The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 65

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Finished

Lylah’s POV

With Alpha Ezra’s large hands on my waist, we stepped out of the Court building together. The instant the cool air hit us, leaving Rowan and his entourage behind, a wave of relief rolled through me.

A sleck black Rolls–Royce Phantom waited nearby, its glossy surface gleaming in the afternoon sun. Damon opened the door for us, and Ezra and I slid into the leather interior.

“Finally everything is settled.” murmured, relief softening my voice. “Let’s go home now.”

“No.” Ezra’s deep command cut through my suggestion. “Damon, leave us.”

I frowned.

Damon froze in the driver’s seat, caught between two commands.

“Damon, you may leave. My mate and I need to speak alone,” so I said.

He nodded without a word and stepped out. Once we were alone, the weight of the tension between us pressed in like the stillness before a storm.

I finally found my voice. “Ezra, I’m sorry about the kiss. I acted so impulsively.”

Earlier, he had stopped me just as I leaned in. His hand hovered near my face, as if to cup it, but his thumb lightly brushed against my lips–a firm barrier that kept our mouths from meeting.

“I’m not angry,” he said.

“No?” I blinked, incredulous. “But I thought you would be after I acted so presumptuously.”

He leaned slightly closer “I just didn’t want that moment to be wasted. I want our first kiss to happen because you want it not because you were trying to shove it in Rowan’s face.”

My stomach fluttered. He wanted our first kiss to be truly ours…

Ezra shifted even closer, his presence magnetic, enveloping me.

“But I won’t lie I liked what you did,” he admitted. “I’ve waited a long time for this, to claim you, to free you from his shadow. Even before we spoke of the mating license, I had already been watching you.”

My breath caught.

Watching me?

The legendary Alpha Ezra of Moonclaw Pack, rival of Rowan both in power and influence–had his eyes on me?

“You watched me?” I whispered, disbelief and something warmer flooding me.

A slow nod.

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1:23 pm

Chapter 65

Finished

Reality hit me like a slap before my mind could twist it into a fairytale. He and Rowan were rivals- whether in pack strength or in business. Of course, he would keep an eye on anyone who got close to Rowan.

“It’s fine, Ezra,” I said softly. “We both have our reasons for this mating. I wouldn’t have minded if you had claimed me as your Luna to spite Rowan.”

“No.” His eyes locked on mine. “I want you because of you. Not just to spite anyone.”

He let that linger, giving me a moment to absorb it before continuing. “You may have forgotten, but we met a long time ago. When you were still a little girl, at the Ironcrest Border Rehabilitation Center.”

Memories surged like wildfire.

The center, perched at the edge of the forest, was the only place my grandmother trusted for her care- serene, quiet, far from the chaos of the city. My parents were too busy to accompany her, so I stayed by her side every day, until the day she passed.

“You were there?” I breathed, my heart lurching. “Ezra, I remember now! Oh Goddess…you were that solemn, grumpy boy everyone whispered about.”

He nodded, a faint smile tugging at his striking features.

Even as a boy, he radiated an untouchable authority, a chill that kept other pups cautiously at bay. His room was right next to my grandmother’s, yet for reasons I couldn’t understand as a child, staff would hover outside, guards would bow low as he passed, and everyone treated him with utmost courtesy and

respect.

Every day, everyone fussed over how to approach him, and I hated the constant noise–it always disturbed my grandmother’s rest.

So one day, driven by stubbornness, I crossed the threshold and offered him my friendship. To my surprise, the tall, handsome boy did not turn me away. Night after night, I would bring my toys and quietly play in his room. Ezra never joined me, never spoke much, yet he never sent me away either.

When the staff realized he had chosen a companion of his own, the interruptions ceased.

“What was a future Alpha even doing there back then?” I asked, curiosity mingling with a strange flutter in my chest.

“I needed an escape. My head felt like it would burst under the weight of my family’s expectations. I’m grateful I found that place”

I couldn’t help but giggle. “So that’s where we met.”

But even as a smile brushed my lips, a shadow fell over my chest. A memory I had tried to bury pressed in. “Not long after… my grandmother’s liver failed. And they couldn’t save her.”

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