The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 236

Liora’s POV

Callum still wouldn’t look at me. We’d been hiking for hours already, and he hadn’t met my gaze. Not once.

It would have been bad enough had it just been about the kiss. I could have even understood his reasoning. But the real reason… it hurt even more.

He thought I stole the brooch. He thought I was a thief.

And he had given it right back to Bianca in front of me.

“I can take it back for you, Princess,” Marcus assured me through our mindlink. “Just say the word, and I’ll get your mother’s heirloom back.”

I wanted to tell Marcus to do it. I wanted to make sure nothing bad could happen to my mother’s brooch. But if I did, then I knew it would just get pinned on me. Callum already thought low enough of me to think I was a thief. Circumstances wouldn’t change if it happened again.

And then what? Would I have to tell Callum the truth? Reveal myself, lay myself bare, for everyone to see? Because they would. Word would spread.

Liora, the wolfless princess. The female “Alpha” who couldn’t even keep her own wolf.

My reputation would never heal from that. Even if I got my wolf back, I would still be a laughingstock.

“No, Marcus,” I finally replied. “Don’t do anything just yet.”

The Delta merely grumbled in response.

Zane sidled up next to me as we walked. “Hey. You okay?” he asked quietly. “Things seem a little tense this morning.”

“A little?” I shot him a sidelong look. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

I could tell Zane didn’t believe me, but he didn’t have a chance to press the matter because Marcus suddenly halted the company, raising his hand to silence us. The group hushed. Even Bianca, who had been prattling away about some unrelated matter to Callum up ahead, stopped talking.

“How do you know?” he shot back.

I couldn’t answer that for obvious reasons.

Finally, the scouts must have found her, because there was a commotion near one of the tents. I saw two figures emerge, one leaning heavily on the other.

Then, the signal went up. Three crow caws.

We moved swiftly. I reached for the knife at my hip, slipping it from my sheath as Zane pressed himself to my side. Bianca and Callum moved to our left several feet away while the Gammas charged.

The clash of claws, fangs, and steel filled the gulley. We moved between the tents, taking care to avoid combat. Up ahead, I could see Bella leaning on the scout, and my breath caught. She was alive. Her head was lolling and she looked only semi-conscious, but she was alive.

Zane rushed forward, scooping her up into his arms just as a group of rogues rounded the corner and spotted us. Callum lunged, shifting midair. A moment later, his wolf form stood between Zane and the rogues. They clashed.

I rushed over, touching Bella’s neck. I could feel her pulse beneath her skin, but she looked like hell. She was definitely fading in and out of consciousness and was covered in cuts and bruises.