All Chapters of The Alpha King’s Mate Is An Ancient: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The night deepened with Lillia’s thoughts.‘When fear spreads without a face, seek not the scream, but the silence that follows it.’ With a miniature lamp hovering over the opened book she held, its pale glow casting long shadows across the pages and her fingers, Lillia blinked slowly. She hadn’t understood a single word. Lillia read the line again, but the meaning slid away each time she tried to grasp it. Her mind wasn’t on strategy or the art of war. It lingered on the garden incident and Lady Blackwell. Fenris. It means, when terror has no obvious source, don't focus on the panic, but on the truth it seeks to hide. Fenris answered Lillia’s call firmly. Lillia inhaled softly and read the line once more. This time, the words settled differently. “I see,” she murmured. “It teaches you how to hunt an unseen threat.” Exactly. Fenris’ presence sharpened. And it couldn’t be more fitting for what happened today. Lillia’s grip tightened slightly around the book. “All the symptoms Se

“FREDA—”All the ladies spoke at once, their voices overlapping in alarm. Fenris growled. “What?” Freda shrugged off the caution with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “She deserves to know.”Lillia froze mid-moment, the porcelain cup pausing on her lips, her pale pinky lifted in perfect composure. Then, calmly, deliberately, she lowered the cup and set it upon the saucer.Freda Greyson. Fenris hissed. Seems like we have another Poppy Willis to contend with. I want to tear her eyes out, Lillia remained silent. Her gaze met Freda’s, silver and emerald exchanging invisible jolts of electricity that left the atmosphere static.Then, Lillia smiled… softly. “I see. How so?”Freda’s smirk widened. “Well, to be honest. I only came here because I was curious. You must forgive me if I don’t understand your… delightful customs. It’s always so… exotic when someone from so far away tries to join our refined world without any prior knowledge of our history, cultures and norms.” She lifted her

Lillia folded the letter slowly and set it on the table. Her fingers rose to her cheeks, brushing lightly at tears slipping free. They fell without resistance, as though her body had surrendered before her mind could catch up. “These tears…” she whispered. They weren’t hers. The moment she had read the letter, something inside had cracked open, pain and hatred surging unrestrained, sharp as thorns sinking into her heart. But beneath it all something heavier swelled; a deep and overwhelming sadness that swallowed everything else whole. Lillia stared into space. Only now did she understand the fragments she had seen when she first awoke in this body. Only now did she understand Lillia Silvervein. Fenris stirred, her voice low and grim. So, her name was never Lillia… but Liora Silvervein. And her marriage to Regaleon was as a result of deceit. Fenris paused as the painful realization sunk deeper. She was betrayed by her own twin. A fate worse than death. Lillia’s chest tighte

For a second, the world seemed to pause. Elder Greyson’s guards faltered mid-step, movements slowing as every head turned toward the path leading to the gate. But it was night, and other than the vicinities illuminated by burning torches, everywhere was pitch, even more so, the path. Yet, the thuds grew louder, and the air grew colder. All that could be felt was an oppressive presence that grew heavier with the thuds. It sent fear into everyone present as they watched with bated breaths. Suddenly— “Who said she has no authority here?” A deep voice rang out of the darkness, clear and powerful, but no one answered. The ominous presence loomed heavily, sending a tremor through the heart of Elder Greyson’s men, and the few in the vicinity backed away, snarling at whomever watched them from the darkness. Then—A massive black horse emerged, its thick dark mane shifting as it rose with a loud neigh. The men shouted, falling on their feet as they scurried away to escape its hoofs.

What—Lillia felt dizzy. The question lingered between them momentarily, and Lillia blinked, feeling like a baited prey.Then, with a slow and silent exhale, she answered. “I will always protect what’s mine.”Wind stirred her hair as her words fell flatly with silence. The torches flickered and stilled at once as if the room held its breath.Regaleon did not react at first, he stood unmoving, studying her intently.The moment stretched. But Lillia held herself still, her gaze never leaving his. She could feel the air brush against her skin, but the space between them was much too heated to feel cold.She felt exposed and bare, her defenses stripped away slowly by this man’s electrifying gaze, and she couldn’t look away. In the silence and still, his presence surrounded her, tightening the air until her breath came shallow.Then—just barely—She caught it. A subtle lift at the corner of his lips before he turned away without a word.Lillia released a breath. Then, she followed.Th