All Chapters of The Beta's Forsaken Daughter : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Isabella POVThe entire table fell completely silent as Killian’s commanding presence washed over us. The surrounding court chatter seemed to fade into a muffled hum, replaced by the heavy, oppressive aura of an Alpha King who was accustomed to taking whatever he wanted, whenever he pleased.Nora’s fake smile instantly froze on her face. Her posture straightened, and her eyes widened in a mix of panic and eager desire as she looked up at him. Gemma and Iris immediately lowered their heads in a sharp bow of respect, while Morrigan merely leaned back in her chair, taking a slow sip of her red wine over the rim of her glass with an amused glint in her eyes.“Your Majesty,” Nora breathed out, her voice pitching up into a sweet, overly delicate tone. “We were just helping Isabella settle in and introducing her to the table. We certainly did not mean to monopolize her time if you required her—”“I did not ask for an explanation, Nora,” Killian interrupted smoothly, not even sparing her a gl

Isabella POVI hadn't gotten more than a few steps past Morrigan when Killian's voice cut through the corridor behind me, sharp and commanding even from a distance."Isabella."I froze mid-step, my heart lurching. I hadn't expected him back so soon not with a disturbance at the aqueducts demanding his attention. I turned slowly, arranging my features into something resembling calm composure, though my mind was already racing through excuses for why I'd wandered so far from his study.He was standing at the mouth of the corridor, golden eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made the torchlight around us feel dim by comparison. Before either of us could speak, a second figure emerged from the shadows behind him....an older wolf in the deep gray uniform of the palace guard, a Beta's insignia pinned at his collar."Beta Corwin," Killian said, not taking his eyes off me. "This had better be urgent.""Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty." The Beta's gaze flicked toward me for the br

Isabella POV"Lady Gemma Ashworth," Valerie called first, her voice carrying easily over the hushed ballroom. A ripple of polite applause followed as Gemma rose, smoothing her skirts with a small, pleased smile, though she shot me a quick, wide-eyed look over her shoulder before making her way toward the dance floor."Lady Iris Fenwick." Iris stood as well, considerably less composed, nearly tripping over the leg of her chair in her haste, earning a few muffled laughs from nearby tables. She caught herself, straightened with as much dignity as she could muster, and marched forward as though nothing at all had happened.I kept my expression neutral as Valerie continued down the list, names I recognized and some I didn't, each candidate rising in turn to polite applause. Nora's posture beside me grew tighter with every name called that wasn't hers, her jaw set, her wine glass gripped just a fraction too firmly."You'd think," Nora muttered under her breath, mostly to herself, "that afte

Isabella POVThe garden was colder than the balcony had been, the manicured hedges giving way to wilder, untamed growth the closer we got to the aqueduct wall. Killian moved ahead of me despite his own order, his stride quick and purposeful, every line of him coiled tight with the kind of alertness I hadn't seen from him all evening not the practiced watchfulness of court, but something rawer."There," he said, stopping short at the edge of a narrow footpath, gesturing toward a small stone alcove built into the base of the wall. A single guard post, meant for a rotating watch, currently empty."Where's the scout who should be stationed here?" I asked."There isn't one. Not since the ambush." His jaw tightened. "I pulled the post an hour ago until we could figure out who did this. Which means whoever lit that torch knew the post was empty. They knew exactly when to move."He crouched at the base of the alcove, examining the ground, and I crouched beside him, ignoring the way my gown p

Isabella POVThe spa wing of the castle was somewhere I hadn't visited before ...a long, marble-floored hall lined with private steam rooms, sunken pools of scented water, and low benches draped in soft linen towels. Valerie stood near the entrance when I arrived, dressed in a pale silk robe, directing servants with the same brisk confidence she used to run a ballroom."Isabella," she said, her voice pleasant enough on the surface. "Right on time. How refreshing. Some of the other candidates seem to think ten o'clock means half past.""I try not to keep people waiting," I said. "The other time was a great mistake on my part.""A rare quality. It seems like I had misunderstood you in the first place." Her eyes swept over me, quick and assessing, before she gestured toward the row of private rooms. "You will start with the steam room at the end. Nora is already inside. I thought the two of you could use some time together, given how much attention you both drew last night."There was so