Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Rejected Plus-Size Mate: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

Elara's POV The smell of smoke still clung to my hair as I tightened the straps of my travel pack. The northern village was already a blur of activity, warriors sharpening blades and checking the cinches on the horses. Nathan stood by the perimeter, his back to me, barking orders to the scouts."Is that everything?" Elias asked, stepping into my line of sight. He looked exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes prominent in the morning light."It’s everything I have left," I said, slinging the bag over my shoulder. My hands were still stained with soot, the skin tight and dry. "Nathan is sure about this? Leaving now?""He’s never been more sure of anything," Elias replied, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "He doesn’t think it’s safe for you to stay here another hour. After what happened at the station... you’re a target, Elara. He won’t risk it."I looked toward the village square, where a small group of locals had gathered. I expected the usual cold stares, the whispers about my

Elara's POVI stood in the dim light of the corridor, my skin crawling as Isabella’s footsteps retreated. Her voice still echoed in my ears—that high, thin pitch of false concern. I couldn't shake the feeling that her questions were far from innocent. She hadn't asked if I was hurt, or if I needed food; she had asked for names and documents."Elara? You're still standing there."I jumped, spinning to see Elias walking toward me from the direction of the study. I gripped the fabric of my dress, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Isabella was just here. She was asking about the border.""Isabella?" Elias frowned, his gaze shifting to the empty hallway. "What did she want?""She was digging, Elias. She wanted to know if I found anything 'unusual' out there. Anything specific." I lowered my voice, stepping closer to him as a group of servants hurried past us. "I was careful. I didn't mention the missing records. I certainly didn't tell her about the royal seal we found in the wreckage."

Nathan's POV“He’s not in the lower city,” I snarled, pacing the length of the guard station. My claws were itching to break skin. “A man doesn’t just vanish into thin air between the postern gate and the market district unless he’s being helped.”Captain Vane stood at stiff attention, his face pale under the torchlight. “We’ve swept the perimeter twice, Alpha. We’ve questioned the gate guards, the stable hands, and every runner in the messenger office. No one admits to seeing Garen after he passed the threshold. They’re all saying the same thing—he was just a quiet worker, kept to himself.”“Someone knows,” I said, turning on him. The growl in my chest was constant now, a low vibration that rattled my ribs. “He had access to the messenger office. He had the Council’s seal. That doesn’t happen by accident. I want every person who stepped foot in that office today brought in for questioning. Quietly. I don’t want the rest of the palace panicking, but I want the truth.”“We’re already d

Nathan's POV I stared at the heavy oak desk in my study, the wood grain blurred by the fatigue behind my eyes. I didn't have time to sleep. Every lead about Garen, the missing palace worker, pointed toward a rot festering in the very heart of Goldstone. "Captain," I said, my voice gravelly as I looked up at the man standing at attention. "I need you to dig deeper. I don’t care if you have to tear the barracks apart or interrogate every laundry maid in the wing. Trace every single person who had contact with Garen in the month before the northern attacks." Captain Vane nodded, his jaw tight. "We’ve begun the sweep, Alpha. But the staff are tight-lipped. They’re afraid." "Make them more afraid of me than they are of whoever is hiding in the shadows," I snapped, rubbing my temples. "He was seen at the council chambers. He was a runner. Runners leave trails. Find them." Vane bowed his head and retreated. Hours bled into each other as I poured over the physical ledgers. When Vane retu

Nathan's POVI stood in the darkness of the upper gallery, my knuckles white as I gripped the stone balustrade. Down below, the shadows shifted, and I saw him. Elias. The Captain of my Guard was slipping into Elara’s chambers like a thief in the night. My blood turned to molten lead. I felt the wolf behind my ribs thrashing, claws scraping against my lungs. *Go down there,* the beast roared. *Tear his throat out. Claim what is ours.*"Traitor," I hissed, the word tasting like bile. I took a step toward the stairs, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my chest, but I stopped. The weight of Goldstone felt like a physical shackle around my neck. If I stormed in there now, if I killed my best soldier over a woman who was supposed to be under my protection, the pack would shatter. I had to put the safety of the territory first. I had to be a King before I was a man.I turned away, my jaw aching from how hard I was grinding my teeth, and stormed back toward my own chambers. I threw