bChapter 206 /b

    ra’s POV

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    My fists clenched as I stood there, the weight of the words sinking in.

    Dorian proposed to Amara?

    And yet, he had the nerve to say Amara wasn’t his “loved one“? What a joke. A liar. I could feel the tension building inside me, every nerve on fire with

    frustration.

    +38)

    Amara chuckled softly, trying to brush it off. “Don’t say that, Mira. Dorian never proposed to me.”

    “But he wanted to,” Mira’s voice was low and almost mocking. “If the elders hadn’t forced him to marry a werewolf, he definitely would have.”

    “No,” Amara interjected, her tone cool, but there was something heavy about it. “Nora was his best friend. Even though Nora’s been dead for so long, Dorian still respects him too much to do that.”

    I rubbed my chin, mulling over her words. The rtionship between Dorian and Amara was starting to feel like a tangled web I couldn’t quite unravel.

    I remembered what Dorian had told me once–that Amara was already mated. But now it seemed her mate had been Nora. The best friend of the man she was supposed to be close with. But Nora had died, hadn’t he?

    “Honestly, Amara, have you ever thought about remarrying?” The question from Issa came out of nowhere, almost too casual for the weight of it. “It’s been years since Nora-”

    Amara’s sigh was soft but filled with years of emotion. “Five years.”

    “Five years…” Issa repeated. “And you’re in the prime of your life, for gods‘ sake. Don’t waste it. Just tell us. If you want that lowborn werewolf gone, there are plenty of ways to make that happen.”

    Herughter was bitter, cruel.

    I threw open the door iand /istormed into the room.

    The ambient light in the room washed over everything, soft and inviting, almost at odds with the tension hanging in the air. Velvet curtains framed tall windows, casting faint shadows across the room. In the corner stood a grand piano, polished dark wood reflecting the flickering glow of a chandelier overhead. The coffee table in the center was a study in elegance–art books, porcin figurines, and a vase filled with fresh flowers. Soft armchairs and

    sofas surrounded it all.

    Amara and her chaperons were already seated, the iroom /isuffocatingly still.

    The moment I stepped inside, Mira straightened, her posture rigid with tension. “You should knock! Where’s your-” she snapped, but I cut her off with a coldugh.

    “My curtsey? Please, we both know I don’t have one.”

    Her face twisted with annoyance. “And are you afraid of me hearing something?”

    “No. But you should be afraid of what I’m about to hear.”

    She growled, “I’m not afraid of anything. You’re just the third woman in Amara and the King’s rtionship. It’s pathetic!”

    “Mira!” Amara hissed. The sharpness in her voice made me raise an eyebrow.

    “Nora was your husband?” I asked, voice low but carrying an edge.

    Amara hesitated, lips pressing together in a line before she reached up and unclipped a locket from around her neck. She handed it to me without a

    09:27 Tue, 26 Aug bM /b

    word.

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    Inside the locket was a photo of Amara, Dorian, and Nora–grinning at the camera, their smiles full of life.

    I swallowed hard. Wow did he die?”

    Mira growled in warning, but I paid her no mind.

    Amara shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. “Food poisoning… It was a terrible tragedy. He was the only man I ever loved. And yes, the King and I grew up together we’re close. But there was never anything romantic between us, Lady ra, I swear.”

    studied her face, trying to make sense of it. She seemed sincere, but the story felt wrong. Food poisoning? Something about it didn’t sit right with me.

    Too convenient.

    Before I could voice my doubts, Amara quickly moved the conversation forward. “Are you ready to begin your training?”

    Lexhaled, handing the locket back to her. “Sure.”

    Now wasn’t the time to dig deeper into Amara’s past. I had my suspicions, but I needed to focus on what was in front of me. I had time to uncover the

    truthter.

    “Great!” Amara’s voice lifted with a smile, and she led me to the coffee table.

    We started with dining etiquette.

    “Sit upright. No slouching or leaning too far back. You’re ady, not a slob,” Amara instructed with a patient smile. She asked a maid to ce a needle on the cushion behind me, a subtle but clear warning that if I leaned back too much, I’d feel the sting.

    The girls gathered around, waiting for me to mess up.

    I didn’t.

    Minutes turned into twenty, then thirty. The needle never pricked me. I held my posture perfectly, every inch of my body rigid but poised.

    Amara looked at me with a mixture of awe and disbelief. “Have you had anydy’s training before?”

    I shrugged: “No. But I’ve had military training. I can stay perfectly still for days if I need to.”

    A few of the girls shifted ufortably. They knew what that meant. I wasn’t just some highborndy. I was a Gamma.

    b“/bMilitary training…” Amara murmured. Her voice was a little shaky. “Well, then… Shall we move on to walking?”

    They all stood, forming a line. Amara moved to the front, demonstrating the proper way for a Lycandy to walk–straight–backed, head held high, graceful steps.

    Next, she had a bnced beam set up in the middle of the room. “You’ll walk across this in your heels,” she ordered, the challenge clear in her voice.

    I frowned. “I don’t do high heels.”

    Mira wasted no time “You walk like a peasant, ra! You’ll never catch a man’s eye if you don’t fix that.”

    I rolled my eyes.

    I stepped onto the beam, my skirt lifted to avoid tripping, and ced my first foot down. My body wavered, but I caught myself. The second step was steadier, my focus sharp.

    BANG!

    The sharp pain in my back hit like a shockwave. I didn’t flinch. Amara had struck me with a wooden stick.

    09:27 Tue, 26 Aug M

    “Keep your back straight, shoulders back,” she said, as though it was a simple instruction.

    I red at her, every muscle tensing. “Do that again, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

    Amara blinked, he innocent expression hiding something darker. “My apologies. I just wanted to speed things up.”

    “Is this how you did your training?” I shot back. “People hitting you for every mistake?”

    70%

    +38

    She smiled sweetly, though her eyes held something colder. “No. But we Lycans are born with grace. I thought you had thicker skin, being a soldier. Or

    was I wrong?”

    The girls snickered.

    I sucked in a breath, trying to control my temper. “Don’t test me.” I continued walking, determined not to let them break me.

    But the next step never came. Another blow, this time aimed at my back.

    I twisted, grabbing the stick just before it struck.

    “I said “I hissed, “Do not hit me again.”

    Amara’s face twisted with something resembling fear. The stick was wedged tight in my grip, as if I had cemented it in ce. She pulled and pulled, but it didn’t budge.

    The room was thick with tension, the other girls frozen in ce. Mira finally broke the silence. “Let go of Lady Amara!”

    “You cheap lowborn!” Mira spat. “You’re treating ady like this? What does the King see in you?”

    “Shut it.” My voice was ice cold as I ripped the stick from Amara’s hand, throwing it onto the floor.

    I kicked off my high heels and stepped off the beam, every step deliberate and defiant.

    I moved toward the firece where a golden crossbow hung on the wall, a beautiful decoration.

    Mira gasped, her voice shrill. “What are you doing?!”

    Issa screamed, “Guards! Guards! She’s trying to kill us!”

    I ignored them, grabbing the crossbow and walking over to the window. I shoved it open, fresh air rushing in, clearing the thick scent of scented candles.

    “See that g?” I pointed out the windowi, /imy eyes never leaving the group. “The one over there? Two hundred meters away?”

    They watched in horror as I aimed, my fingers steady.

    The arrow flew through the air with a satisfying swish, cutting the rope that held the red g.

    The g fell. And I turned back to face their stunned facesb. /b

    “Tha