All Chapters of Rejected by the Prince, Claimed by the Alpha: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

By 11:13 p.m., Nightfall House had stopped pretending this was a normal night.The operations floor downstairs buzzed with overlapping conversations, territorial alerts, and the constant vibration of incoming calls. Security teams moved through the compound in doubled rotations while regional feeds updated every few minutes with speculation about the council vote.Elara stood near the upstairs balcony overlooking the main hall, watching wolves move quickly between rooms beneath the soft amber lights.No one looked relaxed anymore.Not even the staff trying to act calmly.Behind her, the hallway door opened quietly.“You’re hiding.”Elara glanced over her shoulder as Darius stepped onto the balcony carrying two mugs of coffee.“I’m observing.”“That’s just hiding with better branding.”Despite everything, the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.Darius crossed toward her and handed over one of the mugs. Their fingers brushed briefly in the exchange, warm against cold porcelain, and Ela

The underground garage smelled faintly of rainwater, concrete, and engine heat. A black SUV waited near the secured gate, surrounded by two Nightfall security vehicles already preparing to depart.Thunder rolled distantly overhead.Elara followed Darius toward the vehicle while wolves moved around them with efficient urgency.No one wasted movement. No one wasted words.The reality of what was happening settled more heavily with every step.Blackwater was actually coming for her.Not symbolically.Not politically.Physically.A sharp pulse of adrenaline moved through her hard enough that Darius glanced sideways before they reached the SUV.“You still with me?”“Unfortunately.”“That sounded more convincing in your head.”She exhaled shakily. “I think I’m still waiting for someone to tell me this has become too insane to be real.”Darius opened the passenger door for her. “Elara.”She looked up at him.Rain light reflected faintly in his eyes now, softening the severity of his expressi

The kettle began to whistle softly.Darius turned the burner down immediately before the sound could fully pierce the quiet.Elara watched him from the couch beside the fire, exhaustion wrapping heavier around her shoulders now that she had finally stopped moving.The room glowed amber beneath low lamps and firelight.Outside the enormous windows, rain drifted steadily through the forest while fog clung to the mountainside.Everything felt strangely far away here.The councils, the broadcasts, Kael, not gone. Just temporarily unable to reach her.Darius carried two mugs over carefully before setting one in front of her on the low table.Steam curled softly upward between them.“You looked disappointed it wasn’t whiskey,” he observed.“I’m evaluating my options.”“You’re exhausted.”“That wasn’t technically a counterargument.”One corner of his mouth shifted.Elara felt the now-familiar warmth immediately.Dangerous.She wrapped both hands around the mug instead. The heat soaked slowly

By the fourth day at the lodge, Elara had stopped feeling like a guest.Not entirely. But enough that Elara no longer hesitated before wandering into the kitchen barefoot or stealing blankets from the library couch without asking.The realization should probably have concerned her. Instead, it mostly felt inevitable.The mountain mornings had developed their own rhythm now. Fog was in the trees. Coffee was already brewing before sunrise.Darius awoke long before any reasonable person should be conscious.Elara found him that afternoon, standing out on the rear deck overlooking the valley, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, speaking quietly through an earpiece.Cold wind moved through the pines below, carrying the sharp scent of snow and cedar up the mountainside.She paused just inside the open doorway with a mug of tea in both hands.Darius noticed immediately.His gaze flicked toward her before returning to whatever unfortunate council member he was currently dismantling.“No,” he s

Elara woke on the couch with sunlight in her eyes and a crick in her neck. For several seconds, she had no idea where she was.Then the atrium came into focus around her: a stone fireplace, glass walls, forest beyond, and two blankets tangled over her legs.The record player sat quietly beside the hearth.Darius’s chair was empty. That woke her faster than the sunlight had.She pushed herself upright too quickly and immediately regretted it when her neck protested.“Bad decision,” she muttered, rubbing the sore spot beneath her ear.A mug sat on the table within reach. Still warm. Beside it was a folded note written in Darius’s neat, infuriating handwriting.You fell asleep before winning the argument. Coffee is not breakfast.Elara stared at it. Then, despite herself, she smiled. The smile faded when she heard voices from the hall.Not Darius' this time.Two wolves, speaking softly. “…Blackwater released the footage again.”“Edited?”“Worse. Spliced with the custody filing.”Elara we