Chapter 333
Chapter 334
Lylah’s POV
Finished
I stopped by the market before returning to the penthouse, selecting fresh ingredients with quiet purpose. I wasn’t sure when it had started, but it had become ours-a ritual that settled into place as naturally as instinct. Whenever something worth remembering happened, we cooked.
Tonight was no different.
The penthouse greeted me in silence when I arrived. No trace of him yet-but that didn’t surprise me. Ezra rarely returned early unless something pulled him away from his work.
Or someone.
I didn’t linger on the thought. Instead, I moved straight into the kitchen, setting everything down with practiced ease. If I started now, dinner would be ready by the time he walked through the door.
Fish soup tonight.
My hands worked steadily. Practice had honed me, not just in the academy, but in these quieter moments too. Time slipped by unnoticed, carried on the soft simmer of broth and the faint curl of steam rising into the air.
I was just about done when
My body stiffened.
“Ezra p>
Strong arms closed around my waist from behind. Heat followed-his heat-seeping through the thin fabric at my back. His breath brushed the curve of my neck.
“There’s a fire in here,” he murmured, his voice dropping low-roughened by something deeper, something his wolf made no effort to conceal. “We should leave. Come, let’s go to our room p>
“Fire? Save your silly excuse.” A breath of laughter slipped from me as I turned in his hold, tilting my head up to meet him. “I was cooking our dinner p>
“And you didn’t wait for me?” There was a faint edge to it now.
“You hadn’t come home yet,” I replied lightly. “I wanted everything ready when you arrived p>
But as I exhaled, something else reached me.
Sterile scent that belongs to the treatment center.
My brows drew together slightly.
“Where have you been?” I asked, softer now, studying him. “Was the research center that demanding? You’re
later than usual p>
The question I didn’t ask lingered at the back of my mind.
‘Did you go somewhere else p>
His gaze didn’t waver. “A bit,” he admitted. “I left early p>
His thumb brushed over my knuckles as he lifted my hand, pressing his lips against my skin with gentleness. “I remembered we had something worth celebrating tonight. Work can wait, but moments like this… I want to be there for all of them. Every single one, with you. No matter what they are p>
Something in my chest softened, warmth blooming outward. “Thank you,” I murmured.
I pulled my hand back reluctantly, stepping away before I lingered too long in his orbit. “Go change. I’ll bring everything out p>
The dining room was ready not long after.
We sat across from each other beneath the familiar glow of the overhead lamp-the same one that had lit so many of our nights. Quiet conversations, shared meals, and the little pieces of gossip I only ever brought home to him.
A home.
“Ezra,” I began, unable to keep the excitement from slipping into my voice, “I still can’t believe it. Eleven marks.” I let out a small breath, almost laughing. “That means half of the judges’ points went to me. Professor Grimwood said it’s never happened before in the Healing Department p>
I shook my head faintly, still struggling to grasp it. “He was so different today. Smiling the entire time endlessly p>
Ezra’s lips curved slightly.
“As he should be,” he said. “It’s been a long time since he’s guided someone worth his time. You’ve given him something rare. And he’ll get used to that feeling p>
A small laugh escaped me. “That’s not just me p>
His brow lifted slightly.
“That night you gave me insight about things you remembered from studying under him p>
“I did nothing.” He dismissed it instantly, almost too quickly. “Advice is meaningless if the mind receiving it lacks the capacity to shape it. What you created was yours, Lylah. Entirely p>
I smiled, unable to help it.
I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just enough to tease. “You could’ve just simply said your mate is
brilliant p>
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The Betrayed Princess Rising
George Orwell