The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Lylah’s POV

“Luna? Since when did I have a Luna?”

Zyrelle echoed, her lips curving with disbelief.

Then, she stepped toward me, each movement deliberate, predatory.

Finished

“Grandpa,” she said, turning her sharp gaze to Vargan. “If Moonclaw had a Luna, I would know. Would I not? And yet, I hear nothing-until now. So how is it that you stand there and call her my Luna?”

“She is, Zyrelle,” Vargan replied, his voice carrying the weight of command. “Our Alpha has completed the mating rites and bound himself to her. The bond is sealed. Lylah is Moonclaw’s Luna and Luna to us all.”

Zyrelle’s eyes returned to me, cold and measuring, like a hunter sizing up prey that had wandered too close.

“When?” she asked.

Silence answered her.

Her gaze sharpened. “When did Ezra do this? And how did it happen without my knowledge?”

“You’ve been away from Moonclaw for over a year,” Vargan said, his tone calm but resolute. “Ezra knew your focus was elsewhere-your studies, your relentless pursuit of becoming a Commander. He chose not to pull you back.”

Zyrelle’s jaw tightened.

The explanation did little to soften her.

I forced a smile, though the air between us felt razor-thin. Whatever she thought of me, I refused to add fuel to it.

Still, the way she watched me… it was suffocating.

Beneath my skin, Selestine stirred, bristling in quiet warning. My wolf’s presence leaked into the air, a low, territorial hum.

Zyrelle’s eyes flickered-she felt it..

“Interesting,” she murmured.

Then-

Bang!

The crack of gunfire split the air.

Something sliced through the space between us-a violent blur that cracked the air apart,

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Chapter 195

Finished

The wooden post behind Zyrelle jolted as the bullet slammed into it, splintering deep into its core. My breath caught, my heart leaping painfully into my throat. For the briefest flicker of time, Zyrelle recoiled -her flawless composure slipping, just enough to reveal the instinctive fear beneath.

“Ezra!” she snapped.

I turned sharply.

He stood there, rifle still raised, his expression maddeningly calm-as though he hadn’t just fired a shot that could have struck his cousin.

“Accident,” he said.

The word fell flat.

Zyrelle’s annoyance simmered beneath the surface, barely restrained.

That evening, I found myself outside Zyrelle’s door.

The memory of the shot still lingered, sharp and uneasy. Ezra would never apologize-of that, I was certain. So I would.

“Luna,” She said the moment I stepped inside, her tone clipped. “What are you doing here? You could have summoned me instead.”

“I came to apologize,” I said, steadying my voice. “For what happened this morning.”

She waved it off, turning toward the window. “Don’t trouble yourself. This isn’t the first time he’s acted as though he might kill his own blood.”

There was a faint, knowing edge to her voice.

‘But I know Ezra,” she continued, her voice measured. “That was no accident, yet neither was it meant to harm. It was a warning. He’s always preferred to speak through action rather than words.”

Her gaze shifted, cutting briefly toward me over her shoulder.

“He was displeased with how I regarded you. If anything…” she added coolly, “I should be the one offering an apology.”

I frowned, stepping closer,

“No,” I said softly, shaking my head. “Perhaps in the past, he would have meant it. But not this time. It truly was an accident, Lady Zyrelle. His vision is failing-he can no longer see, not even where the trigger rests.”.

A faint ache tightened in my chest, but I steadied myself. “His instincts are still sharp, his muscle memory flawless–but I know that isn’t enough. I’ll make sure he doesn’t lay a hand on that weapon again.”

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