Chapter 36
Chapter 36
–Theo–
I shot up, pacing around my office restlessly.
Like the seats were biting me hard.
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Zane leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed around his chest, watching me pace like a caged wolf.
“I don’t get it,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “She walks away like… like I’m not even here…. Its like she’s mad at me and she won’t talk to me”
Zane raised a brow. “Kaia p>
I stopped pacing and glared at him.
“Of course Kaia. She feels she’s not supposed to be here. She calls herself a stray, damn it. A stranger.” I said, my chest rising with a suffocating lump. “Yet I can’t… I can’t stop thinking about her. I shouldn’t, and the pack doesn’t care about her the way I do. And now… the Luna thing-Elara… Cara pushing it… It’s all too much p>
Zane’s expression softened. “She didn’t ask for any of this. And neither did you p>
I let out a short, bitter laugh.
“Neither did I. I thought I was in control. But now…” I sighed softly.” But now I feel like I’m losing everything. My decisions, my pack, her. I can’t even protect her properly, and she doesn’t know that. She thinks she’s protecting me by staying away. But it’s killing me that she thinks I don’t care p>
Zane stepped closer. “And you don’t? Care, I mean p>
I shook my head sharply. “Of course I care. But the Council, my father, my stepmother, Elara their eyes on me. And now… Kaia? She’s just… too dangerous to me p>
Zane frowned, gawking at me as if he was trying to peek into my mind.
everyone has
“Dangerous? Or… important p>
I stopped pacing and slammed my palm against the table,
“Both!” I growled. “I don’t know how to handle this without destroying everything. And the worst part? She’s… she’s not at fault in any of this. And now, she’s right in the middle of all of it, and I can’t” I feel my chest feeling stuffy, “I don’t know how to fix things p>
Zane gave me a long look, patient, like he always did.
“Then maybe you don’t have to fix it. Maybe you just… be there. Watch her. Let her see you’re on her side without pushing. You’ll figure the rest out later p>
I swallowed hard. The truth in his words cut me.
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Chapter 36
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And yet, I couldn’t stop the tightening in my chest every time I imagined Kaia, walking away, keeping her distance from me.
I muttered under my breath, more to myself than Zane, “She doesn’t know it yet… but I’ll make sure she doesn’t regret trusting me p>
Zane just nodded.
No judgment. No advice beyond that. And for some reason, that was exactly what I needed.
“Elara won’t stop until she gets what she wants,” I muttered after a while.
Zane’s eyes narrowed, calm but piercing.
“And what about you?” he asked.
“Huh?” I looked at him, confused.
“What do you really want, Theo?” he asked.
I was taken aback by his question.
“Not just what the council expects from you or what your father and Cara want.” Zane repeated, this time more carefully. “What do you want p>
What do I want? I never really gave it a thought.
Then for a minute,I let my mind drift away.
I let out a bitter laugh, pacing again. “I… I don’t know p>
Truth. Honest, unfiltered truth.
Zane didn’t flinch. “You don’t know p>
“I know what I don’t want,” I admitted, my voice steady. “Elara. She’s… she’s not the one. She can’t be my Luna. And Cara is pushing her to become Luna? The Council’s nodding along? I can’t let that happen. Not for the pack, not for me… and definitely not for her p>
Zane tilted his head, waiting.
“And yet,” I muttered, more to myself than him, “I don’t even know what I do want. Only that it isn’t that p>
Zane let that hang in the air, knowing better than to push.
“You’ll figure it out,” he finally said. “You always do. Just… don’t lose sight of the truth p>
I stared at the floor, my jaw tight and heart hammering in my chest.
Truth. Right now, the only truth I could cling to was that I would not let Elara be Luna. Not after everything she did. I can’t let her get away with what she did.
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Chapter 36
“Alpha Theo,” Zane called out. “What do you think of Kaia p>
I raised my head looking at him.
“Kaia?” I muttered.
“Yes. Kaia”
Zane stepped directly in front of me, forcing me to stop.
When Zane stopped in front of me,my chest rose and fell too fast.
I couldn’t get a grasp on my emotions. I don’t know what to think.
Zane says. “Enough running in circles p>
I didn’t speak, only clenching my jaw.
“You’re distracted. Restless. Snapping at everyone. So I’m going to ask you once more p>
He took a step closer.
“What do you want, Theo?” Zane asked.
My throat clung. “I don’t know p>
Zane shook his head. “That’s a lie. You know. You just don’t want to admit it p>
Silence.
Then Zane says. “Then let me make it simple p>
His gaze sharpened glaring at me intently.
And he stepped closer.
“Are you in love with her or not? Just answer me.” Zane said.
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My breath caught unintentionally. I’d hope Zane didn’t notice but knowing him? It wouldn’t escape his
attention.
“In love?” I asked, “With who p>
“You know who I’m talking about,Theo” Zane sighed frustratedly. “Don’t try to outsmart me. Are you in love
with Kaia p>
I tried to speak but I couldn’t.
In love? With Kaia?
No, that can’t be.
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Chapter 36
I finally managed to say with my voice strangled. “No. I can’t be p>
Zane didn’t blink. “That’s not what I asked p>
I looked away, my fists curling at his sides.
Afraid,looking at Zane would expose something I didn’t know was brewing in my head.
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“Then stop lying to yourself.” Zane quietly urged. “Because one day, she’ll stop waiting for you to figure it
out p>
I feel my wolf, Stash surged to the surface at Zane’s words; a sharp, desperate growl I couldn’t control.
“See? Even Stash agrees with me,Theo”. Zane smiled in my face.” Stop lying to yourself now or you’ll only end up regretting it”
“Zane, stop making up things in your head” I scolded. “You’re a beta not a matchmaker”
I walked away saying this. But Zane’s words stuck to my head like a stubborn fly.
Could I really be in love with Kaia?
That’s bullshit. I’m only worried about her.
That’s all there is to my feelings for her.
Kaia is someone I need to protect.
“We love her, don’t we,Theo?” Stash asked.
“Of course not! We don’t love her. She’s not ours” I growled, trying to push him back.
“You are a liar. Theo” Stash sucked.
Stash doesn’t like people much but he can’t stop talking about Kaia.
What’s wrong with everyone?
Stash and Zane have both lost their damn minds!
No, Kaia is…
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.