The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 202

Chapter 202

Ezra’s POV

Silence answered me.

Heavy. Waiting.

Then, slowly, the door creaked open. A familiar presence slipped through the threshold.

Zyrelle.

She stepped into the dim light, her posture straight, her gaze sharp as ever.

“Lady Zyrelle?!” Damon started, clearly caught off guard. “What are you doing here?”

Pascal looked just as stunned.

I wasn’t.

Not even a little.

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“How did you know I followed you and Lylah all the way here?” Zyrelle demanded, folding her arms across

her chest.

A faint scoff left me.

“You think I wouldn’t notice?” I said coolly. “A gray wolf trailing our car since Lunaris-moving like a shadow doesn’t make you invisible, Zyrelle. Not to me.” My gaze sharpened. “You may hide from others, but you forget-I know my own blood.”

She clicked her tongue, unimpressed. “Fine. Then I’ll say it plainly.” Her expression hardened. “I followed you here to make sure Lylah isn’t trying to trap you.”

My brow lifted. “Trap me?”

“Yes.” Her voice rose, frustration breaking through. “Why would she even want to return to her ex’s pack? And you,” she gestured sharply at me, “you came without any guards, Ezra. You could’ve been ambushed! And then what? Moonclaw ends up Alpha-less because you decided to take a midnight stroll into enemy territory?” She shot me a look.

Ah.

There it was.

Concern, wrapped in anger.

I leaned back slightly, unfazed.

“Why would I need guards,” I replied, voice smooth, “when the best one-Moonclaw’s future commander -was already following me without being asked?”

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Chapter 202

A faint smirk tugged at my lips.

“I should be thanking you, Zie. Really.”

She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed-but she didn’t deny it.

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Before she could continue her tirade, I spoke again, my tone shifting-quieter, steadier. “But it’s good that you’re here.”

That caught her attention.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

The air changed.

I paused, letting the weight of my next words settle before I spoke them.

“This isn’t an order,” I said. “Not from your Alpha. This is a request from the family. Or a friend. Whatever you consider me. Someday, when I’m no longer around-”

I stopped.

The words tasted wrong, even to me.

But I forced them out anyway.

“Protect Lylah. Protect your Luna.”

Silence.

“Make sure she’s safe. No matter where she is.” My voice dropped, stripped of command-something far more raw beneath it. “You don’t show it, but I know how much you care about our family. About me. About Moonclaw.”

I held her gaze.

“You can do this.”

“Ezra…” Her voice cracked, something close to panic surfacing. “What the hell is this? Why are you talking like you’re going to die?”

“Alpha,” Damon added, his tone tight, uneasy. “What are you saying?”

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I gestured toward Pascal.

The old healer hesitated, his expression heavy.

Then he spoke.

“Alpha Ezra’s human vision…” he began slowly, carefully. “It has deteriorated severely. This condition is very rare.” His voice faltered.

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Chapter 202

Ella

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“In less than a year… he may lose his sight completely.”

The words settled like a death sentence.

Zyrelle went pale. “What?”

Damon stiffened.

I remained still.

“I don’t think I can face Lylah like that,” I said quietly.

Blind.

Broken.

I exhaled slowly.

“I don’t want to see her look at me with sadness.” My fingers curled slightly at my side.

“And if I face her in my Ragnar form…” My jaw tightened. “I would only terrify her.”

Moreover… her wolf hadn’t even recognized me as her mate.

I would be nothing more than a monster.

“No.” Zyrelle stepped forward immediately, shaking her head. “There has to be a way. Talk to her, Ezra. She’ll understand-I know she will.”

“Alpha, you can’t make decisions like this alone,” Damon said firmly. “If Luna finds out like this, it will destroy her.”

Maybe.

Or maybe it would set her free.

“Pascal,” I said instead, cutting through them both. “Aside from my vision, what else?”

The old healer froze.

For a moment, he didn’t answer.

Then he swallowed. “It’s about your bloodline, Alpha.”

My gaze sharpened.

“If you intend to have pups with your Luna…” he continued, voice low, strained, “there is a high probability the child will inherit your condition.”

Zyrelle’s breath hitched.”

Pascal pressed on, though each word seemed heavier than the last. “Your body is extraordinary-your

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immunity, your strength… it is unlike anything I have seen in all my years. But your offspring will not necessarily inherit that resilience.”

“If this condition passes on…” his voice dropped to almost a whisper, “it will not only affect their vision. They will live a cursed life.”

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The Betrayed Princess Rising