The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 408

Chapter 408

3rd Person’s POV

“An argument?” Damon’s brows drew together slightly.

Tiara had sounded strange on the phone earlier. Too subdued. The usual sharpness in her voice had been missing, like a flame burning low beneath dying embers.

At the time, he hadn’t cared enough to ask.

Now standing inside her home with the lingering scent of her distress still clinging to the air, his wolf stirred uneasily beneath his skin.

What happened?

‘Don’t worry, Lady Ashcroft,” Damon said calmly to Diana. “I’ll be careful with her.”

The couple looked visibly startled.

Damon ignored their reactions and headed upstairs.

The wooden floorboards creaked faintly beneath his weight as he approached the bedroom Diana had pointed out earlier.

Damon knocked once.

Just come in,” Tiara’s muffled voice called from inside. “It’s not locked.” A brief pause followed before she added dryly, “Though you should lock it once you’re in.”

Despite himself, Damon snorted softly before pushing the door open.

The room was… small. Far smaller than anything he was accustomed to inside his family estate in

Moonclaw.

But strangely warm.

The space felt lived in. Moonlight filtered through thin curtains, casting silver shadows across the cramped bedroom while her scent saturated every inch of the air. Her dress hung carelessly over a chair. Books were stacked unevenly near the bed. Tiny trinkets cluttered the shelves.

Everything in the room screamed her.

And somehow, his wolf liked it far too much.

Tiara lay curled on the bed with her back facing him, clearly pretending not to notice his arrival.

Damon shut the door behind him slowly.

“That’s rude,” he drawled. “You begged me to stay, and now you’re ignoring me?”

No response.

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Chapter 408

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He clicked his tongue lightly. “How am I supposed to feel welcome?”

Finally, she spoke.

“No need to pretend when we’re alone, Damon.” Her voice was quiet, lacking its usual bite. “I already know you hate staying here. The room’s too cramped. Too small. Your expression says enough.”

That immediately irritated him.

Because she was wrong.

Completely wrong.

Still, before he could speak, Tiara shifted slightly against the mattress. “You can sleep beside me if you want. Or take the couch. I don’t care.”

The bed barely looked big enough for one person to sleep comfortably, much less two wolves sharing the

same space.

Yet Damon crossed the room anyway.

The mattress dipped beneath his weight as he sat at the edge beside her.

‘You really know how to project your bad mood onto other people,” He remarked lazily. Then his voice lowered slightly. “Though I guess it’s normal. Families fight.”

Tiara remained quiet.

Damon glanced sideways at her. “I figured you and your family never disagreed. You all seem annoyingly close compared to mine.”

That finally made her shift.

For a moment, hesitation flickered across her face, as though debating whether she should say anything at all.

Then Tiara sighed softly.

‘Uncle and I disagree sometimes,” she admitted. “Tonight was one of those times.”

Damon stayed silent, allowing her space to continue.

Oddly enough, he found himself listening more carefully than he intended.

“Did you know your family gave compensation to mine because I agreed to keep the baby?”

His wolf stirred faintly at the mention of the pup.

“Hm. Yes.”

Tiara stared down at her hands, fingers twisting tightly against the blanket. “Uncle wanted me to keep all of it for myself,” frustration bleeding into her voice. “He kept saying I’d need it once I moved into Moonclaw.

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Chapter 408

Into your family.”

A bitter smile touched her lips before fading just as quickly.

“But he’s wrong.”

Damon’s eyes narrowed slightly, his wolf listening closely now.

“He doesn’t understand they’re the ones who need it most. Blackfang’s barely surviving now, yet he still worries more about whether I’ll be looked down on in Moonclaw than about himself.” Her throat tightened faintly. “They’ve spent their whole lives sacrificing things quietly for me, so how am I supposed to sit there and watch them give away the one thing that could finally make their lives easier?”

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The Betrayed Princess Rising