Lahat ng Kabanata ng His Regret, The Crown's Claim : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

The last of the cars rolled down the gravel drive, their head lights fading as the guards shut the gates. I stood on the entrance, my feet aching in the silver heels as I let the sudden silence sink in. My soul felt like it had been scraped raw and left bare for the whole world to see. I had spent the last hour playing the perfect hostess, smiling through the pitying glances of the Elders and the thinly veiled questions of the neighboring Alphas."The Grayson pack is lucky to have such a resilient Luna," one of the Elder had whispered before leaving. It was a compliment that felt like a death sentence."Luna, please," Gina’s voice was a soft comfort behind me as she reached out, gently touching my arm. "The house is empty now, so the staff will handle the cleanup. You need to go up and sleep. You look like a ghost." She sighed."Thank you," I murmured, my voice rasping. "I truly am exhausted and I don’t think I could say another word if my life depended on it."She smiled warmly. “Th

The gray light of dawn filtered through the curtains of the guest room at the far end of the mansion, casting long shadows across the floor. I yawned, scratching my eyes as I sat up. I didn't sleep early and I annoyingly woke up way too early. I was probably too stressed and my body was refusing to shut down. I felt a bit feverish and every time I moved, there was a sharp ache in my eyelids and at the back of my neck. I sat up slowly, my head throbbing then I pulled back the sleeve of my gown and stared at the mark on my arms where Cade had grabbed. I thought it would have faded by now but there were still four purplish bruises which had bloomed against my pale skin. In our five years of marriage, through every cold silence and every dismissive comment, he had never been rough with me before or tried to force himself on me. He had been a neglectful husband, but never a physical one. Now, the memory of him pinning me against the wall, the smell of whiskey on his breath as he tried to

I turned to head inside, desperate to scrub the feel of Cade's touch from my skin, but his voice caught me, low and gravelly with a paranoia he couldn't seem to shake."It doesn't make sense, Risa," he muttered, pacing a short line on the gravel. "A King wouldn't just survey the North for the fresh air. I had my best trackers on him the entire time. I expected him to scout the border, to look for weaknesses in our fortifications, maybe even visit the silver mines. If he wanted to seize this pack by force, those are the moves he’d make."I stopped, my hand on the iron railing, and rolled my eyes. "And? What did your best trackers find?""Absolutely nothing," Cade snapped, his frustration boiling over. "He didn't leave the mansion walls. He spent his time in the library, the dining hall, and the guest wing. That’s what’s so damned suspicious. A demon like Kael wouldn't just sit idle. He was doing something right under our noses, something so secretive even my men couldn't detect his mo

I sank into the armchair, the crimson silk of my dress rustling like dry leaves on my skin. Axel dropped into the chair opposite me, his long legs stretching out as he let out a low whistle."I have to say," he began, a lopsided grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I was really impressed out there by you. The old you would have spent twenty minutes apologizing for my rudeness just to keep him from scowling at dinner. Seeing you tell him you don't take orders? That was worth the ride over here. That's my girl right there." He winked teasingly as he nudged my shoulder. I let out a short snicker, staring into the steam rising from my cup. "The old me was clearly a fool. I was so busy trying to be the perfect Luna that I forgot I was born an Alpha’s daughter first. I spent five years shrinking myself so he could feel tall. I’m just... I’m done being small."Axel’s expression shifted, the teasing light in his eyes dying down into something more somber. He leaned forward, his elbows

I scoffed, the sound sharp and echoing against the high ceiling. I didn’t have the energy for this, not after Axel’s warmth that at least made me feel a bit better after all the sour mood I've been in since I returned. I moved to brush past him, my skirts swishing, but Cade’s hand clamped around my upper arm.I stopped dead, my spine stiffening. I didn't turn to look at him, but I felt the heat of his gaze."Risa," he growled, his voice low and vibrating with a warning. "Don't you dare walk away from me when I am speaking to you."He glanced pointedly at the two guards stationed by the heavy doors. They were standing like statues, but their ears were practically twitching. Cade leaned in, his breath hot against my ear, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper."You are undermining my authority in front of my own people," he hissed. "You treat me like a stranger in my own halls. What do you expect the pack to do? How can they respect an Alpha whose own Luna treats him with such blatan