The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 164

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Chapter 164 Mistake She Wanted

Chapter 164: Mistake She Wanted

Conrad POV

Lyra’s message contained only a single sentence.

“You still haven’t told her why I really came.”

The message sat unread for less than a minute before I already regretted allowing Lyra to stay this long. The previous evening’s dinner had ended normally enough on the surface.

Kyra had talked nonstop, Zane had pretended not to care about anything while secretly caring about everything, and Amorah had fallen asleep against my shoulder before we even finished the movie the twins insisted we watch together.

It should have been a good night.

Instead, I had spent most of it thinking about Lyra’s message.

The words bothered me because they carried an implication that simply wasn’t true.

There was nothing for me to tell Amorah.

The problem was that Lyra clearly believed otherwise.

By sunrise, I had made my decision.

The conversation needed to happen before things became worse.

I found Lyra outside near one of the eastern balconies overlooking the snow–covered forest beyond the estate.

The territory was quiet this early in the morning, and most of the household had not yet started moving around.

She looked over her shoulder when she heard my footsteps.

A small smile appeared immediately.

That smile disappeared when she saw my expression.

“I suppose this isn’t a social visit.”

“No.”

The answer came out flat. For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Lyra folded her arms and sighed.

“This is about the message.”

“It’s about the last several days.”

Her posture stiffened.

The cold air carried both our scents away from the estate, but my wolf remained restless.

Something had felt wrong almost from the moment she arrived.

Not enough to justify sending her away.

Enough to make me increasingly uncomfortable.

“I’ve tried to ignore it,” I said.

“Ignore what?”

I stared at her.

She laughed softly.

“Fine.”

At least she stopped pretending.

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Chapter 164 Mistake She Wanted

The conversation that followed was one I had hoped to avoid entirely.

Lyra admitted everything far more easily than I expected.

The attraction and feelings. The disappointment she carried after seeing my life with Amorah.

Years ago, our families had assumed we would eventually become mates.

We had grown up together, spent holidays together, and listened to adults make predictions about a future that neither of us had ever actually agreed to.

Apparently those assumptions had meant far more to her than they ever had to me.

“I thought we’d have more time,” she admitted.

I frowned.

“More time for what?”

“For life to work itself out.”

The statement made no sense. She must have seen it in my face.

“Things change, Conrad.”

“They do.”

“You could have ended up with anyone.”

“I didn’t.”

The answer came immediately. I didn’t need to think about it.

I never would.

Lyra looked away. “You chose her.”

There was no accusation in her voice.

Only bitterness.

“Yes.”

Then she asked the question I suspected she had wanted to ask since arriving.

“If she’d never appeared, what then?”

I almost laughed.

Not because the question was funny.

Because it was pointless.

“She did appear.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“And my answer is the same.”

I shook my head.

“You’re asking me to imagine a life that doesn’t exist.”

The conversation only deteriorated from there.

Lyra kept returning to old memories.

Childhood moments, family expectations.

Stories from years ago.

Every time she brought them up, I found myself becoming more frustrated.

Because none of those memories changed anything.

None of them mattered. Not compared to what I had with Amorah.

Eventually I ended the conversation.

Chapter 164 Mistake She Wanted

When I walked away, I felt less relieved than I should have.

Something about Lyra’s reaction bothered me.

She hadn’t accepted anything. She had simply stopped arguing.

Those weren’t the same thing.

The rest of the morning passed inside the nursery.

The room looked completely different now compared to a few months ago.

Boxes of baby supplies sat stacked against one wall. New furniture had been assembled. Clothes had been organized and reorganized multiple times because Kyra kept changing her mind about where everything belonged.

The baby was no longer some distant future event. The arrival felt close now.

Close enough that everyone seemed to be preparing differently.

Kyra prepared through excitement.

Zane prepared through research.

Amorah prepared by trying to organize absolutely everything.

Unfortunately, her pregnancy was making that harder every week.

I found her standing on a small stool trying to reach a shelf.

My wolf nearly had a heart attack.

“Amorah.”

She froze.

Slowly she turned around.

“I can explain.”

“No.”

“It was a very good plan.”

“No.”

“It worked for almost five minutes.”

I crossed the room immediately.

The amused look on her face disappeared when I lifted her off the stool myself.

“You are impossible.”

“You’re dramatic.”

“I’m protective.”

She smiled.

“Same thing.”

I kissed her forehead anyway.

The scent of her immediately settled something inside me.

It always did.

The baby shifted beneath her hand. My attention dropped instantly.

That happened more often lately.

The farther the pregnancy progressed, the more aware I became of every small change.

Sometimes it felt like my wolf noticed before I did.

The twins arrived shortly afterward carrying papers.

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Chapter 164 Mistake She Wanted

That should have worried me. It did worry me.

Especially when Kyra announced she had created official baby legislation.

The so–called Baby Rules occupied three entire pages.

Rule one banned vegetables.

Rule two guaranteed unlimited desserts.

Rule three stated that older siblings always received emergency dessert privileges.

Zane spent the next hour arguing over amendments.

The debate became so serious that Amorah started laughing.

Then she laughed harder.

Then she laughed so much tears appeared in her eyes.

I immediately abandoned everything else.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“You are crying.”

“Because they’re ridiculous.”

Kyra looked offended.

Zane looked pleased with himself.

For a little while, the house felt normal again.

Unfortunately, not everyone seemed happy watching it.

Throughout the day, I caught Lyra observing us.

Watching the twins, watching Amorah, watching me.

At first I convinced myself I was imagining it.

By evening, I knew I wasn’t.

The more she saw our family together, the more frustrated she seemed to become.