Luna Forsaken (Arya and James) novel Chapter 266

266 The Cost of Walking Away 3

Lev’s POVO

Radimir pointed at me. “Your father would be rolling in his grave right now if he could see what you’ve

become. Throwing away Briarwood because of a woman like this.”

Arya’s face changed then. Not broken. Harder. Colder. But I had seen the shock first. She had not expected him to look at her like that. Maybe she still hoped men who spoke of strategy and family

would at least know how to hide their contempt better. That was the problem with old wolves like Radimir. They were often too arrogant to bother hiding it once they felt entitled.

“Do not speak about my father,” I said.

Radimir ignored the warning completely. “Do you think he kept this legacy so you could toss it aside for some marked woman another Alpha discarded?”

The room went so cold it felt clean.

Arya did not flinch. That made me prouder and angrier at once. Tamara took a step forward. “You

filthy old,”

“Tamara,” I cut in.

Not because I disagreed. Because if she started, this would turn ugly in a way that would drag Arya deeper into it. I would not let that happen.

Radimir laughed bitterly, though there was nothing amused in it. “You think I’m the enemy here? I am the only one trying to save what your father left behind.”

“My father left behind more than seats and arrangements,” I said. “You wouldn’t know what to do with

half of it.”

He stared at me, chest rising hard. “The Countess says she will have nothing to do with Blackbirth

anymore.”

Silence landed.

Even Tamara went still for that.

Radimir looked triumphant through his fury now, as if the damage pleased him only because he thought it would force me to regret Arya.

“She says Mary will be her successor,” he said. “Do you understand what you’ve done?”

I looked at him and understood something very clearly.

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266 The Cost of Walking Away 3

This was not about Briarwood alone. Not to him. It was about loss of control. It was about the crown

he had already set in his mind, the merging of bloodlines, so he could control both territories The only flaw with that plan was that I wasn’t the obedient nephew he hoped I would be. I knew my place, and I

wasn’t confused about who truly held the power in Blackbirth, and it was time he acknowledged he

was just warming the seat for me.

He blamed Arya like the coward he was.

Arya’s silence behind me sharpened. I did not need to turn to know what this was costing her. Another room. Another man. Another moment where power looked at her and called her the ruin.

Radimir took my quiet for shock and pressed harder.

“Briarwood is gone,” he said. “Gone. Vanessa wants nothing to do with us now. Theodore made that very clear after you left. Mary is her chosen heir. Do you hear me? Her chosen heir. You have thrown away an alliance your father would have bled for.”

At that, I did turn my head slightly, enough to see Arya from the corner of my eye. Her face was calm in that terrible way wounded people get when they decide not to bleed where others can watch. I hated that look on her. Hated it because I knew how much effort it cost. Hated it because too many people in her life had taught her to wear it.

This ends now, Echo snarled.

Yes.

I looked back at Radimir and let every scrap of patience I had left flatten into something colder.

“Get out,” I said.

He blinked. “What?”

“You heard me.”

He stepped closer, incredulous. “You think you can dismiss this? You think you can throw away Briarwood and then order me from the room as if you’ve done nothing?”

“I think,” I said, voice low enough to make Tamara go quiet too, “that you barged into my chamber like a lunatic, looked at Arya as if she were filth, blamed her for choices I made, and spoke of my father when you have done nothing but cheapen his legacy since he died.”

Radimir’s face went red. “How dare you.”

“How dare I?” I said. “How dare you.”

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