For her.
The tension bleeds from her features. Her breathing evens out, deepens. Her hand uncurls, relaxing against the mattress. The nightmare retreats, banished by my intervention, and she settles back into peaceful sleep.
I should leave. I have no business being here, in her private quarters in the dead of night. If anyone found me, the scandal alone would be devastating. But I can’t bring myself to go. Not when she’s like this. Not when I know what Seth has done to her.
The candlelight plays across her features, and my chest tightens with an ache I’ve tried so hard to suppress. She’s beautiful. Not in the polished way of court ladies or the delicate way of protected nobles. Hers is a fierce beauty, hard-won and battle-tested, and it strikes me deep inside every time I look at her. I’ve seen the intense determination in her gaze when she faces down danger. The quiet strength she carries like armor.
She’s different now. More quiet, more reserved. But around her friends whom she trusts, I’ve seen her smile unguarded. It’s the same when she laughs. The sound pierces me, my wolf desperate to get to her, to make her see us, recognize us. But I suppress him. My heart has been through so much grief that the scars no longer heal. I want her to be happy now. I want her to be safe, and I want to watch over her from the shadows for the remainder of our lives.
My hand moves of its own accord, fingertips brushing her cheek with a gentleness that surprises me. Her skin is cool, and the dark circles beneath her eyes speak of exhaustion that still plagues her.
The gesture feels ancient. Natural. As if I’ve touched her face like this a thousand times before.
“I will protect you this time,” I murmur, the words barely a breath in the quiet room. “I swear it, Daciana. I won’t fail you again.”
I mean every word. But she doesn’t stir, lost in whatever peaceful dreams my magic has granted her.
My wolf stirs beneath my skin, snarling his agreement. Protect. Defend. Destroy anyone who threatens what is ours.
I pull my hand back and rise from the chair. “Artisem,” I call softly.
He materializes from the doorway where he has been keeping watch, his expression carefully neutral. He’s one of the few who know the truth. Who has served my family long enough to understand.
“Arrange an audience with King Lucian,” I say, my voice hard as stone. “Tell him I require both him and Commander Seth to be present.”
Artisem’s eyes widen. “Kieran, perhaps we should—”
“Now,” I growl.
He bows and disappears without another word.
I look back at Daciana one more time. In sleep, with her guard down, I can almost see past the walls she has built. The vulnerability she hides so carefully, the softness beneath the soldier’s façade.
I wonder if her kisses still taste the same. Like wildflowers and summer storms and something I can’t name. Something that feels like coming home.
The ache in my chest intensifies, spreading through my ribs like roots taking hold. This isn’t just desire, though the gods know I still want her with an intensity that frightens me. This is something deeper. Something that inserts itself in the spaces between heartbeats and refuses to be dislodged.
I remember the way she looked at me two weeks ago, when I insisted she keep the attack secret. The flash of conflict in her eyes, loyalty warring with duty. She chose me. Even knowing it could cost her, she chose me.
And Seth punished her for it.
My hands curl into fists, claws pricking the skin of my palms. The wolf inside me demands blood, demands retribution. But I force the urge down, channeling it into something colder and more dangerous than rage.
Within the hour, I’m striding through the palace corridors toward Lucian’s private study. The halls are quiet at this time of night, lit by enchanted sconces that cast everything in shades of amber. Guards nod as I pass, recognizing me, not daring to question a foreign alpha’s business.
The study doors open before I reach them. Lucian sits behind his desk, still dressed despite the late hour. He looks tired but alert, eyes sharp as blades. Seth stands to his right, arms crossed, his expression carved from granite.
“Alpha Kieran.” Lucian gestures to a chair with false courtesy. “This is quite urgent, I’m told. Please, sit.”
I remain standing, feet planted, shoulders squared. “This won’t take long.”
Seth’s eyes narrow fractionally. He knows. He must know why I’m here.
“I’ve come to deliver a warning,” I say, and my voice could freeze fire. “If your Commander continues to torture my—”
The word catches in my throat. Mate. The truth I’ve hidden, the bond I’ve denied, hovering on the edge of exposure.
“If he continues this treatment of Daciana,” I continue, forcing the words to be steady, “or if he sends her to her death through his negligence, my pack will withdraw our support. We’ll leave the capital immediately and revoke our offer to help you find the necromancer who harmed both your mate and his.”
