All Chapters of Rejected by the Prince, Claimed by the Alpha: Chapter 81 - Chapter 85

Elara found the greenhouse three days later. Not because Darius showed it to her, but because she got lost. Technically.The lodge was larger than it looked from the outside, connected to several older structures built into the mountainside over decades of territorial expansion. Most of them weren't used often anymore.Elara had been exploring after lunch when she opened the wrong door at the end of a quiet hallway and found a narrow stone path winding downhill through the snow.Curiosity won immediately. Twenty minutes later, Elara was standing in front of a long glass building tucked against the side of the mountain.The greenhouse. For a moment, Elara simply stared at it. The structure was beautiful in a quiet way. Snow rested along the sloped glass roof while winter sunlight reflected softly against the panes. Warm air fogged portions of the glass from within.Someone had taken care of this place, a lot of care.Elara pushed open the door. Warmth wrapped around her instantly. She

The problem with realizing something was impossible to ignore was that it remained impossible to ignore afterward. Elara discovered this the next morning while standing in the kitchen pretending to make tea.The tea had been finished for almost five minutes. Elara was still standing there. thinking.which was apparently becoming a serious problem."You're staring at hot water again."Elara looked up.Darius stood in the doorway holding a mug of coffee.His coat was gone. His hair was still slightly damp from a shower. The exhaustion Elara had noticed yesterday had eased somewhat after an actual night's sleep.The sight of him triggered an embarrassing amount of relief.which was exactly the problem."No, I'm not.""You absolutely are.""I was contemplating tea.""That's not how tea works."She narrowed her eyes.Darius looked completely unconcerned.The kitchen was quiet this early. Pale winter sunlight spilled through the windows while snow-covered pines stretched endlessly beyond th

Elara should have known Mara wasn't finished. The warning signs had been obvious. The woman had spent most of yesterday dismantling years of carefully maintained Alpha dignity while enjoying herself far too much. Someone like that didn't simply wake up the next morning and decide to behave.Which was why Elara wasn't entirely surprised when she walked into the library after lunch and found Mara carrying a battered storage box beneath one arm.Darius looked up from the reports spread across the coffee table. The moment he saw the box, his expression changed. "No."Mara paused. "I haven't even said anything.""You don't need to.""I could be bringing important territorial documents.""You aren't."Mara looked offended. "That was one time.""It was twelve times."Without another word, she set the box on the coffee table.Elara immediately became suspicious.Darius looked resigned.Neither reaction improved her confidence.Mara removed the lid. Photographs. Stacks of them. Loose photograp