The Betrayed Princess Rising (Lylah and Ezra) novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Lylah’s POV

“What?” I was certain I was as red as a shrimp.

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Finished

“We shouldn’t mind seeing each other’s bodies,” Alpha Ezra said, his voice settling back into that calm authority that came so naturally to him. “We’re bonded now. That makes certain things normal between us. There’s no reason to run or feel guilty.”

His words snapped me back to myself. To the truth that my thoughts had wandered somewhere they didn’t belong. The realization only made the embarrassment burn deeper.

“You’re right,” I murmured. “Um, maybe you should get dressed first. Where are your clothes, Ezra? I’ll get them for you.”

‘That door on the side. You’ll find them there.”

I had just reached for the door when his voice stopped me again.

‘But why are you still here?” he asked quietly. “Aren’t you leaving for Rowan?”

[ froze.

So he had heard my call. All of it.

I turned back slowly, lifting my gaze to his.

I searched his face for anger, for jealousy, for the dangerous edge an Alpha could so easily slip into. But here was none. Only curiosity. And something else–something careful.

‘You don’t have to stay. You can go if you truly want to.”

‘Ezra, do you really think I want to go to Rowan?”

‘You don’t?”

I shook my head hard. “Even if he were mauled by a bear, drowned in the ocean, dead or alive–I don’t care anymore.” The words came out sharper than I meant, but they were honest. “I want to stay. I want to be here. I’ve been looking forward to having dinner with you all day.”

For a heartbeat, his power stirred–just a subtle shift in the air, a ripple of Alpha presence responding to

emotion.

Then a faint smile touched his lips.

“Not just today,” he said softly. “We can do that every day.”

Warmth bloomed across my face, spreading deeper than simple embarrassment.

I went to his walk–in closet and opened the wardrobe.

1:22 pm

Chapter 60

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Finished

Inside, everything was precise and controlled–dark neutrals, clean cuts, expensive fabrics. It suited him.

I chose a soft gray t–shirt and a pair of sweatpants that looked the most comfortable.

When I returned, I held them out to him. “Once you’re dressed, come out. I’ll help dry your hair.”

“Dry my hair?” His brow lifted slightly.

“Yes. Like blowing warm air on it. You’ll like it.”

Later, we settled in the living room.

I sat on the couch while Ezra sat on the carpet at my feet, close enough that I could reach him easily. The position felt intimate in a way that went beyond proximity.

His damp hair slid through my fingers, soft and thick. It was longer than I’d realized–falling past his ears now that it wasn’t styled. Without his usual control, he looked different.

For the first time, I saw him not just as Alpha Ezra–the powerful, brilliant figure–but as Ezra, the man bound to me by choice and law.

Messy suited him. Dangerous in a different way. It softened the sharp edges of his presence, made him look warmer and more approachable.

More mine.

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