Semua Bab ALPHA KING DOMINIC'S DARKEST CLAIM: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Cassandra remained standing outside for a moment, her hand still resting on the doorknob. A smile lingered on her face, but beneath it, her heart felt heavy.The girl had smiled. She had laughed. She had even agreed to go shopping with her.And yet, Cassandra couldn't forget the way Lyra had carefully placed her bag on the floor as though she didn't deserve to put it on the bed.Nor could she forget how thin she looked. Or the way she had looked at every little kindness with surprise, as if affection was something she wasn't used to receiving.The lights in Dominic's study were still on when she walked past. The door was half open, and she could hear Adrian speaking inside.Without bothering to knock, Cassandra pushed the door open."Good," she said as she stepped inside. "Neither of you has gone to bed yet."Dominic looked up from the papers spread across his desk."We were discussing tomorrow's meeting with the council."Adrian smiled warmly."Is there anything you need….?"Cassandr

The delicious aroma reached Lyra before she even found the dining room.Fresh coffee, warm pastries, eggs, bacon, and something sweet she couldn’t quite identify filled the air, making her stomach growl softly. She paused outside the doorway and smoothed the wrinkles on her cream dress, suddenly nervous. Everything about the palace still felt too beautiful, too perfect, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she didn’t quite belong in it.Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.At the head of the table, Dominic had just lifted his coffee cup when something made him pause. Before he even saw her, his wolf stirred quietly inside him, and his head turned instinctively toward the entrance.Across from him, Cassandra noticed the movement and followed his gaze. The moment she saw Lyra standing shyly by the doorway, her entire face brightened.“Oh, you’re awake!” she exclaimed happily.Before Lyra could even finish greeting everyone, Cassandra was already on her feet. She hurried toward h

The palace was already alive with activity by the time Lyra stepped out of the grand entrance. Warm morning sunlight poured over the marble steps, bathing the gardens in a golden glow. Waiting at the foot of the steps was Cassandra.She had already changed from what she wore earlier that morning during breakfast and now wore a full-flowing floral sundress that moved gently with the breeze. A wide-brimmed cream sun hat shaded her face, and she held another matching hat in her hands.The moment she saw Lyra, her face brightened.“There you are,” she said warmly. “I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind about coming with me on the palace tour."Lyra smiled shyly.“I’m sorry... I got caught up trying to decide what to wear."Cassandra’s gaze swept over her, taking in the white sundress adorned with delicate flowers. It hugged her gently from the waist up with its elastic bodice, while the skirt flared softly from her waist down to just above her knees. The straps tied into small

Dominic leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose before turning another page.The stack of unfinished documents on his desk had finally begun shrinking, though it was still nowhere near where it should have been. He picked up another document before letting out a quiet sigh.“This should have been finished months ago.”The truth was, none of this work had been neglected because he was lazy.He simply hadn’t been here.For nearly two months, the council had sent him chasing clues across the kingdom, convinced that the Moon Goddess Heir had to be found before it was too late.Dominic’s eyes drifted toward the maps rolled up in the corner of the room.Beside them rested dozens of genealogy charts connecting noble bloodlines, old family records, and forgotten pack histories. The council had made him study every possible lead, convinced that somewhere among those names lay the only woman capable of breaking the curse hanging over the royal bloodline.He still remembered

Lyra woke before the first rays of sunlight had fully stretched across the palace gardens.For a few quiet moments, she remained curled beneath the soft blankets, staring at the embroidered canopy above her bed. A small smile found its way onto her lips before she even realized it was there.Today was the day.She was leaving the palace for the first time since arriving in the Northern Kingdom's capital.More importantly, today would be her first official appearance beside Alpha King Dominic as the Luna of the Northern Kingdom.The thought made her stomach flutter. She quickly sat up before she could overthink it."There is nothing to be nervous about," she whispered to herself.After making her bed, she walked into the bathroom, freshened up, and took a quick shower. By the time she stepped back into the bedroom, the early morning sunlight had spilled through the tall windows, bathing the room in a warm golden glow.She walked straight to the enormous wardrobe Cassandra had filled fo