The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 363

Chapter 363

Lylah’s POV

Sleep torn from me so violently it felt like I’d been dragged straight out of a dream—but it wasn’t the intrusion that set my pulse racing or sent my wolf stirring beneath my skin.

It was her.

The healer’s assistant lingered in the doorway, her presence fleeting-yet the sight of her face stole the breath straight from my lungs.

Those violet eyes.

The sharp line of her features.

That… resemblance.

For one dizzying heartbeat, it felt like I was staring into a warped reflection of myself.

Almost me.

But not quite.

“S-sorry,” she murmured, her voice uneven as though she’d felt it too. That strange, unsettling Dull.

he turned, slipping away as quickly as she had appeared, as if staying even a moment would unravel something neither of us understood.

“Wait!” The word tore from me, my body already moving before thought could catch

Behind me, Ezra stirred at the sudden shift. The movement was slight, but I felt his awareness sharpening, his wolf brushing against mine as he pushed himself upright.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice low, edged with concern. “Is everything alright, Lylah?”

I hesitated.

That face…

Those eyes…

“Yes,” I said finally, though the certainty didn’t quite reach my chest. I forced a breath. “I think Damon’s family has arrived. A heale’s assistant came to inform us.”

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Chapter 363

Ezra was silent for a moment longer, as though weighing the truth in my scent. Then he nodded once.

“Then we should go.”

And I was right.

By the time we entered Damon’s chamber, his parents had already arrived.

The Lord and Lady of Moonclaw’s Beta bloodline stood at his bedside, their presence steady and commanding like pillars shaped by generations of loyalty. Yet the moment their eyes fell on Ezra, something in them softened. Not submission, not mere respect… but something deeper. A bond forged long before titles, more intimate than that between Alpha and pack members.

And Ezra…

I felt it immediately.

The rigid tension that had shadowed him all day eased, replaced by something quieter, warmer. When he spoke to them, his voice carried a gentleness I had never heard in his own family. There was no strain, no guarded edge—only trust.

knot in my chest loosened, and I let out a quiet breath of relief.

Damon had opened his eyes.

Propped against the pillows, still pale but better, he met his elders’ gaze with quiet defiance.

“So,” he said, his voice rough but measured as his gaze settled on his parents, steady and unflinching, “The healer told you my wolf has been scarred-that it may never accept a mate again… even if I were to find her?” A faint, restrained curve touched his lips. “Then if that is the truth, it is simply a truth I will live with.”

“Damon!” His mother rose sharply, emotion rippling through her aura like a tide she could no longer hold back.

“Watch your words! By Selene’s grace-your elders have waited centuries for the day you would bring your chosen mate to Moonclaw. To our home.” Her voice trembled, caught between pride and pain. “For the day we would stand beside you and witness your mating ceremony. How can you speak of it as though it holds no weight?”

“And the day you would give this family an heir to carry our blood forward.” His father’s voice hardened, though something deeper lingered beneath it. “You reckless son… tell me, do you not feel even the faintest pull toward that future? To have pups of your own, raise them, shape them, watch them grow into wolves who will bear our name with pride?”

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Damon didn’t flinch.

“It’s never been my life’s purpose.”

The words fell calm and certain, untouched by doubt.

“If what you wish is to see me fulfill that role,” he continued, “then I will do so in another way. I will remain where I have always stood-at the side of my Alpha and Luna. I will help raise their heirs, guard them, train them, and ensure they grow strong beneath Moonclaw’s name.”

A quiet steel settled into his tone.

“But as for taking a mate, settling into that life…” He exhaled softly. “That was never the path I chose.”

“Damon-

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