บททั้งหมดของ The Price Of Fate: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

Nyra’s POVMalcom took them away.The maids didn’t fight him. They didn’t shout anymore. They didn’t even try to explain themselves. The moment his hand closed around the head maid’s arm, the bravado drained out of them like water from a cracked pot.They walked away stiffly, faces pale, eyes wide with the kind of fear that said they finally understood what power looked like when it turned its full gaze on you.I should have felt relief.I did, somewhere deep.But the garden didn’t feel lighter after they were gone.Because Ronan was still standing there, and the anger rolling off him was like heat from a fire you couldn’t see but could feel in your bones.His chest rose and fell slowly, controlled. His jaw was set. His eyes were the coldest I’d ever seen them.He turned to look at me.And my stomach tightened, not because I thought he would blame me, Ronan didn’t strike me as the kind of man who punished his mate for being harmed, but because I wasn’t used to anyone looking at me lik

Nyra’s POVRonan’s house wasn’t what I expected.Not because it was extravagant, though it was far nicer than our cabin, but because it felt… new. Like the rooms hadn’t fully decided what they were yet. Like the place was still learning his habits, still waiting to be claimed by routine.The moment he opened the door and guided me inside, my feet slowed on their own.I had never been in anybody’s house before.Not as a guest.Not as someone invited in because she was wanted.The packhouse didn’t count. Servants’ quarters didn’t count. Those places were rules and orders and survival. You were allowed to exist there as long as you stayed useful and quiet.This was different.The air smelled clean, fresh wood, faint soap, something like cedar. The sitting space was simple and uncluttered, almost sparse, like whoever had been here hadn’t had time, or the desire, to fill it with softness yet. A few things had been placed down quickly: a coat over the back of a chair, boots near the entranc

Nyra’s POVReality hit like cold water.One second, I was still caught in the heat of Ronan’s arms, the world narrowed down to his breath against my skin and that wild, unfinished promise in his eyes, then a heavy knock sounded through the house, sharp enough to slice straight through the moment.I froze.So did Ronan, only for half a heartbeat.His eyes widened, just a flicker of surprise, and then his control returned in a flash of Alpha precision. It wasn’t panic. It was instinct. The kind that lived in his bones.He shifted instantly, placing his body between me and the door as if the corridor itself had become a threat. Shielding me. Covering me. Not because I couldn’t stand on my own, but because he was Ronan, and protectiveness was as natural to him as breathing.“Shh,” he breathed.His mouth brushed my forehead, quick, grounding, a promise more than a kiss. I felt it in my chest, that small, steadying touch, like he was telling me without words: I’ve got you. You’re safe. You d

Ronan’s POVI pulled her closer, until her knees touched mine, until she couldn’t mistake how serious I was.“You think you’re useless?” I asked quietly.Nyra swallowed. “I, ”“You think you’ll bring me down?” I continued, my voice dropping into that Alpha tone I rarely used on her because I didn’t want her frightened, but I needed her to hear me. To feel it.Her eyes widened slightly. She didn’t look scared.She looked… attentive.Like her body recognised dominance and couldn’t help responding.“Listen to me,” I said.Nyra’s breathing hitched.“You are my birthright,” I told her.Her lips parted.I didn’t stop.“Being with you is my birthright,” I repeated, firmer. “Not an Alpha position. Not a title. Not a seat in a hall full of vipers.”Her eyes shimmered, confusion and emotion battling in her face.I tightened my hold around her waist. “I am not giving you up for them.”Nyra’s throat bobbed. “But, ”“But nothing,” I said, the words cutting clean. “Don’t ever speak of yourself like

Nyra’s POVMoonlight bled through the window in soft silver lines, painting the room in quiet. It was already night again, and the stillness felt sacred.Ronan’s hand moved through my hair gently, slow strokes that made my eyelids flutter. His fingers were careful, almost tender in a way that didn’t match how powerful he was.“You alright?” he murmured against my hair.I nodded, voice small. “Yes.”He kissed the side of my head. “Good.”We lay there for a moment, the silence full but not heavy. I could hear his breathing, steady and deep, like he wasn’t restless at all, like he could stay like this for hours and call it enough.Then his voice came again, low and deliberate.“You don’t need to exert yourself for the challenge,” he said.I stiffened slightly, the reminder tugging me back toward reality. Ronan’s arm tightened around my waist.“Do what you can,” he continued, “and leave the rest.”I turned my head slightly, frowning. “Ronan, ”“If you feel uncomfortable,” he added, “you t