All Chapters of THE PRINCESS THE ALPHA REJECTED: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Ariana’s POVThe second morning came without resistance.I woke before the light had fully spread across the room, my eyes opening gradually as awareness settled in rather than rushing me awake. The bed no longer felt unfamiliar in the way it had the day before, though I was still conscious of its softness, of how easily it held me compared to what I had grown used to. The pillows were too perfect, the sheets too smooth, everything arranged in a way that required no effort from me.For a moment, I remained still, listening.There was no immediate sound beyond the faint movement of air through the curtains and the distant, controlled rhythm of life beginning somewhere beyond my door. It was a different kind of quiet than what I had left behind, not empty, but measured, as though even silence here followed a pattern.I turned slightly onto my side, my gaze drifting across the room. Everything was exactly where it had always been, untouched by time or absence. The wardrobe stood polished

Ariana’s POVAriana sank into the plush armchair in her mother’s sitting room, the scent of lavender and polished wood wrapping around her like a gentle hug. Her mother, seated opposite with a cup of tea in hand, regarded her with quiet curiosity, her eyes bright with both pride and a hint of worry. It had been weeks since Ariana returned to the royal pack, but this moment—just the two of them—felt intimate in a way the bustling halls and formal duties never allowed.“I didn’t realize how different it could be,” Ariana began, her fingers tracing the delicate rim of her cup. “Silvercrest was… it had its charm, but it was nothing like home. The way the people there care more about power, authority, it made me appreciate what we have here even more.”Her mother nodded, leaning slightly forward. “I’m glad you saw it that way. I wanted you to learn, to experience things outside the palace walls, but I worried about how much you’d miss the comfort of our routines.”Ariana smiled, though th

Ariana’s POVI did not sleep well that night, even though my decision had felt clear when I made it.Leaving the royal pack had seemed like the only way to fix what I had been avoiding. I wanted to go to Silvercrest, stand in front of Adrian, Leah, and Ethan, and finally tell them everything without holding anything back. The thought stayed with me into the morning, steady but heavy, like something I could no longer ignore.I dressed quickly, already thinking about how I would speak to my father. I had planned it in the simplest way I could manage. I would tell him I needed to leave for a few days, explain that it was something personal, and return before anything important required my presence.It sounded reasonable in my head, but something about it still felt uncertain.As I approached the council chamber, I noticed the voices inside before I even reached the door. They were louder than usual, carrying a sense of urgency that made me pause for a brief moment before stepping in. Whe

Leah’s POVI had tried to ignore it at first, but the feeling refused to go away.Ariana had been gone for two weeks, and nothing about her silence felt normal. I kept telling myself she was just settling back into her life, adjusting to whatever responsibilities she had left behind before coming to Silvercrest. That explanation made sense in theory, but the longer it went on, the less I believed it.I stood near the edge of the training field, watching a group of students go through their drills. Their movements were steady, though not perfect, and I knew I should be paying attention. Instead, my focus kept slipping, pulled back to the same thought I had been trying to avoid.Ariana would not just disappear like this.“You’ve been staring at the same spot for a while.”Ethan’s voice came from beside me, calm and familiar. I did not turn immediately, but I knew he was watching me, waiting for me to admit what was already obvious.“I’m watching the drills,” I said, though even to me it

Adrian’s POVThe journey to the royal pack had been long enough to give me time to think, and that alone made it more difficult than it should have been. Normally, I would have used the hours to focus on strategy, on preparation, and on the kind of presence I needed to carry into something as important as leadership training. This was not just another gathering. It was a place where strength was measured in more than physical ability, and where every decision, every word, and every reaction would be noticed.This time, my thoughts did not stay where they were supposed to.They kept returning to Ariana.I had not heard from her in any real way since she left, and the silence had settled into something I could no longer ignore. It was not the kind of distance that came from being busy or distracted. It felt deliberate, though I could not understand why she would choose that. The more I thought about it, the less sense it made, and that only added to the tension I carried with me as we