All Chapters of His False Mate, Her True Rise: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Elaine ran until she was alone and her legs finally gave out beneath her.She sank to the ground among the flowers, staring blankly at them as though they might offer her something to hold on to.Her head felt empty, yet somehow too full at the same time, and her hands had curled into fists without her even noticing.The rims of her eyes burned red, but she refused to let the tears fall.She had gone looking for her mate because she needed somewhere to put all the thoughts choking her.She had wanted to speak to Kael, to tell him what had been happening and hear him tell her she wasn’t losing her mind.Instead, she had found him standing with Seraphine, keeping another girl’s secret while refusing to trust her with the truth.The thought made her chest tighten until it hurt.Elaine tipped her head back and stared at the sky.For a few seconds, all she could hear was the rustling of leaves overhead and the pounding of her own heartbeat.Then Phoebe’s voice crept back into her mind.Giv

Elaine moved just as Elena’s hand sliced through the space where her throat had been.Her back slammed into the wall, breath catching in her chest as Elena’s fingers curled into empty air.The smile on her sister’s face never wavered. It only widened, slow and wrong, as if she found Elaine’s panic amusing.That wasn’t Elena.The thought hit hard and sharp, but what followed it was worse.She knew this.Not Elena. Not the room. Not even the silver flickering in her sister’s eyes.No, it was the feeling crawling beneath her skin that felt familiar. The heavy pressure in the air.The instinct screaming at her to run before it was too late.Somewhere deep inside her, something old stirred awake, whispering that if she stayed in this room any longer, she would regret it.“Elena…” Elaine’s voice came out quieter than she wanted. “Is that you?”Elena tilted her head.“You still haven’t figured it out?” she asked softly.The voice was Elena’s, but it carried something else beneath it, somethi

Kael stood frozen for a moment after hearing Elaine's request.A book and a pen.Of all the things she could have asked for after everything that had happened, she wanted something so ordinary. Yet the look in her eyes told him it meant far more than that."I'll go get them," he said quietly.Elaine didn't respond. Her attention had already drifted back to the window, as though she hadn't even heard him. Kael lingered for another heartbeat before turning away and leaving the infirmary.The room fell silent the moment the door clicked shut.Elaine kept staring at the empty doorway until the sound of Kael's footsteps disappeared down the corridor. Only then did she shift her gaze toward Rowan, who stood with his arms folded beside the opposite bed.Elena remained asleep, her breathing steady beneath the white blanket."Senior Rowan," Elaine began softly, "why did you really follow us into the forest?"Rowan studied her for a moment before answering."I saw Elena leaving the dormitories.

Elaine instinctively stepped back, heat creeping up to her cheeks. She quickly looked away, praying he hadn't noticed."I'm... I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile."Your eyes," he said quietly.Her breath caught. "What about them?""They..." He hesitated, as if questioning what he'd seen. "For a moment, they looked red."Elaine blinked rapidly before shaking her head. "It was probably the sunlight."Even as the words left her mouth, she knew they sounded ridiculous. There hadn't been enough sunlight beneath the trees to play tricks on anyone's eyes, but she clung to the excuse anyway.She bent down to pick up the letter, eager to leave, but before she could take another step, he gently caught her arm."Your injury is bleeding."Elaine glanced down and frowned. A small stain of crimson had begun to seep through the bandage wrapped around her forearm."It's okay. I'll go to the nurse's office afterwards. I just need to give this to the messengers first."She offered him a small smile b

Elena continuously swung her sword at the wooden dummy, each strike leaving a wider gash than the last."One, two, three... strike!"At Rowan's command, his class moved as one, their swords slicing cleanly through the wooden dummies.Heads rolled across the training grounds before coming to a stop at their owners' feet.Rowan walked through the rows, inspecting each student's work. He eventually stopped in front of Elena.His gaze shifted from the head lying on the ground to the deep cuts covering the dummy's body. The corner of his lips lifted slightly."You've improved drastically."Elena couldn't help but smile."Thank you, Senior Rowan."He gave a small nod before moving on, continuing to correct stances and offer instructions until the training period came to an end.By the time everyone was dismissed, Elena was sitting on the grass with a water bottle in her hands.Sweat glistened on her skin as she took a long drink.Under the afternoon sun, the white streak woven through her bl