek. A pistol, maybe. I remembered the rain too—cold, heavy, soaking through our clothes like it had a personal grudge. And then… a hand.Not a face.Just a hand.And the tattoo burned itself into my memory like it had been etched there too. A tree—dark and jagged—splitting into the earth like it was clawing its way down.The restaurant buzzed around me—cutlery clinking against plates, laughter rising and falling like waves. I pushed the food around my plate, the taste turning to ash in my mouth.Darragh slid back into his seat, running a hand through his hair."Sorry about that," he said, his voice lowered. "I sort of abandoned Sara at the mall. Had to call Eamo

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THIRTY NINE

BRIGID'S POVThe Omegas guarding the doorway flinched as I approached. Their hands twisted together, eyes darting between each other before settling on me with the trapped look of prey."Luna Brigid..." One finally spoke, voice barely above a whisper. "It's not your week."I let my lips curve upward, not quite reaching my eyes. "Then stop me." The silence stretched between us. "Go on. Try."Their shoulders slumped in defeat as they stepped aside. The heavy oak doors groaned as I pushed through into my husband's quarters. The quarters that should have been mine alone.Rich aromas of roasted meat and warm spices enveloped me as I entered. Silver clinked against porcelain from the dining room. I rounded the corner and there she stood—Marion—her white silk gown catching the candlelight, focused intently on slicing meat at the head of the table. As if this were her rightful place. As if I were the intruder."The second Luna is here," came a hesitant voice from the hallway behind me.Marion

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FORTY

DARRAGH'S POVI stood in the bathroom longer than I needed to. The shower had stopped running ten minutes ago, but I lingered, one hand gripping the towel around my waist while the other wiped steam from the mirror. My reflection stared back at me, water droplets clinging to my shoulders.The tattoo on my forearm seemed to mock me now. The tree with its roots digging deep into the earth—a symbol of brotherhood and loyalty that now marked me for death.I grabbed a second towel and rubbed it roughly over my hair, then across my chest and back. No sense dripping all over the carpet out there. No sense giving Ciara more to look at than she needed to.The memory of her eyes on me when I took off my shirt flashed through my mind. I hadn't meant to put on a show, but the way her cheeks flushed and her gaze lingered made something twist pleasantly in my gut."Get it together," I muttered to my reflection.I hung the second towel on the rack and took a deep breath. The hotel's thin bathroom do

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