All Chapters of Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Crown: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Ember Frost’s POVMy father had reached out to the Duke, hoping to discuss Alina’s unsettling behavior. To everyone’s astonishment, the Duke refused to take any action.“How dare you,” he snapped. “Do you realize what you’re implying about my daughter—and about me?”No matter how patiently my father tried to explain, the Duke wouldn’t budge. It was as though he didn’t truly care if Alina was at risk. Every justification he gave was wrapped in the claim that he was merely protecting her.What a baffling relationship between father and daughter.In the end, the Northern Duke gave in and allowed the security team to perform a discreet witchcraft assessment on Alina. However, it had to be done in total secrecy, with strict instructions that Alina couldn’t find out.The inspection was scheduled for the Silver Lantern Festival, but my father had never mentioned it would take place on the truck procession. Unfortunately, the procession ran from dawn until dusk, leaving the inspectors no cha

Ember Frost’s POV“By the way…” my mother suddenly chimed in, her voice full of concern. “It seems Dane has already chosen someone he wants as a husband for Alina.”“What? Already?” I was shocked. “Is he really that confident about Alina’s current state? We have solid proof of her magical instability, and yet he’s thinking about matchmaking her? As a father, shouldn’t he be more cautious?”My father frowned, concern etched on his face. “Something about Dane feels off. He hasn’t acted like this before. Remember last year, at the Silver Lantern Festival? He was always so careful, principled, and protective of Alina. She’s always been quiet and respectable, too. Now, both of them… they seem different. I can’t get rid of the feeling that Dane might have fallen under some kind of dark influence.”“That can’t be true!” my mother blurted out, disbelief flashing in her eyes. “Dane has always been an incredibly skilled warrior. Not even a legendary wizard could have bested him.”“But Eira ment

Orion’s POV ​It was absurd. The northern Duke’s affection for his daughter was understandable. But for my own father to entertain such a ridiculous idea—unthinkable.“Calm down, son,” my father replied evenly. “It’s nothing more than a proposal. There’s no harm in letting young people get to know each other better, is there?”“No, Father,” I snapped. “I refuse. I won’t meet Alina, and I certainly won’t be engaged to her. Our family hasn’t fallen so low that we need to trade marriages to maintain our standing.”After a stretch of heavy silence, my father slowly set his cup of black tea on the table and looked at me.“Tell me why,” he pressed at last.“Why what?” I frowned, confused. "Isn't it absurd to fall for a girl who's barely of age? Isn’t that reason enough?”“That’s not what I’m asking,” he countered, his tone calm but unyielding. “I know you better than that, Son. What’s really behind your refusal?”“…That’s all there is to it,” I muttered, averting my eyes. “Nothing more.”E

Ember Frost’s POV“My Princess, are you sure you’re okay?”I splashed water on my face and stared at my broken reflection. The heaviness of my own sadness pressed down on me as Millie’s worried voice cut through the silence, repeating the same question over and over.I wanted to tell her I was fine and reassure her. I wished for a smile to hide my worry. But the words wouldn’t come.Inside, I was unraveling. Every thought was tangled. My heart beat with pain I couldn’t hide. I was lost and broken.Could I really blame Orion for what happened? Did I have the right to be angry at him for not telling me everything?I tried to convince myself I did. After all, I was his girlfriend, and in a relationship like ours, there should be no secrets.But then I stopped myself. Was it fair for me to accuse Orion when I've also kept secrets? I’d been dishonest from the very beginning.‘Ember’ was gone, nothing more than a memory—a facade I had outgrown.Now, "Celeste" was who I truly was—the princes

Ember Frost’s POV"You know exactly where the problem lies, so why haven’t you dealt with it yet? It all started with secrecy, and it can end the same way. Why not just tell him the truth? Let Orion know who you really are, and inform the king and Queen about your connection with him. That’s the quickest way to end this."I shook my head firmly. "I can’t do that.""Why not?" she pressed. "You can’t ignore it; this is the simplest solution to all of it."As much as I hated to admit it, she wasn’t wrong. Her words made perfect sense.But still, why did it feel so difficult?"Of course you won’t. Too scared to face it, right? Keep running, if you want," Juniper scoffed, her voice dripping with contempt.I shut her voice out, pretending not to hear.Deep down, I knew she was right, but fear held me back. I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing the disappointment in the eyes of those I loved.“How pathetic,” Juniper mocked. “But let’s be honest, you don’t really have a choice, do you? Either