The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Lylah’s POV

Finished

“Who are you?” The question slipped out before I could stop myself. “Are you truly just a wanderer?”

I couldn’t trust him so easily. If he were undercover–if there was even the slightest chance of malicious intent–I could alert Alpha Ezra and have him dealt with. The safety of Lunaris, and the wolves within it, came first.

“Is that suspicion born from my appearance, lady?” he asked mildly.

“No, it’s not like that-”

“I carried proper clothes once,” he interrupted calmly. “Gold as well. Provisions for the road. But Rogues found me before I reached Lunaris, and they stripped me of everything.”

Shame crept into my chest.

“I apologize,” I said softly. “Then which pack do you belong to? And what brings you to Lunaris?”

If he lingered here too long, those reckless young wolves would harass him again.

“Pack?” He smiled, something distant in his eyes. “I don’t belong to one. My life has always been one of passage moving from one land to the next. As for my destination…” His gaze lifted. “It lies here. I have relatives in Lunaris. I was on my way to his home.”

Relief loosened the tight coil in my chest. “Alright then.”

I reached into my coat and withdrew three gold coins, pressing them into his palm. “This should help you buy clothes and food.”

He stared at the coins for a long moment. I couldn’t tell if he was grateful or insulted.

Then his fingers closed around them. “Thank you, young lady.”

His gaze slid past me, lifting toward the towering glass apartment behind my back–the structure that crowned Alpha Ezra’s domain, his penthouse gleaming at its peak. Something sharp flickered through the old man’s eyes.

“You live there?” he asked,

“Yes,” I said. “I moved in not long ago. With my mate.”

“Ah.” His lips curved faintly. “So the bond is fresh.”

I blinked. “How did you know?”

“I can feel it.” His voice lowered. “A newly forged bond sings loudly to those who know how to listen. Selene gifted me sight at birth. I read fate in eyes, in palms, and in the air itself.”

A seer?

1:20 pm

Chapter 44

Finished

A memory stirred–colored lanterns and whispered prophecies at the Ironcrest Pack night market, when I was still a little girl.

“Open your hands,” he said.

Curiosity outweighed caution. My wolf stirred but offered no warning, only calm reassurance. So I obeyed.

He traced the lines of my palm with a single finger, his expression darkening as he studied them. Silence stretched, heavy and charged, before he finally looked up.

“I see it clearly now.”

I smiled faintly. “Let me guess. A terrible fate.”

He shook his head. “Not at all.” His voice carried awe. “Yours is extraordinary. The stars aligned when you were born–shaping a path Selene has denied countless others. You and your mate were bound to find one another across three lifetimes she granted you.”

Goosebumps rippled down my arms.

“Cherish it,” he continued. “Your days will align, your years will stretch beyond measure. You will bear pups, and centuries will slip quietly by.”

I closed my hands, suddenly overwhelmed.

Something ancient coiled behind his gaze, something vast enough to make my wolf–Selestine–shift uneasily beneath my skin. His presence pressed against me, heavy with power.

I looked away.

“I apologize if I frightened you, Lady.”

“No no,” I said quickly. “Thank you.”

“And your name?” he asked.

“Lylah.”

A knowing glint sparked in his eyes. “If I am to remain in Lunaris, we will meet again. When that time comes, I will return your gold.”

“There’s no need sir.”

“I do not carry debt,” he said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

匪

214

1:21 pm

The Betrayed Princess Rising