The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 412

Chapter 412

Rowan’s POV

“We what?”

The word came out rougher than I intended.

No.

No, there was no way I had actually slept with a stranger.

But the evidence was everywhere around me. The tangled sheets. The lingering scent of a female wolf soaked deep into the room. The ache in my body. The fragments of heat and violet eyes clawing through the haze of my memory.

And worst of all-

My wolf remembered.

Not clearly. But enough to make my pulse turn uneven beneath my skin.

The woman watched me calmly from across the suite, untouched by my rising frustration.

“She… Lylah must be someone truly extraordinary,” she said softly. “You couldn’t forget her even for a single moment.” A faint, unreadable smile touched her lips. “Even Alpha Ezra once mistook me for her.”

My head snapped toward her.

“Did you and Ezra…?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.

But the moment the words left my mouth, I cursed myself internally

That wasn’t what mattered right now.

My jaw clenched hard.

Damn it.

I raked a hand through my hair, frustration burning beneath my skin while my wolf prowled restlessly inside my chest, agitated and impossible to calm.

“You should’ve stopped me before things went that far last night,” I said darkly. “If anyone finds out about last night, it’ll become a problem for both of us.”

Especially me.

Lunaris watched my every move now. One scandal, one moment of weakness, was enough to stain the reputation I had fought to build. And if Cora heard about this…

A headache throbbed behind my eyes.

“Name your price,” I said coldly. “Money. Property. Whatever you want. Just keep your mouth shut about

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14:09 Tue, May 19 M

Chapter 412

what happened last night.”

Most lower wolves would have jumped at the offer.

But this woman only stared at me with those strange violet eyes, unreadable and unnervingly calm.

“I have no intention of telling anyone what happened,” she replied. “So there’s no need for your money. Alpha Rowan.”

That answer only made me narrow my eyes harder. “Then what do you want? Last time we met, you could barely tolerate my existence. Now suddenly you’re acting gentle?” A low scoff left me. “I’m not stupid enough to fall for an act that easily.”

And yet-

I couldn’t stop looking at her.

The longer I held her gaze, the stranger the feeling became.

Something beneath my skin stirred uneasily.

Like my wolf was standing at the edge of an ancient memory, straining to hear something buried beneath centuries of snow and blood.

Who the hell was she?

Lylah had no twin. I was certain of it.

And yet this woman carried echoes of her everywhere-in the shape of her face, the softness of her voice, even the scent lingering faintly against the air.

But unlike Lylah, there was something dangerous beneath the surface.

“Last time we met, we were strangers,” she said after a moment. “I judged you too quickly and reacted poorly.” Her gaze lingered on me, strangely steady. “After looking into your background… and watching your speech at the Lunaris Business Venture, I realized I was mistaken. You’re far more impressive than 1 expected, Alpha Rowan.”

A faint smile touched her lips.

“If anything, I should feel honored that last night happened.”

The words should have sounded manipulative.

Instead, they unsettled me even more.

She dipped her head politely, then turned toward the door as if intending to leave without another word.

“Wait.” The command left me instinctively.

She paused.

“What was your name again?” I asked. “I forgot.”

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14:09 Tue, May 19

NJ

412

She glanced back over her shoulder

Golden morning light spilled across her pale skin, catching in those unnatural violet eyes until they almost seemed to glow

“You can call me Luen.”

Luen

What a strange name.

I was certain I had never heard that name before in my life,

And yet something deep inside me reacted to it violently-as though some forgotten part of my soul had just awakened from a long, cursed sleep.

I watched her walk away, unease coiling tighter in my chest with every step she took.

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The Betrayed Princess Rising