Chapter 254

Chapter 254
Third person POV
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Rae tried to tell herself she was overreacting.
She’d done that for days now-forced herself to breathe through the unease, to catalog Claire’s behavior as stress or jealousy or misplaced loyalty. It would have been easy to dismiss the feeling entirely if it hadn’t been so persistent.
Her wolf wouldn’t let it go.
The pressure sat behind her ribs, tight and insistent, the same instinct that had driven her to protect Ellie all those years ago. The same instinct that had told her to leave Silver Fang when watching Ellie suffer had become unbearable.
That instinct was screaming now.
Claire had canceled their plans twice this week. The excuses were vague- headaches, errands, things she “forgot” she needed to do. When Rae suggested rescheduling, Claire had smiled too quickly and changed the subject.
It wasn’t just avoidance.
It was secrecy.
Rae followed her at a distance through Moonstone’s upper district, keeping her head down, letting the flow of people carry her forward. The city was busy at this hour-priests moving between temples, merchants calling out prices, guards stationed at every major intersection.
Claire walked like she knew exactly where she was going. Like she was on a mission.
That alone set Rae’s nerves on edge.
She watched Claire turn down a narrow side street near the civic quarter, far from the residential blocks where she usually lingered. Rae hesitated only a second before following.
The café was small and discreet, tucked between a bookshop and a tailor. The kind
of place people chose when they didn’t want to be noticed.
Rae slowed.
Claire stepped inside.
Rae waited, counting to ten under her breath, then slipped in after her.
The café was dim, lit by soft lanterns and the glow of enchanted windows that filtered the late afternoon sun. Only a few tables were occupied. Rae scanned the room instinctively.
Then she saw him.
Kieran sat in the back corner, posture relaxed, one arm draped casually over the chair beside him. His expression was pleasant, open, the kind of smile he wore when he wanted someone to trust him.
Claire was already sliding into the seat across from him.
Rae’s stomach dropped.
She stayed near the entrance, half-hidden behind a display of dried herbs and tea blends, her heart hammering as
she strained to hear.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Claire hissed under her breath.
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Chapter 254
+25 Bonus
Kieran smiled. “And yet, here I am.”
“You said this would be quick.”
“It will be,” he said easily. “As long as we’re still aligned.”
Rae’s hands curled into fists.
Claire leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Everything’s changed. Nolan’s popularity-this narrative around Ellie and the children-it’s spiraling.”
“That was always a possibility,” Kieran replied calmly.
“No,” Claire snapped. “You said people would remember who he really is. You said the truth would come out.”
Kieran’s smile thinned. “And it will.”
Rae’s pulse roared in her ears. She knew she should walk away. Call Cassian, or just try to forget this ever happened. Her mind was reaching for any rational explanation. Anything that she could tell herself to make this
better.
She couldn’t think of anything.
Claire dragged a hand through her hair. “She’s happy, Kieran. Happier than I’ve ever seen her. She trusts him.”
“That’s the problem,” Kieran said, his tone sharpening. “She shouldn’t.”
Rae felt sick.
“I only wanted to help her,” Claire continued, her voice shaking. “She deserves better than a man who neglected her for years. Who made her miserable. She loves him, but is that really enough to overcome everything else? The things she told me about him, the way he treated her… he’s scum.”
“And you
still believe that?” Kieran asked.
“Yes,” Claire said fiercely. “He’s manipulating her. Using the bond, the children, the goddess-everything-to keep her trapped.”
Kieran leaned back, studying her. “Then you’ve done well.”
Rae’s breath caught. The full weight of what she was hearing settled like a stone in her stomach.
“You’ve kept me informed. You’ve made sure I know where she is, who she trusts, what she fears,” he continued smoothly. “That matters.”
Claire’s face paled. “I didn’t give you much.”
“You gave me insight,” Kieran said. “That’s more valuable
Rae’s vision tunneled.
This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This wasn’t Claire’s concern twisted by fear.
This was betrayal.
A chair scraped softly.
Rae realized too late that she’d shifted her weight.
Claire’s head snapped up.
Their eyes met.
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For one frozen second, no one moved.
Kieran looked at her steadily, that charming smile of his doing nothing to hide the calculating look in his eyes. Even now, he was looking for a way to spin this,
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