Chapter 248
Chapter 249
Cora’s POV
Ever since I returned from Blackfang, everything had begun to unravel. The pressure from Professor Vale. The relentless demands of my projects. My own health. They all bore down on me until each day bled into the next-exhaustion sinking into my bones, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin, worry coiling tight in my chest, anger simmering low and feral, ready to snap.
But none of that compared to Rowan.
After speaking with Father that day, I had gone to him, convinced I could fix things. Convinced he would listen.
I told him Father was losing patience-that he might withdraw his investment, shift his favor elsewhere. That if he did, Rowan would lose one of his strongest alliances.
I had only asked him to soften, just a little. To meet Father halfway.
Instead,
“You speak as if I depend on your father’s fortune. On Ironcrest,” Rowan had said yesterday, his voice glacial, each word cutting deeper than the last. “If I choose not to, do you really think I’d lose my footing in Lunaris p>
“Rowan, please. This isn’t the time for debate p>
“Blackfang stands on its own,” he interrupted sharply. “Corlis Prime is already powerful. With Ironcrest or without it, I will thrive.” His gaze hardened, something distant and unfamiliar flickering in his eyes. “Rest assured, Cora, I won’t miss your father’s golds p>
The truth of it settled like ice in my veins.
He was pulling away. From me. From my family. From everything that once bound us together.
And whatever path he was choosing… it did not include me.
Since then, things had only worsened.
Even tonight.
I had just returned from Victor’s restaurant, where I’d dined with Thane, Isaac, and Jude. What should have been warm-comforting, even-felt instead like standing among strangers.
“Cora, I covered your assignments while you were ill and absent from class,” Thane said, his voice stripped of its usual warmth. “But that will be the last time. Don’t ask it of me again p>
“Y-yes Thane,” I managed, the word catching in my throat.
Isaac didn’t even look at me the way he used to. Whatever warmth once lingered in his gaze had turned cold-sharpened into something distant, almost predatory.
1/3
Chapter 249
Finished
“Why are you two so cold toward Cora tonight?” Jude frowned, his gaze flicking between them, his wolf bristling at the tension thickening the air. “She’s our little sister, Jax’s little pup. We swore to treat her like a princess, didn’t we p>
Thane exhaled slowly, his amber eyes unyielding. “Then it’s time we change. Cora isn’t a pup anymore- she’s a grown wolf. Jax wouldn’t want his bloodline to be helpless. If she can’t survive without us, then she was never worthy of the name to begin with p>
The words struck like a blade, lodging deep in my chest and clawing their way up my throat until I could barely breathe.
After dinner, I didn’t return home.
Instead, I went to the hotel-the same one we had stayed in after the Coravia meeting. The same place where everything had shifted. Where Rowan had disappeared into the night and Gavriel had been found dead
The memory lingered like a shadow.
“Sir, I said, stepping into the surveillance office, my voice carefully composed. “My mate, Alpha Rowan of Blackfang Pack, lost a ring I gave him that night we stayed here. I believe it may have fallen somewhere on the lawn. May I review the footage from that evening p>
The guard recognized me instantly, straightening. “Of course, Lady Cora p>
[ Islipped a small pouch into his hand. “Thank you for your help. There’s plenty of gold in it for you. Your gift p>
Gold always made things easier.
It didn’t take long before the footage flickered to life before me.
A strange unease settled deep in my chest, my wolf stirring restlessly beneath my skin. This was it-the truth of that night. Rowan had told me he left with Logan Silver. That was the story. That was what I had believed.
But as the images moved across the screen, something inside me began to fracture.
“R-Rowan…?” My breath hitched.
He moved across the moonlit lawn.
He wasn’t with Logan. He was carrying a limp woman in his arms.
The camera caught just enough of her face as her head tilted with the motion-and my world didn’t just crumble, it collapsed into ruin.
Lylah.
2/3
12:52 pm P p pp.
The Betrayed Princess Rising
Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.