Chapter 145: Chasing Her – Truthfulness 

Killian’s POV 

I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this restless. I had just left Rosalyn’s home, giving her the chance to get some much- needed rest while little Elias was still sound asleep. One look at the exhaustion etched across her face, and I knew she desperately needed the break. 

The distance between the Beta residence and the Alpha’s manor was barely a few meters. Within five minutes, the grand building rose before me. I hesitated at the foot of the stairs, giving myself a moment to think. 

Was I really ready to face Jayden? Maybe it would be smarter to turn back, return to the palace, and push this conversation to another day. But then again, if I kept waiting until I felt ready, when would that ever be? 

Technically, I didn’t owe anyone an explanation. This was between Rosalyn and me. No one else. Still, I couldn’t deny that I‘ d started to see Jayden as a true friend. More than that, he was Mikael’s brother. 

“Better get it over with.” 

Elysian’s voice cut through my hesitation like a blade. 

“Jayden deserves to know where you stand, before things get too complicated. He’s Rosalyn’s brother–in–law, Killian. Respect that,” Elysian said through the link. 

“Alright, I’ll give it a shot,” I answered with a sigh. 

Several werewolves lingered around the manor’s entrance. There wasn’t a single trace of Lycan scent in the air. Jayden was waiting for me at the top of the steps, arms crossed casually over his broad chest. His gray eyes gleamed with that familiar, mischievous spark, though there was a certain heaviness behind them too. 

“Killian, my friend. It’s been too long,” he called out with a grin. 

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “You literally just saw me earlier, Jayden.” 

He laughed and came down the steps, slinging an arm around my shoulder. 

“Still as fiery as ever,” he teased, giving my arm a hearty slap in that rough, brotherly way of his. 

“Come on inside. We’re not freezing our asses off out here.” 

He guided me through the doorway. The manor smelled of old wood and faded history, though bits of it had been updated with modern touches. Luna Karina, his wife, greeted me warmly, bowing her head with graceful formality. She quietly asked one of the staff to prepare tea for their guest. 

“It’s a pleasure to welcome you to our humble home, Your Majesty,” Luna Karina said sweetly. 

“The honor is mine, to meet the partner of such a noble Alpha,” I replied with a polite smile. 

Luna Karina chuckled. “Please, don’t call him noble. You’ll only make his head bigger.” 

“Ouch! Cruel, darling, absolutely cruel!” Jayden whined dramatically, making a face. 

Whatever image he’d built as the stoic Alpha crumbled instantly at his wife’s teasing, while Luna Karina looked like she would happily sink into the floor to escape the embarrassment. 

We sat across from each other in his study, the fire crackling steadily in the hearth between us. A servant had already come by, setting down a tray of light snacks and pouring steaming tea into our cups. 

“So..” 

Jayden began, taking a leisurely sip, his sharp gaze peeking at me over the rim, “what’s so urgent that you had to come all this way, Killian?” 

A hint of amusement colored his tone, but I could sense the curiosity underneath. 

I exhaled slowly, my fingers absently tracing the curve of my cup. 

“I’m here to talk to you about Mikael’s letter.” 

Jayden’s jaw tensed. The small shift in his expression told me he hadn’t known not about the letter, not about any of it. And the fact that I had kept it from him. Well, it was no surprise if he felt betrayed. I would owe him an apology before this was 

over. 

I pulled out the worn, crumpled copy from my pocket. The original was still safe in Rosalyn’s hands. 

“He asked me to protect them,” I said compose 

Successfully unlocked! trusted me to watch over them if he couldn’t.” 

Jayden leaned back slowly, the weight of my words settling in.. 

“Did he now,” he murmured. 

“I’m not here to take anything from them. Or to replace him, Jayden.” 

1/3 

Chapter 145: Chasing Her Truthfulness 

Jayden’s eyes shimmered, struggling to contain a tide of emotions as he read the letter. Pain. Grief. A flash of anger. And something deeper lurking in the stormy gray of his gaze. 

“I get it. Part of it, at least,” he said finally, voice low. “But why you? Why did he choose you? Why go so far as to leave a letter?” 

His questions came rapid–fire, frustration bleeding into his tone. 

“It’s complicated,” I said. 

“Then uncomplicate it, Killian!” Jayden snapped. “I deserve to know. Mikael was my brother. Rosalyn is still my family.” 

I stared at him for a long moment, weighing my options. Elysian’s warnings echoed in my mind to keep the deeper truths hidden. So I told him part of the story: about my bond with Ruby. About the cruelty, the mistakes that had led to her death at the executioner’s stake. I left out the part about her false family. I only told him what I could: my own failings. 

And then I spoke of the present of the cycle of rebirth that had brought me here. 

As I spoke, I watched Jayden’s face harden, the emotions swirling too fast to read. I wouldn’t blame him if he hated me after this. 

But I laid it all bare anyway, the guilt, the shame, and the one thing that mattered most: my intent to make amends for the 

past. 

Jayden blew out a harsh breath, dragging a hand down his face as he looked anywhere but at me. 

“There’s a lot to take in, Killian. Honestly, this all sounds insane,” he muttered, worn out. 

“You know what really pisses me off?” he said after a moment, voice rough. “It’s not that you’re here now. It’s that some part of me actually trusts you.” 

I met his gaze without flinching. “Thank you, Jayden. I owe everything to Mikael. Maybe it doesn’t look that way to you but he gave Ruby’s reincarnation a chance at a life filled with happiness.” 

Jayden’s stare was heavy, unreadable. After a long moment, he reached for the decanter, poured whiskey into two glasses, and slid one across the desk toward me. The tea we’d been served earlier sat forgotten, growing cold between us. 

“I wasn’t blind, you know,” Jayden said as he threw back the whiskey in a single swallow. 

“There was something different about the way you looked at Rosalyn. At first, I thought you had some crush on my brother‘ s wife. I figured I’d have to step in and set things straight. But…” He let the words trail off. 

“I was wrong now. It’s more complicated than I thought.” 

He set the empty glass down with a soft clink. 

“Whatever your intentions are now, understand this Rosalyn still loves Mikael. She’s part of this pack. She’s my family. You get me, Killian?” 

His voice was hard, his meaning unmistakable. I nodded firmly, accepting his warning for what it was. 

“I don’t know you well enough, Killian,” Jayden said, his tone low. “Can’t say what’s changed in you. But from your own story, you sound even worse than the rumors made you out to be.” 

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. 

“You only know the tip of the iceberg, Jayden.” 

Jayden’s mouth twisted into something between a grimace and a sad, tired smile. 

“I won’t lie. Part of me wants to throw you through that damn wall and be done with it,” he half growled. “Maybe I will. After I‘ ve finished sorting through all this.” 

“You hurt my member family, Killian. Even if you didn’t mean to.” 

The whiskey burned on its way down. I still keep my mouth and hear the man. 

“I know,” I said smoothly. “And I’m sorry. Even though I know sorry isn’t nearly enough.” 

Jayden watched me carefully, the weight of a thousand unspoken things hanging in the air between us. 

“And now you want to stay by Ruby’s reincarnation?” he asked. 

“I have to,” I said simply. 

He studied me, a slow understanding dawning behind his eyes. 

“You’ll never stop loving her,” he said, almost like it was a fact he didn’t even need me to confirm. 

“No,” I admitted. 

Jayden leaned back in his chair, his expression hardening once again. 

“Then don’t you dare,” he said quietly but firmly, “use her grief as an excuse to chase after what’s already gone.” 

213 

Chapter 145: Chasing Her – Truthfulness 

His words hit harder than any sword or dagger ever could. 

I set my glass down and stood. “I didn’t come here looking for your permission.” 

Jayden gave a grim smile. “Good. Because you weren’t going to get it.” 

I turned to leave, but before I could take more than a few steps, his voice stopped me razor–sharp: 

“Take care of my niece and nephew, Killian. Or I’ll make you wish you’d stayed dead.” 

“Always.” 

I promised without looking back. The conversation had been tense. No surprise there. I had a feeling whatever friendship we had was about to change, though whether for better or worse, I didn’t know. 

Either way, Jayden had every right to make that choice. 

I was the villain in this story, the one who had brought nothing but pain. Complaining wasn’t an option. 

I didn’t return to the palace afterward. 

I needed the night and the cold air. The kind of quiet that made you realize how small you were beneath the vast, uncaring 

stars. 

There was somewhere else I needed to be. Mikael’s grave. I had to tell him that I had at least fulfilled a small part of his request. That I had faced Jayden. 

The path narrowed as it wound through the woods. Moonlight spilled across the trail in broken shards of silver. I followed it, my boots crunching against the frost–hardened earth. I didn’t hear the second set of footsteps until it was too late. 

“Well, well.” 

The voice sliced through the quiet like nails dragging across stone. 

“If it isn’t the missing king.” 

I spun around and saw exactly the last person I wanted to meet tonight. 

He lounged against a tree, as casual and smug as ever. Pale as marble, black hair tousled by the breeze, and fangs glinting even though he wasn’t smiling. 

“Darius.” 

園