The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 298

Chapter 298

3rd Person’s POV

They had intended to return to Lunaris the next morning.

But dawn brought a complication no one had foreseen.

49 Finished

When Lylah woke, the world beyond the windows had transformed-snow lay thick across the land, a pristine white shroud softening the sharp edges of Moonclaw’s territory. Drawn by its beauty, she turned back to share the moment with Ezra, slipping beneath the covers and curling close against him again.

But her smile faded almost instantly.

His skin burned beneath her touch.

“Ezra…” Her voice sharpened with alarm as she pressed her palm to his forehead. “You’re burning. I think you have a fever.”

Moving quickly, Lylah slipped from the bed and pulled on a robe, the chill biting at her skin as she stepped into the corridor. The stillness of the estate was shattered the moment the news spread.

The Alpha was ill.

Servants rushed through the halls, their footsteps echoing against stone floors. Guards stiffened at their posts, instincts bristling. Within minutes, the quiet manor stirred into controlled chaos. Vargan wasted no time and summoned the family healer.

The disturbance roused others as well.

Zyrelle appeared soon after, her expression still hazy with sleep as she followed the rising voices-just in time to see Lylah step out of the chamber.

“Well, this is a first,” she said, folding her arms loosely. “I’ve never known Ezra to fall to something as trivial as a fever.” Her eyes narrowed, suspicion threading her tone. “He stayed inside all night, didn’t he? What could have brought this on so suddenly?”

Lylah hesitated only a fraction before answering.

“Maybe from our journey to Whitepine,” she said quietly.

It sounded reasonable. The cold there had been merciless even before the snow began to fall.

But deep down, she knew better.

Her breath left her in a quiet exhale.

He had walked back through the estate with winter still clinging to him-cold woven into his clothes, frost lingering against his skin-and yet the moment he closed the door behind them, Ezra had pulled her in without pause.

Her wolf stirred uneasily, torn between concern and quiet irritation. Lylah made a mental note to scold him

later.

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Chapter 298

Snow had fallen over Lunaris as well, though there, it carried a different kind of weight.

40

Finished

Within Rowan’s residence, warmth pushed back against the cold outside. Firelight danced along stone walls, and servants had laid out a small banquet in honor of the New Moon celebration. Yet tension lingered beneath the surface.

Eldric had arrived the day before and sought Rowan out the following day.

“I could not allow the festival to pass without seeing my daughter myself,” Eldric said, his tone measured but firm. “This is her first celebration away from Ironcrest.” He paused, swirling the wine in his glass. “Her mother insisted I come. Orion has taken ill, or she would have been here as well.”

“Cora is safe here with me,” Rowan replied, his voice controlled. “You have nothing to worry about, Alpha Eldric.”

He offered hospitality-but it remained rigid, lacking warmth.

Eldric noticed.

A faint glint sparked in his eyes as he leaned back slightly, studying Rowan with deliberate intent. “You and my daughter will soon be bound not only as mates, but under Verdanth law, sealed through the mating ceremony. Don’t you think it’s time you began calling me father, Rowan?”

The word landed heavily.

Rowan tightened his grip around his glass, the faint creak of pressure betraying the tension beneath his composed exterior. His wolf bristled at the claim, at the implication of authority.

Father.

And Eldric still addressed him only by name.

Before Rowan could respond, Cora’s voice slipped in, light and almost playful.

“Well, Rowan? Father is right.”

Rowan’s jaw set.

In recent weeks, his relationship with Eldric had frayed. He had severed alliances and cut ties cleanly. He had no desire to bend, no reason to yield again.

But yesterday had shifted something.

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