The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 285

Chapter 285

3rd Person’s POV

Finished

The last time Lylah had come to Moonclaw, the land had breathed in the soft green haze of late spring. Now it burned in the amber glow of autumn.

The towering trees stood brittle and bare, their leaves long since torn away by the wind, which howled colder than she remembered-sharp enough to sting her skin when she leaned her head out of the car window on the winding road toward the estate.

She was glad for the choice she made before leaving-thick sweaters for both herself and Ezra, their colors matching, their threads shaped into symbols she stitched by hand. Marks that mirrored the charm bracelets at their wrists.

“Ezra,” she murmured, her breath fogging faintly in the chill, “do you think the snow will reach your Pack this year? Moonclaw sits at the heart of Verdanth; sometimes, winter barely touches it.”

Ezra’s gaze lingered on the distant tree line, his senses stretching far beyond what hers could grasp. “I’m not sure. The past three years, winter never brought snow, just endless cold air. But when it did snow…” His voice softened, reverence threading through it. “It eased something in the land.”

“I can imagine.” A quiet smile curved Lylah’s lips, though it carried a trace of something wistful. “Your Pack has always been beautiful. I knew winter here would feel like something out of a dream.”

Memory pulled her under before she could resist.

“In Ironcrest, winter lasted longer,” she added, “I used to hate being trapped at home. Orion would drag me out anyway-we’d play in the snow, build figures, even sneak into the training grounds and play with whatever the warriors left behind…” A soft breath escaped her, half a laugh, half a sigh.

Her smile faltered.

“I should have stopped him,” she said more quietly. “I was the older sister.”

Because every time Orion insisted, every time she gave in, they would return home to consequences she alone would bear.

Eldric’s wrath had been merciless-punishment delivered with cold fury for daring to expose his precious heir to the winter air. Blows. Slaps. He never listened. Never cared that it had been Orion’s wish.

Daia would watch in silence. The servants, too. Only her grandmother ever dared step forward.

Gentle old hands tending bruises, pressing warm cups into Lylah’s trembling fingers, offering any comfort

she could.

“You don’t need to.” Ezra’s voice cut through her memories. “Winter isn’t something to fear It’s meant to be lived in, even enjoyed. You weren’t wrong.”

The quiet conviction in his tone wrapped around her more securely than the wool at her skin.

Before long, the car slowed, and Moonclaw Estate rose before them.

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12:54 pm A

Chapter 285

Finished

As they stepped through the grand entrance, someone slipped gracefully from inside.

Zyrelle.

She wore a violet velvet dress that clung like dusk to her form, her dark hair swept high, exposing the elegant line of her throat.

“I thought you wouldn’t return here again,” she teased.

“Is Vargan inside?” Ezra asked, his tone clipped.

“He is. But for now, I think you shouldn’t see him yet.” Her gaze flicked briefly to Lylah. “The lesser blood has returned for the marking of the new moon. They’re all circling Grandfather right now.”

‘Lesser blood’ was Zyrelle’s chosen name for their distant kin-wolves of Moonclaw with only the faintest trace of Alpha lineage, yet they strutted as though dominance ran pure and unquestioned in their veins.

Ezra’s expression darkened, and something predatory flickered beneath his eyes. He had never hidden his distaste for them-not after his parents’ deaths, when those same relatives had revealed their true nature like scavengers circling a fallen alpha.

“Why should that stop me?” he asked.

Zyrelle leaned in, her lips brushing close to Ezra’s ear, her voice dropping to a velvet-soft warning.

“Because you’ve kept your mating hidden from them, Ezra.” A faint, knowing smile touched her lips. “None of them takes kindly to being excluded. They wouldn’t dare bark at you, of course, but they’ll need someone to sink their teeth into. You know who they’ll take it out on.” Her gaze slid to Lylah. “Your Luna.”

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12:54 pm A

The Betrayed Princess Rising