The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 385

Chapter 385

3rd Person’s POV

By the time Ivar reached Whitepine’s lower eastern district, dawn had long since bled into a cold gray morning.

Mist curled through the narrow streets like restless spirits, weaving between worn stone paths and crooked buildings weathered by age. The district sat far from the polished heart of the Pack, carrying the scent of old iron, wet earth, and forgotten history.

Rune followed silently beside him. Neither spoke.

Beneath an ancient oak tree at the edge of the district stood the wolf they had come to meet.

A deep slash carved across the left side of the man’s face, disappearing beneath a worn leather eyepatch. Gray streaked through his dark hair, but the heavy aura surrounding him still carried traces of the fighter he once had been.

The moment Ivar approached, the old warrior straightened slowly. “My name is Morrin,” he said, voice roughened by age and battle alike. “And yes, I fought beside Jax Stillward through more wars than I care to

count.”

Though respectful, suspicion still lingered heavily in his remaining eye.

“Hm. I came here to ask something,” Ivar folded his arms behind his back. “Jax had a mate. She’s also a warrior.” His sharp gaze narrowed slightly. “What was her name again?”

Morrin studied him carefully. “Why the sudden interest, Commander?”

A silence followed.

Then Ivar answered coldly, “Because I need to know whether she truly gave birth in that place… and whether her child actually died.”

He lifted one hand, pointing toward the abandoned eastern healing house looming through the mist- covered trees nearby.

“I was told a story,” Ivar continued, his voice darkening. “A story fed to me by the girl Jax raised. The same girl who spent years pretending to be his blood daughter while using his name to manipulate everyone

around her.”

At once, Morrin’s expression shifted.

“Jax’s mate’s name was Lady Vala Stillward,” he said quietly.

“And no,” Morrin continued, “she didn’t give birth there,”

Something sharp flickered through Ivar’s silver eyes.

Morrin looked toward the distant forest as though staring into memories decades old.

“Even while pregnant, Lady Vala refused to remain behind Whitepine walls. She was stubborn as hell.” A

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faint breath of amusement escaped him before fading again. “That night, she and Jax were traveling near Ironcrest territory during a storm when her labor began.”

“Ironcrest…” Ivar repeated softly. Something inside him turned violent.

Like claws suddenly raking beneath old wounds.

His wolf surged so hard beneath his skin that Rune instinctively stiffened beside him.

Every piece was beginning to align.

Too perfectly.

“Rune.” Ivar ordered sharply. “We leave immediately.”

His assistant blinked. “Sir, you haven’t rested at all. And the Lunaris business venture begins in only a few days-”

“I don’t care.” Ivar’s voice cracked through the air like a blade. “I won’t rest until I find Jax’s real daughter!”

The sheer force behind the words silenced the forest itself.

Not another argument followed.

By the time they reached the territory near Ironcrest, dusk had already fallen across the wilderness.

The dying sunlight stained the forest in deep amber and blood-orange hues while long shadows stretched endlessly between the trees.

Ivar stepped toward the abandoned healing house slowly, silver eyes sweeping over the crumbling structure.

Time had nearly erased it.

But not completely.

His instincts sharpened the moment he crossed the threshold.

The scent of old herbs still lingered faintly beneath layers of dust and decay.

Ghosts of the past clung stubbornly to the walls.

“It hasn’t operated for many years now.” The sudden voice came from the corner of the ruined hall.

An elderly rogue wolf emerged slowly from the shadows, wrapped in worn blankets and carrying the scent of smoke and rain.

“The healers all left for a better place long ago,” the old rogue continued. “Most of this place was abandoned

after that.”

“None of them remained?” Ivar pressed immediately. “At least a healer from twenty years ago?” His voice had lowered now.

But beneath it, his wolf prowled restlessly.

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Cnarier 385

“This isn’t about treatment.” Ivar added grimly. “I need information. Someone’s life depends on it.

The old rogue hesitated before nodding slowly.

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