When The Moon Hides Her Crown (Seraphina) by Pooja novel Chapter 291

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW

Petal finished reading the last book by the next day. She closed her eyes, the burn in them a reflection of the exhaustion she felt after three days without rest, without sleep. The pages had blurred together, but the weight of the knowledge she had uncovered only deepened the ache inside her. Every fifteen days, Ryker’s influence over her grew stronger, more consuming. And the start of the fourth fifteen-day cycle was about to start.

Her heart stilled for a moment realizing Ryker was about to make his move. He had waited long enough.

Petal quickly opened her eyes, scrambling to rise, but the moment she stood, the world around her shifted. She was no longer in the Elysium Haven.

"So naïve to think you could go without sleep," Ryker’s voice echoed through the darkened room. He stood before her, his lips curling into a cruel smile.

Petal found herself in the grand, shadowy living room of Ryker’s palace, yet another new part of his ever-expanding domain. The sight of it only fueled the fire of rage and self-hatred that burned deep inside her.

Her fists clenched at her sides, trembling with the force of the fury building in her chest. She had fought for three days, desperately trying to stay awake, to resist him. But in the end, even a momentary lapse, the briefest of seconds when her body had betrayed her, was enough to bring her back to this place.

And with her sleep, came another death. Another loss. Another person she loved was torn from her.

“You look even more beautiful as the crowd around you thins,” Ryker murmured, lifting her chin so she was forced to meet his gaze. Petal stared at him blankly, her eyes devoid of emotion.

“I love how broken you look, my little flower,” he whispered, his voice dripping with dark satisfaction. “I’d love to watch you wither and crumble in the palm of my hand.”

“Stop killing innocent people,” she spat, her voice filled with defiance.

Ryker tilted his head, a mocking smile curling on his lips. “Then stop making me jealous. Stop smiling at them, stop looking at them, stop caring for them. Stop choosing them over me.”

Petal took a step closer to him, her gaze fiery with defiance. “Did you really think that by killing my people and using dark magic on me, you could win my love?”

Ryker’s eyes darkened, the air around him crackling with raw power. “There’s no ‘winning’ your love, Petal. I’m not here to win. I’m here to snatch, destroy, and crush everything you hold dear,” he growled, his hand twitching at his side, as if trying to reach for her waist but stopping just short. Petal noticed it, his restraint. Or his in ability.

“You’re the woman who built this broken realm into what it is, who fought for equality and raised women to be on equal footing with men,” Ryker continued, his voice seething with bitterness. “The exact opposite of what I wanted a decade ago. And it’s made you believe that women are first-class citizens. That you, the Blood Petal, can reject my love and walk free, living your life proudly while I burn with desire for you?”

His lips twisted into a cruel smile. “For this audacity, you will suffer. You will watch as this entire realm of female Alphas, this pathetic attempt at feminism, crumbles bit by bit. And it will be you who witnesses it all, powerless to stop it.”

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