《Beautiful Betrayal》全部章節：第 141 章 - 第 150 章

Valduz Ryker's Point of ViewClaiming. Protecting. Needing.The worst part was that Hope Elara did not pull away.She kept holding my hand while I tried to explain what wolves were and what my family meant to this city.“Well,” I said carefully, “wolves live in packs. We take territory, protect it, and defend the people inside it. My father, Freddy, is the Alpha of this city.”“That sounds important,” she said.“It is. In human terms, he's basically the king of this city.”Her eyes widened.“No way.”Then something clicked.“That explains Rose.”The name immediately put me on edge.“How are you connected to Ruin Alcantar?” I asked. “Where did you meet him?”“I’m not really connected to him.”“He didn't look at you like a stranger.”“He wishes.” She rolled her eyes. “I barely know him.”I watched her carefully.“I met him through Rose,” she explained. “I thought she was a good person.”Her voice softened with disappointment.“She was a pediatrician when we met. When I took the twins to

Hope Elara had no idea how much had been hidden from her.“My biological father is from Pennsylvania,” he said quietly. “If I had marked Hailey, if I had taken her as my chosen mate, our packs would have merged.”Hope Elara blinked. “That would have been huge.”“One of the largest packs in the country,” he confirmed.“And what happened?”“I agreed at first.” He leaned back against the couch. “I never wanted to become an alpha, but she did. She wanted the title, the influence, and the power. She wanted our future children to inherit everything.”Then the atmosphere changed.Even before he said her name, Hope Elara seemed to understand that something darker was coming.“Then Blithe came home.”Hope Elara watched him carefully. “She was his mate.”“Yeah.” He nodded once. “And that changed everything.”“Why?”“Because if she stayed with him, she would have had to come here. She would not have been an alpha anymore. She would have become a luna.”Hope Elara leaned forward slightly. “And sh

Zoey seemed to prefer staying slightly behind Zenep, watching everything instead of asking for attention.“She should sleep more,” he said after brushing his teeth.Hope Elara glanced at him. “What about you?”“I sleep.” He shrugged, then added more softly, “Zenep has nightmares sometimes.”Pain squeezed Hope Elara’s chest. He said it so casually, as if protecting his sister was simply part of who he was.“Chocolate Sprinkles helps her,” he added.He took the shirt from Hope Elara and pulled it over his head himself. Zoey was independent and quiet, almost too composed for a child his age, and sometimes that worried her more than any tantrum could.Zenep did have nightmares. She also did not trust everyone.She called certain people “the bad ones,” especially those who made her cling to Hope Elara, hide behind her, or go completely silent.Ruin Alcantar was one of them.The first time he got too close to Zenep, she had cried so hard that she made herself sick afterward. That alone had

Hope Elara thought leaving the ranch for a few hours would make everything feel normal again.Instead, the moment she got into the car, she realized she was carrying the ranch, the twins, and Valduz Ryker with her.“Okay,” she said slowly. “But only if you behave yourselves.”She pointed toward Maria.“Remember, she is Daddy’s mommy.”“Promise,” the twins said together, holding up their pinkies.Hope Elara hooked hers with theirs automatically.“All right. Deal.”“It is settled, then,” Maria said, looking genuinely pleased.Zenep immediately started dancing in Freddy’s lap.“I love Skittles,” she sang randomly.The entire table burst into laughter.Even Freddy looked helpless.Zoey was different. He was quieter and more observant, but he had a soft side that people could easily miss, especially when it came to animals.Hope Elara still remembered how hard he had cried when she told him he could not bring the neighbor’s cat home. The tears had not lasted long, but they had mattered.Ev

Hope Elara stared at Mister Calvin.“For now?”A nervous laugh almost escaped her.“That is not exactly something that changes.”A small, knowing smile touched his face.“Valduz Ryker may have convinced himself to let you go once,” he said quietly. “But he will not survive doing it again.”Hope Elara’s chest tightened.“You are his mate.”The word landed deep.Not like a confession, but like a sentence that had already been written long before either of them understood it.“He may never admit it out loud,” Mister Calvin continued, “but that does not make it less true.”He paused.“And those pups need both of you.”Hope Elara could not speak because part of her already knew he was right.That was the terrifying part.“Once he marks you,” Mister Calvin said, “you become one of us.”Her breath caught.“You may never shift,” he continued gently, “but your life will tie itself to his until your last breath.”The elevator doors slid open.Before Hope Elara could even process his words, ever