Alpha king's lost mate: eternal mate のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

Chapter Thirty Two~~Aria pov~~Two days after the confrontation with the Alpha King, I shut myself away in my room.I had not gone to work. Management had placed me on leave after Clara’s gossip spread through the pack like poison. The excuse was concerning. The truth was humiliation. It was easier to hide me than to deal with the whispers.I was sitting on the edge of my bed when the door slammed open with such force that the rusted hinges screamed in protest.I flinched.Clara stood in the doorway, her silk gown a cruel contrast to the peeling wallpaper and water stained ceiling of my room. She looked like she belonged to a different world, one that had never known hunger or fear or shame.“You selfish, conniving bitch,” Clara spat. “What did you do?”I did not turn around. I did not acknowledge her entrance beyond the way my shoulders tensed.“Clara, please,” I said flatly. My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears. “Come in if you must, but lower your voice. Your shouting will

Chapter Thirty Four~~Aria pov~~I pressed my hands to my face, trying to process what I was hearing. The implications were staggering.“This is insane. I did not. I never. I had nothing to do with any of this.”“That is not how the pack sees it,” Sophie said gently. “All the blame has fallen on you, Aria. Everyone is pointing fingers in your direction. The timing was just too perfect to be coincidence in their minds. You visit the alpha king’s mansion, and hours later, the selection is cancelled. People are drawing conclusions.”“What kind of conclusions?” I asked, even though part of me did not want to know.Sophie grimaced. “All kinds. Some say you bewitched him with dark magic. Others claim you must be his true mate and he has been hiding it this whole time. There are theories about ancient bloodline bonds, forbidden rituals, deals with rogue packs or even darker forces. Some people are saying you threatened him somehow, or that you have information that gave you leverage over him

Chapter Thirty Six~Aria pov~~The walk back to pack territory felt longer than the walk away had been. I clutched my takeout bag like a lifeline, my feet dragging with exhaustion that went bone deep. The night had grown colder, and I had not thought to bring a jacket. I wrapped my free arm around myself, trying to conserve warmth.As I crossed back into pack lands, I felt it. That subtle shift in the air that marked the boundary. Here, I was back in the world that knew me, judged me, despised me. The brief respite of anonymity was over.I kept to the shadows, avoiding the main paths. The last thing I needed was another confrontation, another set of hostile eyes, another barrage of accusations I could not defend against.I was almost to my building when I heard voices ahead. Pack members were gathered in a small group near the entrance, their conversation animated. I froze, trying to decide whether to wait for them to disperse or find another way around.The decision was made for me w

Chapter Thirty- eight ~~Third party pov ~~Lyrian was reviewing border reports when the pain hit.It started as a dull ache in his chest, easy to ignore. But within seconds, it exploded into something agonizing, a tearing sensation that drove him to his knees despite every instinct screaming at him to show no weakness.His wolf surged forward, howling in his mind with a sound of such anguish that Lyrian had to grip the edge of his desk to keep from shifting right there in his office."Calm down," he gasped.But his wolf knew better. Somehow, through the bond they shared, even though she had rejected it, his wolf could feel her distress. Could feel her pain. Could sense the severing of connections that should never be broken.Lyrian forced himself to his feet, his hands shaking. He reached for the phone to call his beta, Michel, but before he could connect, there was a knock on the door."Alpha King, it’s me, Sophie."Sophie was one of the people Lyrian had placed around Aria to prote

Chapter forty ~~Lyrianpov~~Sophie did not return toward Silvercrest. When she reached the clearing I had marked earlier, she stopped and lowered herself into a respectful bow.“Your Majesty,” she said softly. “I have given her the map.”I stepped out of the shadows.No ripple of aura. No sound of my presence. One moment the space before Sophie was empty; the next, I was there.When I appeared I saw the shift in Sophie's expression . I knew my plan worked. I was testing the level of my invincibility, how well I can hide my presence. Now seeing the surprise on Sophie's face , who was a wolf, I believe I can go even closer to Aria without her knowledge. That makes me satisfied “I saw everything,” I said. “You did well.”Relief flickered across her face before she masked it with discipline. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”My gaze drifted instinctively past Sophie, past the trees, to a place far beyond this clearing. To where Aria stood alone, soaked to the bone, trembling beneath a sky tha