ALPHA'S REJECTED PRINCESS

ght of their control bearing down on me from all sides was palpable in my chest. I found myself s

nflexible stance. Conversely, Damen exuded unadulterated feelings of fury, despair, and an unidentified mood. His

w and menacing, "Move, Luc

ou believe that after rejecting her as if she weren't real? Can

queezing at his sides, "Th

mmered in my chest. Only a few hours before, Damen had met my gaze and turned his back on me, breaking t

that easy,

come mor

g through the tense atmosphere bet

rsh edges of his rage gave way to something more fragile. But Lucien did not falter in his

becoming more steady in my voice even as my hands shook

narrowed his gaze. "Asteria

tity has changed. Damen, you disqualified me. With a casual gaze, you destroyed my heart as if it were nothing. Further

, I did not want to do you harm. Nevertheless, I believed that I was actin

anguish strong in my voice. "Yo

and guilt. I believed you were worthy of more than the life I could provide for you. I needed a lead

at reverberated against the stone wall

m saying and all the emotions we had kept to ourselves. I finally saw th

gger before I could take it all in. Damen, she no longe

e could reply, I moved forward and look

ace me, both

oom, "I don't belong to either of you." This isn't

inister, yet his gaze softened. You're n

ing with anger. "I have no idea what that even signifies. Fu

u were born to rule." "To

the eye. "What if all I want is to live my life, free from the tug

ached, unreadable expression. "Asteria, you cannot escape the forc

ome used to hearing from him before I could reply. Lucien, sh

s eyes as he narrowed them. "What she

king her face a past she doesn't even remember?" Damen took a step forward and fir

h the fissures, Lucien hissed deep in

ive up. "You d

power was buzzing, reacting to the mounting strain. It was very powerful and emotional. A

walls, one by one. My heart skipped a beat, and I stepped back while glanc

ith a hint of panic i

flicker over his face for the first time sinc

d my pulse accelerated, shallow gasping for a

a step forward. It doesn't need y

I could answer. He firmly responded, "No." "You must lea

I shook my head. "I'm

se. The energy was intensifying, and the walls' light was pulsating brighter. Something inside of m

ver the commotion. "This is the awakening

on my arm. "Asteria, w

ho or what to believe. Everything was happening too quickly, and I cou

broken voice, I whispere

cely. I was knocked off my feet by a raw energy wave that swept across the room.

ords reverberated in my ears. Asteria,

isper than the background chatter. Asterio

e, wild and unrestrained. With the magic threatening to devour me,

rged from the pandemonium, whispe

you. Nothing can be r

thin of me, and I gasped, my body freezing

an o