The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 356

Chapter 356

3rd Person’s POV

Finished

Deep within the frost-laced silence of Whitepine Forest, the letter reached Commander Ivar’s hands.

He barely spared it a glance: three seconds, no more. Then the parchment was cast aside, discarded like ash beside the hearth where embers pulsed with a low, steady glow.

Rune, his assistant, stepped forward, retrieving it without a word. His eyes skimmed the contents, “Lady Cora is officially engaged to Alpha Rowan of the Blackfang Pack. She extends her invitation… and would be grateful for your presence in Lunaris.”

A heavy stillness settled over the room.

Ivar did not turn. His broad frame remained rigid as he faced the window.

“Not even in death,” he said at last, his voice edged with iron, “would I attend.”

The fire cracked softly, as though reacting to the weight of his words.

Rune lowered the letter.

He understood.

After the deception, after the lie Cora had woven so carefully, it was no surprise that even a man once revered as a War God of Verdanth could feel the sting of betrayal.

Ivar’s jaw tightened, his gaze distant. “Tell me, Rune, why would I stand among those who have already forfeited my respect?”

He pause.

“Cora made her choice. And the male she’s chosen…” A faint scoff followed. “Rowan Blackfang is no better. I’ve heard enough of his dealings since he set foot in Lunaris-clever, yes. But there is rot beneath it. Strategy without honor.”

His shoulders remained squared. Yet beneath that iron composure lay something far more fragile—

Disappointment.

“She knew,” he said under his breath. “She knew I wouldn’t come… and still, she chose to pretend otherwise, clinging to empty hope.”

The fire burned on.

Unanswered.

Meanwhile, high above the waking Lunaris, morning light spilled through the glass walls of the penthouse, soft gold brushing across steel and marble.

Lylah stirred. The world returned to her in fragments-warmth, ache, the faint scent of cedar and wild

1/3

10:31 am

Chapter 356

Ppp.

musk lingering against her skin.

Then memory followed. They hadn’t made it to bed after leaving the garden.

Ezra had asked for his “gift.” And he had taken it right there in the kitchen.

Her gaze flickered downward.

Finished

A thick fur blanket had been laid beneath her at some point, shielding her from the cold hardness of the counter. The space around her had been cleared, every sharp edge and object removed as though instinct –or perhaps possession-had demanded her safety even in the midst of chaos. And resting against her collarbone…

A necklace.

Ruby.

Deep, gleaming red, catching the morning light like a drop of frozen blood.

“Bambi…” she murmured, her voice still soft with sleep.

A small mechanical hum answered her as the hovering assistant glided into view.

“My sensor caught an intense fight in this area last night, Lylah,” the little machine chimed in its neutral tone. “Between you and my Daddy.”

Lylah froze.

Then flushed-violently.

“F-fight?” she echoed weakly.

Oh, Goddess.

Right. That’s what it had registered.

Mortification surged through her like wildfire.

She pushed herself upright and hurried out of the kitchen, only to find Ezra in the living room- composed, infuriatingly calm, as though the night hadn’t unraveled into something wild and consuming.

Without hesitation, she lunged. Her wolf surged with her, fast and instinctive. She sank her teeth into his arm. Not hard enough to harm, but enough to punish.

Ezra hissed softly, more amused than pained, turning toward her with a slow, indulgent smile.

“My love,” he murmured, voice threaded with velvet and heat, “is this your way of holding a grudge?”

“Ezra,” she snapped, pulling back, her eyes blazing despite the lingering flush on her cheeks, “what am I supposed to do now? Every sensor in this house heard everything.” She groaned, dragging a hand over her face. “I can’t even look at Bambi without wanting to disappear.”

His amusement deepened.

2/3

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify