The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 331

Chapter 331

3rd Person’s POV

By evening, the stream of congratulations had thinned-but the gifts had not. Lylah’s arms were full of them as she made her way to Clark Grimwood’s office to submit her work. She nudged the door open with her elbow, careful not to drop anything.

“Come in,” he drawled, lounging back in his chair as though the day held no weight at all.

“I apologize for being late, Professor,” Lylah said, stepping inside. “The students and judges insisted I join them for lunch. It felt discourteous to refuse.”

A dismissive wave of his hand cut her off. “You think I’d take issue with that? No. Today belongs to you. I wouldn’t even scold you if you chose not to show up today”

“Truly?”

“Truly.” A grin tugged at his lips, boyish and unrestrained-so unlike the imposing mentor he usually was. “What happened today is worth celebrating, Lylah. We crushed Vale and put Eldric in his place. I’d wager Vale is currently reconsidering every life choice that led him here, and hiding from crowds like startled pups.”

The image drew a faint smile from Lylah’s lips. It was still strange to see her professor in this state.

His expression sharpened. “There’s someone you haven’t told yet,” he added pointedly. “Go. Before he burns this entire academy down waiting.”

Lylah blinked-then froze.

Ezra!

The realization struck like a jolt of lightning.

Without another word, she turned and hurried out, the gifts nearly slipping from her grasp as she fumbled for her phone.

The call barely rang once.

“Ezra!” she blurted, breathless.

A pause-then his voice, low and edged with something almost wounded.

“So you

do remember me, love.”

Guilt tightened in her chest. “I’m sorry-truly. I haven’t had a moment to myself since the results were announced. The students and the judges all crowded in at once. I couldn’t get away.”

“I know.” His voice gentled, warmth slipping through the edges of it despite everything. “Don’t trouble yourself over it. Congratulations. You’ve more than earned it.”

Her grip on the phone tightened. “Professor Grimwood told you the result, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Ezra replied without hesitation. “He said you’d be too occupied to call me. Suggested I hear it from him instead. I accepted, of course. Because spending an entire day not knowing what happened to you….” A faint huff escaped him. “I’d rather go to war than endure that kind of torture.”

There was no hint of jest in his voice.

He could be so dramatic-perfectly, absurdly so at times like this, when all she needed was something to break the weight of the day.

And it did.

Lylah laughed, freely and without restraint.

After the call ended, the warmth in Ezra’s expression faded, replaced by something colder.

The room around him reeked of antiseptic and tension.

Healers moved with careful precision, their scents laced with unease as they prepared the injections. Today marked the first stage of his treatment-the attempt to restore what had been taken from his vision.

“Alpha,” one of them began cautiously, stepping forward. “As I mentioned in our meeting before, this procedure is unprecedented. I cannot promise it will be without pain-”

“You talk too much,” Ezra cut in, his voice dropping to a lethal growl. “If you’re incapable, leave. I’ll find someone who isn’t.”

The healer faltered, her pulse spiking-he could hear it, sharp and frantic, like prey caught too close to a predator.

“No, Alpha,” she said quickly, bowing her head. “I will proceed.”

She moved.

The needle pierced near his eye.

Pain followed immediately.

It was no ordinary pain. It tore through him like a living thing-clawing, searing-setting every nerve ablaze as it ripped through every nerve, as though something buried deep within him was being violently forced

awake.

Ezra’s jaw locked.

A low, guttural sound escaped him despite himself, his claws extending involuntarily as they bit into the armrests of his chair. The wolf beneath his skin surged, furious and restless, demanding release.

But he held it back.

The healer retreated at once, scrambling for anything that might dull the agony.

Barely a minute after the healer left, the door creaked open once more. A young woman in a healer’s assistant coat slipped inside, her steps quiet, as she approached him. A faint smile touched her lips-soft,

almost gentle, yet carrying something that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify