Semua Bab Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Crown: Bab 201 - Bab 210

Ember Frost’s POVHe paused, then continued, his voice dropping to a low, strained whisper.“The tree moved.”He glanced at us, making sure we were following every word, his eyes wide and haunted.“Not like trees swaying in the wind. It moved. Its limbs shot at me—fast, piercing. They tore through my skin like thin spears. I didn’t even have the strength to fight back. I was too tired… too weak to do anything.”I swallowed hard, a shiver crawling down my spine. The thought of being utterly powerless against a living tree—something that should have been still, rooted, safe—made my stomach churn.“But… it didn’t kill me. That’s the strange part. It just held me there, like some helpless animal trapped in a snare. Its needles flexed, almost like fingers, and lashed at me. Stinging pain shot through my arms and legs as they twisted and coiled around me, relentless and unyielding.”“I couldn’t fight back. My muscles refused to obey. Every attempt to push away felt like dragging through thi

Ember Frost’s POVOrion didn’t respond right away. He just looked over at Henry, his eyes lingering a second longer than usual.I caught on to what he meant without a word. I gave one last glance toward the room, then quietly followed him into the hallway, leaving the door shut behind me.The moment we were alone, he exhaled, his expression tightening.“I don’t trust this,” he said under his breath. “Not yet. We don’t even know if that man in there is really Henry.”I frowned slightly, but didn’t interrupt.“The timing alone is off,” he continued. “He shows up out of nowhere, right when it’s just the two of us around? Asking for help like that? It feels planned.” He shook his head. “You don’t know him. And I haven’t seen him in years. Even if something’s wrong, we might not catch it.”He paused, like he was putting the pieces together in his head.“And that story of his…” Orion shook his head slowly. “I’m trying to make sense of it, but I can’t. It just sounds off—especially the part

Eira's POVEmber told me they weren’t planning to leave Henry where he was. He was still down at the foot of the mountain, and they intended to send him back to the palace—whether he agreed to it or not.From the way she said it, it didn’t sound like a simple request. More like a decision that had already been made.“But even if we send him back,” I said, “that still doesn’t prove who he really is.”I paused, then added, “We’d just be bringing the same question back home… with no clear answer.”To make matters worse, even Elder Anna’s tracing spell showed nothing. Everything seemed normal… and that was the problem.So what were we supposed to rely on next? A DNA test? The thought almost felt pointless.If whatever we were dealing with could copy a person’s bloodline… even their soul… then copying a body wouldn’t be much harder, would it? At that point, what was left that we could actually trust?I wasn’t sure what I had said that triggered it, but something must have clicked for Ember.

Ember Frost’s POVI kept my eyes on Henry as he stood along the mountainside, watching every move, every reaction. But no matter how closely I studied him, nothing felt out of place. He was… too perfect. Not a single crack to hold on to.For a moment, I couldn’t help but wonder—if this demon ever grew tired of the underworld, he wouldn’t struggle to fit in here. He could slip into human life quietly, take a simple role, maybe in a craft or trade, where no one would question him. With the way he studied and copied people, he wouldn’t just blend in—he’d stand out without even trying. He could make a life for himself, gain respect, and no one would ever guess the truth behind that calm, perfect mask.The other Henry had already been sent back to the palace. But with two versions of the same man in play, I couldn’t afford to trust what I was seeing. Reaching out to my parents wasn’t an option either. As the Captain, Henry controlled all important emails. Every email in or out passed throu

Ember Frost’s POVWe’ve had clear skies for a few days now, so this sudden shift feels a bit off. Then, almost out of nowhere, snow started falling—thick, fast, and heavy enough to cover everything in white.Still, it didn’t bother us much. In this place, winter was constant—we’d learned to move through it like it was nothing.Being used to it didn’t make it easier. There’s a difference between putting up with something and actually wanting it. And lying out in the cold until noon, feeling the chill sink deep into my bones, was definitely not my idea of a good time.The cold had soaked through my clothes a long time ago. My fingers were stiff, my legs barely responding. Every breath felt sharp in my chest, like I was inhaling ice. If I stayed like this any longer, I might just freeze into the ground and become part of it.So this was what they meant by keeping watch.At first, I thought this would be simple. Just sit, observe, and wait. It wasn’t. No one tells you how slowly time move