Chapter 75 Jornic and Cyrinne
Aelira’s POV
Get 10 >
Menu
“Wait, stop the car!” I exclaim abruptly, my hand flying to grab Daelor’s arm without thinking.
Daelor eases off the gas immediately, his pale gray eyes scanning the street ahead. “What’s wrong?
Are you feeling alright?”
“No, it’s not that–look!” I gesture wildly toward a yellow taxi moving in the opposite direction. “I think
that was Jornic in the backseat!”
Without a second’s delay, Daelor swings the vehicle into a swift U–turn, tires squealing as rubber meets
asphalt. The jolt throws me sideways, and I quickly brace myself against the door.
“You’re sure that was him?” he asks, eyes locked on the road, his expression tight with concentration.
“I’m almost positive,” I answer, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Jornic has been unreachable for
weeks, and spotting him now–right after seeing that photo of him and Cyrinne–can’t be a
coincidence.
Daelor maneuvers the SUV with skillful urgency, weaving between cars with remarkable speed. He barrels through a yellow light just as it shifts to red, prompting a chorus of angry horns.
“Daelor!” I cry out, gripping the dashboard for support.
“We’re not losing them,” he replies firmly, his jaw clenched with resolve.
The taxi veers toward a quieter road, leading us away from the heart of the city. As we follow, the scenery begins to change; the dense buildings thin out, replaced by stretches of open land.
Doubt creeps in, softening the adrenaline rush. “What if I was wrong?” I murmur, nervously biting my lip. “Maybe it wasn’t Jornic after all.”
Daelor doesn’t take his eyes off the road. “Trust what you felt. Your wolf recognized him.”
He’s right–my wolf reacted the moment I caught that familiar outline. We trail the cab for close to twenty minutes, winding along a mountainous road. Eventually, the taxi turns off onto a narrow dirt
road that seems to lead into the wilderness.
“Looks like a dead end,” Daelor notes, slowing the vehicle without following. “We’ll wait and see what
happens.”
We park a short distance away, choosing a spot that allows us to watch without being easily spotted. My heartbeat speeds up as I realize this location wasn’t chosen at random–my brother clearly
- a) 12:43
37.52%
< Chapter 75 Jornic and Cyrinne
selected it for its privacy.
Get 10
Menu
“Why would Jornic come all the way out here?” I ask aloud, my hand drifting instinctively to my stomach, where our pup is growing.
“We’ll know soon enough,” Daelor murmurs, his tone quiet and steady.
Roughly ten minutes pass before the taxi returns, this time moving past us with no passenger inside. I instinctively crouch lower in my seat, even though the tinted windows of Daelor’s high–end SUV make it unlikely that the driver can see me.
“He must have gotten out somewhere along that trail,” I whisper, though it’s obvious.
Daelor gives a small nod, his face pensive. “I’m going to take a look.”
“Be careful,” I say quickly as he unclips his seatbelt. The gentle warmth in his silver–gray eyes stirs something unexpected in my chest.
“Lock up once I’m out,” he tells me, his commanding presence bringing a strange sense of calm as he
steps out.
I keep my eyes on his strong frame until it disappears down the path, worry twisting inside me. What
business could Jornic possibly have out here, in a place so isolated? Is he in danger? My thoughts
spiral as I wait in silence.
Time drags unbearably. Every rustle outside the vehicle makes me tense. At last, I spot motion along
the path–but it isn’t Daelor. A sleek, red sports car rolls into view, moving slowly, almost like the driver is trying not to draw attention.
My body reacts before I think–I duck again, heart hammering wildly. I steal a glance as it goes by, but
the windows are too dark for me to see who’s inside.
Just as I sit up again, a shadow stretches across the passenger window. I almost cry out when I
recognize Jornic’s face looking in, scanning the car’s interior. I slide down as far as I can, silently
begging the tinted glass to keep me hidden.
He hesitates for a moment, then walks off quickly, his steps urgent. I stay frozen, not daring to move
until I’m certain he’s gone. My brother–my only family left–is right there, and I can’t even call his
name.
The driver’s door opens a few minutes later, making me jump until I realize it’s Daelor returning.
“Let’s move,” he says as he gets back behind the wheel, his expression unreadable.
“What happened? Did you see who was driving the red car?” I ask as he starts the SUV and we roll away from our hiding place.
12.43
37.66%
<Chapter 75 Jornic and Cyrinne
“I did,” he answers, his voice grim. “And I think you’ve already guessed.”
My stomach clenches. “Cyrinne?”
Get 10 >
Menu
He gives a small nod, eyes fixed ahead as we head back toward the highway. “Your brother was
meeting Cyrinne Wynthor.”
The confirmation lands like a blow. Even though the possibility had been gnawing at me since I saw
the photograph, hearing it aloud makes it undeniable. Nausea rises in my throat.
“But why? What could possibly link them?” My voice comes out barely louder than a whisper.
“I got close enough to catch some of what they said,” Daelor replies, his tone cautious and deliberate.
“He was trying to comfort her.”
“Comfort her?” I repeat, baffled. “About what?”
His grip tightens slightly on the wheel. “She was clearly upset. He was reassuring her, telling her they’d
figure things out together.”
My thoughts raced with unsettling possibilities. Were they involved in a romantic relationship? The idea twists my stomach in knots. After all Cyrinne has done to me and my marriage, how could Jornic
associate with her?
“There’s more,” Daelor adds hesitantly. “They mentioned Alarion.”
I shut my eyes, striving to absorb this new information. “In what context? What did they say regarding
him?”
“I didn’t catch everything clearly,” Daelor confesses. “But it sounded like they were concerned about his
reaction to something.”
A dreadful realization hits me. “The pup? Are they worried about Alarion uncovering the truth about
Cyrinne’s pregnancy?”
Daelor shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s it. Their concern seemed… different. More personal.”
I slump back against the seat, completely bewildered. Jornic has always been protective of me and has even disapproved of my marriage to Alarion. It doesn’t make sense for him to be involved with
Cyrinne, of all people.
“I don’t understand,” I murmur, fighting back tears of frustration. “Jornic has always despised pack politics. He left after our mother passed, partly because he couldn’t tolerate the way Alarion’s family treated me. Why would he get entangled with Cyrinne?”
Daelor remains silent for a moment, as if weighing whether to divulge more.
17.43
37.81
< Chapter 75 Jornic and Cyrinne
“What?” I prompt, sensing his reluctance. “What else did you hear?”
“They mentioned your mother,” he finally replies softly.
Get 10 >
Menu
It feels as though the air has been ripped from my lungs. “My mother? Emily? But how? Why would
they…”
My voice fades as confusion morphs into a profound sense of betrayal. My brother and Cyrinne are
discussing our mother. It feels like a violation of something sacred.
“What exactly did they say about her?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Daelor reaches out and takes my hand, his touch warm and reassuring. “I’m sorry, Aelira. I couldn’t
catch the specifics, only that your mother’s name came up several times, and they both seemed…
emotional about it.”
I stare out the window at the scenery rushing by, attempting to comprehend this shocking revelation.
Jornic, my protective older brother, was somehow linked to Cyrinne Wynthor, the woman responsible
for the downfall of my marriage. And somehow, our mother is part of this mess.
“None of this makes any sense,” I say, my voice trembling. “What could Cyrinne possibly have to do
with my mother?”
