The Betrayed Princess Rising Chapter 131

3rd Person's POV

“What exactly are you talking about, boy?” Vargan barked, his patience thinning.

Halvar straightened instinctively, even though the elder wolf was miles away on the other end of the line.

“Lately, Alpha Ezra hasn’t been present at the Research Center,” he explained. “He’s also been increasingly difficult to reach, and just this morning he canceled an important meeting at the last minute.”

Silence fell.

That didn’t sound like Ezra.

Not the Ezra Vargan knew.

His grandson had once abandoned the comfort and power of Moonclaw’s territory—leaving the Pack in the capable hands of his council—just to pursue his passion in Lunaris. The man had always burned with relentless drive.

And now… he was losing interest?

A prick of unease crept through Vargan’s chest.

'Perhaps Halvar is right,' he thought grimly. 'Perhaps this has something to do with Lylah.'

In all his long life, there had only been one time Vargan had ever seen Ezra truly shaken.

And it had been because of that woman.

“I’m leaving for Lunaris immediately,” Vargan said at last, his voice turning firm. “But you will keep this matter quiet.”

“Of course, Master,” Halvar replied.

The call ended.

Vargan wasted no time preparing to depart.

The last time he had returned from Lunaris, his heart had been light. Ezra and his Luna had seemed well, their bond strong. Vargan had even boasted shamelessly to the council that Moonclaw would surely welcome a new heir soon.

Now unease gnawed at him.

'If that stubborn boy has managed to ruin things…'

“That lad,” Vargan muttered with a low growl, “blessed with everything except sense when it comes to love.”

Ezra had rejected every match Vargan had ever arranged—daughters of powerful generals, high-ranked families, alliances that would have strengthened the Pack. One by one, Ezra had torn through those arrangements without a second thought.

So when he finally found his Luna, Vargan had been overwhelmingly grateful.

And to his surprise, he had come to genuinely like the woman Ezra chose.

'She’s different,' Vargan thought as he shifted into his wolf. 'Not like those others who only coveted the power my grandson carries.'

In his massive wolf form, Vargan tore across the land, covering miles of forest and mountain with relentless speed.

By the time the sun dipped toward the horizon, he had reached Lunaris—and Ezra’s penthouse.

He slipped inside using the code Ezra had given him long ago. Fortunately, it still worked.

The door slid open.

“Ezra!” Vargan’s voice thundered through the penthouse like a storm. “Ezra! Get out! Where are you hiding?”

A door opened down the hall.

“What are you doing here?” The Alpha answered.

He stepped out—but not from his own room. He emerged from his Luna’s chamber.

Vargan blinked, momentarily unsure where to begin.

“I don’t recall inviting you,” Ezra added calmly.

Vargan barked out a laugh.

“Now I need an invitation to visit my own family?” he scoffed. “I came to make sure you haven’t managed to destroy your relationship with your Luna yet. Mind you, I’ve already told the council they can expect Moonclaw’s heir soon.”

A grin spread across his face.

“So tell me, Ezra—you haven’t ruined things with Lylah, have you?”

He paused, then added casually, “Because if you have, I’ll simply take her to Moonclaw myself. The Pack members and the council would be more than happy to welcome their Luna into the estate.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Ezra’s eyes flashed.

A low sound rumbled from deep within his chest.

A deep, primal, bone-chilling growl—raw and instinctive—vibrated through the room like the warning of a predator guarding what was his.

The sound alone forced Vargan to take an instinctive step back.