Chapter158: Whisper in Dark

|| Lilac's POV || The room felt too quiet after everyone left. The weight of my confession still hung in the air, pressing against my ribs like a stone. I had told them everything— well most of it, Kael’s betrayal, the hollow absence of Runa—and yet, the relief I expected hadn’t come. Instead, a new kind of fear slithered in, whispering that even now, fate was slipping through my fingers. Alaric’s warmth lingered where his hand had been, his reluctance to leave etched in the way his fingers had tightened around mine before he pulled away. "You should rest up. We can talk later," he had said, his voice low, rough with exhaustion. "Yes, and I will sort out the mate issue. Madeline and Astrid are on it, too," Alexander added, ever the strategist, already calculating the next move. I should have felt better. They believed me. But the way my father stared at me—like he was seeing a ghost, not his daughter—left me raw. Alaric stood slowly, his muscles tense, as if every movement pained him.