Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets Chapter 261 - your uncle

261

~Belinda’s POV

He gave a small laugh and sat beside .

Finally, I turned to him, studying his face. The firelight caught the edge of his jaw, the faint bruise near his temple, the exhaustion in his eyes. Without thinking too much, I reached out and touched his arm. "You’ve been working all day," I murmured. "You should rest."

He smirked. "Says the one sitting up in the middle of the night, staring into fire like she’s plotting a kingdom’s downfall."

I laughed softly. "And I am."

He looked at for a long mont, and that was all it took. My chest tightened. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that look, that quiet attention he gave when we were alone. The distance between us seed to fade, and before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned in closer.

"Your Majesty..." he said quietly, but I didn’t let him finish.

I kissed him.

It wasn’t rough or desperate, just slow, lingering. His lips were warm, and for a second, the world went still.

When I finally pulled away, my heart was racing. "I missed you," I whispered, my voice trembling slightly.

He exhaled, his hand brushing the side of my face. "You shouldn’t say things like that."

"Why not?" I asked softly. "It’s true."

He hesitated, glancing toward the door before lowering his voice. "Because your uncle doesn’t trust anyone.... and if he ever suspects..."

I leaned back, my expression hardening. "You didn’t tell him, did you?"

Adrik’s brow furrowed. "What?"

"You didn’t tell Uncle Fridolf about us, right?" I asked again, my voice sharper this ti.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your Majesty..."

"Answer ," I cut in. "Did you tell him?"

He t my gaze and shook his head. "No. Of course not. I’m not that stupid."

I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie. His eyes, however, were steady, calm, but a little sad.

The air between us turned heavy, thick enough to choke on. I could still feel Adrik’s heartbeat against mine, fast and unsteady, when I leaned forward again, this ti without hesitation.

Our lips t again, this ti harder, deeper, like sothing inside had finally snapped. All I could feel was him. The warmth of his mouth, the taste of smoke, and sothing raw, sothing that felt like truth.

His hands gripped my waist firmly, pulling closer until there was no space left between us. I could feel his heartbeat against my chest, strong and fast, matching the wild rhythm of mine. My fingers slid up into his hair, soft but slightly rough at the ends, and I tugged him closer. He groaned quietly against my lips, and that sound did sothing to ; it set my whole body on fire.

The kiss grew desperate, ssy, like we were both starving for sothing we couldn’t na. My breath hitched when his lips moved from my mouth to my jaw, then back again, stealing whatever air I had left. I didn’t care about control anymore. I just wanted more of him.

The world around us blurred. My hands slid down his neck, feeling the tense muscles beneath his skin, the heat radiating from him. His fingers dug into my sides, not to hurt , but to hold still, as if he was afraid I’d vanish if he let go.

When I finally pulled away, my lips were trembling, swollen from the kiss. My chest rose and fell quickly, trying to catch up with the storm that had just passed through . His breathing was uneven, too, his eyes darker than before, fixed on like I was the only thing that mattered.

Then the words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Did you tell Uncle Fridolf about my plan to betray him?"

Adrik’s expression froze. The color drained from his face.

"What?" he said softly, disbelief clear in his voice.

That silence, that single heartbeat of hesitation, was all I needed. My chest tightened, and I felt sothing inside twist painfully.

"So, it’s true," I said coldly, stepping back.

"Your Majesty..."

I didn’t let him finish. My palm connected with his cheek so hard the sound cracked through the air. He staggered slightly, his jaw tightening, his eyes flashing with anger.

He scoffed, shaking his head. "You’ve lost your mind," he spat. "Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"Don’t you dare talk back to like that!" I snapped, fury burning through . "I gave you everything, Adrik! And you go behind my back...."

"I did no such thing!" he shouted, cutting off.

"Liar!" I scread and raised my hand to hit him again, but this ti, he caught my wrist midair.

"Enough!" he barked.

I glared at him, breathing hard, trying to yank my hand free. "Let go!"

"Not until you stop acting insane!" he growled, his grip firm.

"Insane?" I hissed, stepping closer until our faces were inches apart. "You forget your place. I am still Luna of this pack, Adrik. You will address as such!"

He laughed bitterly, letting go of my hand with a shove. "Luna? You’re still delusional enough to call yourself that?"

My heart pounded painfully, the sting of his words cutting deeper than any slap.

He sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "You’re a disgrace to that title, Belinda. A Luna sneaking around, having secret affairs with her own guard, how noble of you."

My mouth fell open, heat rushing to my face. "You... you dare talk to like that?"

He scoffed again, looking away in disgust. "You think I’d ever betray Fridolf for you? Don’t flatter yourself."

Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away, refusing to show weakness. "You bastard," I muttered, trembling. "I must have been stupid to believe a word you ever said."

"Finally," he said flatly. "You’re right about sothing."

That hurt more than I expected. My breath hitched, and I turned my face away, swallowing hard. "Get out," I whispered.

He didn’t move.

I looked at him again, my voice rising. "I said get out!"

He gave a low, humorless laugh. "You want to hear the truth before I go? Fine. I would never betray Fridolf. He already set up, Belinda. If that’s what you want to believe, that I sold you out, then go ahead. But the truth? You’re just another piece in his ga. Just like ."

My body went cold.

He stepped back, shaking his head, his eyes softer for just a second. "You should be careful who you call your uncle."

Then he turned and walked away.

I stood there, trembling, staring at the empty doorway. My chest ached, my vision blurred. Slowly, I sank onto the cold floor beside the fire, clutching my knees to my chest.

"I’m not stupid," I whispered to myself, though my voice broke halfway through. "I’m not..."

But deep down, I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that maybe I was.