Chapter 103 Stop the Event
Aelira’s POV
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Roderic’s complexion pales as Daelor’s accusation hangs heavily in the air. The words strike with
excruciating accuracy.
“You liar!” Roderic snarls, recovering quickly.
His amber eyes shine menacingly, reminiscent of Alarion’s but infused with a colder hardness. I notice his wolf’s fur bristling just beneath the surface, his Alpha pheromones saturating the air around us like an oppressive fog.
Before I can react, Roderic lunges at me, his hand raised to strike, claws partially extended.
I instinctively flinch, raising an arm to shield my belly. But the blow never connects.
Daelor moves with blinding speed, his powerful grip clamping around Roderic’s wrist mid–strike. The sound of their impact reverberates through the suddenly hushed lobby.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Daelor cautions.
His silver–gray eyes turn as cold as ice, and his voice lowers to a threatening tone that makes my wolf cower beneath the weight of his Alpha presence. His power effortlessly eclipses Roderic’s formidable
aura.
For a moment, the older Alpha struggles against Daelor’s hold before realizing he is outmatched.
“This is a private event,” Roderic retorts, trying to reclaim his dignity. “You have no right-”
“Roderic! Enough of that!”
Esther Riven’s sharp command slices through the tension. She emerges at the edge of our confrontation, her wolf’s scent revealing her distress despite her composed demeanor.
She waves dismissively at her mate. “Stop making trouble.”
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Roderic jerks his arm free from Daelor’s grip, adjusting his jacket with an indignant huff. With a final glare directed at us, he retreats toward the main ceremony hall.
Esther waits until he is out of earshot before turning to me. Her amber eyes, similar to Alarion’s, reflect concern as she takes my elbow, guiding me toward a more secluded nook of the venue.
“Aelira, what are you doing here?” she asks, her voice low but urgent.
I sense her wolf’s anxiety and notice the way she casts quick glances toward the main hall, where
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guests continue to arrive.
“Esther, 1-”
* Meru
“Please,” she cuts me off, her voice dropping to a whisper that only my sensitive wolf hearing can
catch. “This is Alarion’s day. If you still care for him at all…”
The implication in her words hits me like a physical blow. She believes I am here to stir trouble due to lingering feelings for Alarion.
“I’m not here for Alarion,” I assert firmly.
Esther’s face softened with an expression that resembled pity. “Sweetheart, I can only imagine how
challenging this must be for you. The severing of the mate bond just happened today, and those emotions can’t vanish instantly.”
My wolf bristles beneath my skin, reacting to her patronizing tone.
“This isn’t about Alarion,” I reiterate, instinctively placing one hand on my belly where my unborn pup is developing. “This concerns Cyrinne and the harm she caused my mother.”
Esther’s eyes widen momentarily before narrowing into a calculating glare.
“Your mother’s passing is indeed tragic, but Cyrinne wasn’t responsible,” she states, her voice sharpening in a way I’ve never heard from her before.
A realization dawns on me – Esther has taken a side, and it’s not aligned with mine. Despite our discussions regarding Roderic’s betrayal and Cyrinne’s deceptions, she has chosen to stand with the
she–wolf who is set to become her son’s new mate.
“I understand,” I say quietly. “I won’t take up any more of your time.”
I turn to walk away, recognizing the futility in continuing the argument. The Esther who once regarded me as a daughter has vanished, replaced by a stranger who values appearances over honesty.
I barely manage three steps before a firm grip clamps around my wrist.
“What brings you here?”
Alarion’s voice, icy and authoritative, halts me in my tracks. His amber eyes blaze with fury as he forces me to face him.
“Did you come to plead for me to cancel the marking ceremony?” he questions, his wolf’s scent revealing his agitation. “Are you regretting the severance of our mate bond?”
A disbelieving laugh escapes me. Even now, after all that has transpired, his first assumption is that I
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<Chapter 103 Stop the Event
can’t bear to let him go.
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“Not everything revolves around you, Alarion,” I respond sharply, attempting to free my wrist from his
hold.
His grip becomes firmer. “This marking ceremony belongs to me. Your uninvited presence makes it
center on me.”
I scan our surroundings, spotting several pack representatives glancing curiously at our confrontation. This was precisely what I hoped to sidestep.
“Let me go,” I say, striving for calm even as my fury simmers. “I am leaving.”
“You still haven’t answered my question,” he insists, drawing me closer. “What’s your purpose here?”
I struggle to break free, but his Alpha strength keeps me in place. My wolf whimpers anxiously inside
me, distressed by the confrontation and worrying about our unborn pup.
“Release me now,” I repeat, trying to project authority in my voice.
Alarion disregards my request, maintaining his hold as he leads me away from the main hall and into a
corridor. His potent Alpha scent intensifies with his agitation, saturating the confined space.
“Then what are you doing here, Aelira?” he presses, his amber gaze probing my face. “Our mate bond
is broken. You have no reason to attend my marking ceremony.”
“I’ve already told you, this has nothing to do with you,” I assert, exasperated by his self–centeredness.
His nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath. Something about my scent seems to intrigue him, and his expression shifts from rage to bewilderment.
“You smell different,” he observes, his voice lowering. “Something has changed.”
My heart races with sudden dread. Is he able to sense my pregnancy? My wolf whimpers softly at the thought.
Before Alarion can delve further into this precarious line of questioning, a commanding voice slices.
through the tension.
“Remove your hand from her.”
Daelor stands at the entrance of the corridor, his silver–gray eyes flashing with a dangerous glint. His voice resonates with the commanding authority of an Alpha King, compelling even Alarion’s wolf to respond instinctively.
Alarion loosens his grip just enough for me to escape. I promptly stride toward Daelor, relief flooding
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through me as I take his hand. His formidable Alpha aura envelops me protectively, acting as a barrier against Alarion’s intensity.
“This is not your affair, Briarhallow,” Alarion growls, his amber eyes fixed on our clasped hands.
“Aelira is my guest,” Daelor replies with smooth confidence. “That makes it my issue.”
Alarion lets out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. “Your guest? At my marking ceremony?”
“Your father has invited representatives from all the major Northern packs,” Daelor reminds him. “The
Nightshade Pack received an invitation. I opted to bring Aelira as my plus one.”
Before I can comprehend the situation, Alarion reaches out and seizes my other hand, pulling me
toward him. The sudden action almost causes me to lose my balance.
“She was my mate until just this morning,” Alarion proclaims, the scent of his wolf spiking with
possessiveness. “Whatever game you’re playing, Briarhallow, it ends here.”
I find myself caught between them, each Alpha holding onto one of my hands. The air is thick with competing Alpha pheromones, their wolves‘ senses heightened in this confined space.
Daelor’s silver–gray eyes darken ominously, while Alarion’s amber gaze burns with territorial rage.
Neither seems ready to retreat, and I am effectively the rope in their tug–of–war.
My wolf growls anxiously within me, disturbed by the escalating conflict and its potential threat to our unborn pup. I know I need to de–escalate this situation, but trapped between two dominant Alphas, I
feel temporarily powerless.
A tense standoff develops among the three of us, the atmosphere charged with almost palpable
aggression.
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