CHAPTER 61 - The fall

LIORA’S POVThe rain started as a light drizzle, but within minutes it became a downpour.The coachman and the male servants worked frantically on the broken wheel, their clothes quickly soaking through. But progress was slow, the rain making everything slippery and difficult.“This isn’t working,” the coachman shouted over the increasing wind. “The rain’s making it impossible to set the rim properly. We need to wait for it to pass.”“We can’t just stand here in the storm,” Darren said, water already dripping from his hair. “We need shelter.”“My lord!” One of the maids pointed into the tree line. “I saw what looked like an old hunting shelter that way. Maybe a quarter mile in.”“Show us,” Darren commanded.The maid led the way, and we all followed in a hasty line. The servants grabbed what supplies they could carry from the wagon. The forest floor was already turning muddy, making each step treacherous. I held my skirts up as best I could, trying not to slip.“Stay close,” Darren ca

CHAPTER 62 - The Storm

ELORA’S POVThe carriage swayed gently as we traveled, but I couldn’t settle.I kept lifting the edge of the curtain to peer out the window, scanning the road behind us for any sign of Darren’s carriage. Nothing. It was just an empty road and distant trees.“My lady,” my head handmaiden, Iris, said sharply. “Please keep the curtains closed. The dust from the road will ruin your complexion.”I let the fabric fall back into place, my jaw clenching with irritation. “I was just checking our position.”“We’re exactly where we’re supposed to be. Fourth in the convoy, as befits your station.” Iris’s tone was prim. “Lord Darren’s carriage will arrive when it arrives. Your fretting won’t make it go faster.”I wanted to snap at her, but Iris had been with me since childhood. She was one of the few people who could speak to me with such bluntness without consequence.Instead, I picked up my embroidery, trying to focus on the delicate stitches. But my mind kept wandering to that wolfless bitch in

CHAPTER 63 - The Stream.

LIORA’S POVSleep found me eventually despite the discomfort of the cave floor and my aching side.But dreams came with it.I was back in Lord Cassius’s estate, standing in the main hall as Lady Becca’s shrill voice condemned me.“Murderer! You poisoned my husband!”The guards grabbed my arms, dragging me toward the door. But this time there was no trial, no sentence, no delay.They took me straight to the courtyard where a scaffold waited.“No,” I gasped, struggling against their grip. “Please, I didn’t do it. Someone help me!”But no one came. The crowd watched with cold, indifferent eyes as they forced me up the steps.Darren stood among them. I called his name, begged him to save me like he had before.He just turned away.The rope went around my neck, rough hemp scratching my skin.“Please,” I sobbed. “Someone help me. Please!”The floor dropped away beneath my feet.“Liora!”Hands shook my shoulders. I jerked awake with a scream that echoed off the cave walls, my whole body trem

CHAPTER 64 - Found

LIORA’S POVPanic clawed at my chest as I searched the area around the stream.“Darren!” I called again, my voice echoing off the trees. “This isn’t funny!”No response. Just the endless burble of water over stones and the rustle of leaves in the breeze.He wouldn’t just leave me. No He wouldn’t.Unless something had happened to him. What if he’d fallen? Been attacked by an animal? Or Gotten lost himself?I had to find him.I started walking upstream, thinking maybe he’d gone that direction to scout. My wet shift clung to my legs, making movement awkward.The rocks along the stream bank were still slippery from the rain. I tried to be careful, but my focus was split between watching my footing and scanning the forest for any sign of Darren.My foot landed on a moss-covered stone. It gave way beneath me.I fell hard, my ankle twisting at an unnatural angle. Pain shot up my leg so intense that black spots danced across my vision.A cry tore from my throat before I could stop it.“Liora!

CHAPTER 65 - Following

LUCAS’S POVI stared at the document in front of me, reading the same line for the third time without comprehending a single word.Trade agreements with the northern territories. Important, time-sensitive matters that required my immediate attention.But my mind refused to cooperate.Where was she? What was happening with the search party? Had they found Darren’s carriage yet?I forced my eyes back to the document. The northern clans wanted a reduction in tariffs for grain exports in exchange for…Were they safe? Had something happened during the storm? What if they were injured?My jaw clenched with frustration. This was ridiculous. I was the Alpha, with an entire pack depending on my leadership, and I couldn’t focus because of one girl.One girl who was my son’s surrogate and therefore absolutely off limits.I thought about Darren’s possessive claim yesterday morning. She belongs with me. The tone in his voice, the way he’d looked at me when he said it.A challenge, more of a warnin

All Chapters of THE ALPHA’S QUIET TEMPTATION : Chapter 61 - Chapter 65

CHAPTER 61 - The fall

CHAPTER 62 - The Storm

CHAPTER 63 - The Stream.

CHAPTER 64 - Found

CHAPTER 65 - Following