Chapter 329
Chapter 330
3rd Person’s POV
“Thank you, Gwyn p>
Ezra’s voice carried through the line-low, controlled, and edged with something far colder than simple approval. He had been the one to send her, to orchestrate every word she delivered to Eldric under the guise of loyalty to Cora.
Gwyn hesitated after the call should have ended, unease threading through her thoughts.
She didn’t understand.
Wouldn’t revealing everything Cora had done, every sacrifice, every silent offering, only soften Eldric’s wrath? Wouldn’t it push him toward forgiveness instead of fury?
And Ezra… he had not even attended.
A man more than capable of crushing Eldric and his entire bloodline beneath his heel had… stayed away from the conference earlier. As if the outcome had never been in doubt. As if he had already placed the blade in someone else’s hand.
In Lylah’s hand.
And Lylah had delivered.
Flawlessly.
“You only need to watch over Lylah at the academy for now,” Ezra continued, “Make sure she is comfortable. I will deal with those who have wronged her myself p>
A shiver crawled down Gwyn’s spine, instinctive and primal, as though something ancient had just brushed against her soul. She swallowed and nodded, even though he could not see her.
“Yes, Alpha p>
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside Eldric’s residence in Lunaris was suffocating.
Rage had weight.
It bore down on the marble walls, bled into the pristine white furnishings, and thickened the air until each breath felt dragged through a gathering storm. Half an hour had passed since their return, and still, Eldric had not stopped.
Glass crunched and split beneath his grip. Shards scattered like ice as they struck the floor, each impact echoing the fracture of his control.
Beneath his skin, the wolf surged-violent.
Claws scraped along bone, teeth aching to tear free.
“I once thought,” he snarled, voice roughened by the growl rising in his chest, “that when Lylah bled herself
dry to raise Rowan Blackfang from ashes-when she nursed him while he was nothing more than a crippled Alpha-it was the most foolish thing a female could ever do p>
Another crash echoed through the room.
“But turns out….” His eyes burned, gold flickering beneath the surface.
His breath came sharp, uneven.
“My own daughter has ground her pride into the dirt… all for that male p>
Across the room, Daia stepped forward, her voice tight but steady despite the oppressive force of his aura. “Eldric, enough p>
But he did not hear her. Or perhaps he refused to.
“Tell me, Daia, is this our curse?” His voice dropped, each word edged with something feral. “No matter how we raise her, she ends up the same. Bowing at Rowan’s feet and becoming his slave just like that stray p>
“Eldric!” Daia snapped, sharper now. “Don’t twist this. What Lylah did and what Cora has done are not the same p>
She drew a breath, forcing reason into the chaos.
“He is Cora’s mate. So what if the whole Lunaris knows she supported him? That is not shameful p>
“Mate?” Eldric echoed, the word laced with scorn. He turned, eyes flashing-wolf clashing beneath the surface. “Was that bond ever mutual p>
Silence answered him.
His lip curled.
“What has Rowan Blackfang given her in return?” he demanded. “Where is the mark of his claim? The official mating ceremony? The crown that would name her his Luna? There is none of that. She has become nothing more than his resource to be drained p>
The room seemed to tremble with the force of his fury.
“Her friends knew,” Eldric continued, “In a place like Lunaris, whispers spread faster than wildfire.” His gaze hardened into something merciless. “And every whisper carries our name. Ironcrest’s name will be dragged through the mud by blind devotion p>
What burned within him was no longer just anger-it was humiliation. Betrayal.
The realization that what he had learned all this time was only a fragment.
“I will end this,” Eldric said at last.
He turned to Orion, his expression carved from ice.
“Send word under my name. To Jude, to Thane, any male Cora has ties with here. Invite them all to dinner.” His eyes gleamed, something ruthless taking shape behind them.
“Eldric!” Daia’s composure cracked, panic breaking through. “You can’t! Cora loves Rowan! They are close to sealing their bond p>
“Close,” Eldric interrupted, his voice cutting clean through hers. “Even sacred mating oaths sworn before the Goddess can be broken. Our daughter has nothing tying her to Rowan Blackfang except sentiment p>
“Father,” Orion said carefully, tension tightening his stance, “Cora will hate you for this p>
Eldric did not hesitate.
“She may,” he replied, his voice steady as a cutting wind. “But I am an Alpha before I am her father. Ironcrest’s reputation is worth more than her feelings p>
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George Orwell