Alpha’s regret after she kneels novel - Chapter 125

The morning of the third competition dawns with a quiet tension that settles deep in my bones. The air feels charged, heavier than usual, carrying the weight of unspoken things. I try to shake it off as I step out onto Windhowl's training grounds, but the unease lingers, prickling at the edges of my awareness. Rairity already waiting for me by the strategy table, her arms crossed, eyes sharp and assessing. "You're up early," she remarks, though her tone is more curious than surprised.

"Couldn't sleep," I admit, scanning the grounds where my warriors are making their final preparations. 74% The third competition is the most grueling-an endurance trial designed to push both the body and mind to their limits. Windhowl is ready. I've made sure of that. But no amount of preparation can quiet the storm that's been brewing inside me. "Have you heard?" Rairity voice lowers, a conspiratorial edge creeping in. I glance at her, brow lifting.

"What now?" Her lips press together, a mixture of concern and intrigue dancing in her eyes. "Lila's not here." I freeze. "What?" "She's not by Raiden's side." Rairity gaze flits across the grounds, confirming what I hadn't noticed until now. The usual spectacle of Lila's presence-cloying, overbearing, impossible to ignore- is conspicuously absent. My heart gives a traitorous lurch, and I curse the flicker of hope that sparks in my chest. I shouldn't care. I don't care.

"Rumor is…" Rairity hesitates, glancing around before leaning in closer. "Raiden requested her temporary withdrawal from competition activities." The words hit me harder than they should. I keep my expression neutral, refusing to let my emotions show, but my pulse quickens, and I feel the bond stir-faint, but undeniable. I don't reach for it. I won't. "And?" I ask, my tone cool, detached. Rairity eyes sharpen, reading me too easily. "And… people are talking.

They're saying something happened between them last night." "Something?" I can't keep the question from slipping out. Rairity lips press into a thin line. "Raiden was drunk. In his study. And whatever happened with Lila… well, he's not pleased about it." Raiden. Drunk. With Lila. I picture them together in his study-that dark, book-lined room with the leather chairs that smell like him. My fingers tingle with an odd numbness. Did she touch his face the way I've sometimes imagined?