bChapter /bb214 /b

    ra’s POV

    Elder Briar’s expression remained as cold as stone.

    His gaze met mine, just for a moment, before drifting away with a slight flicker of something I couldn’t ce.

    “Lady ra,” Elder Pierre’s voice broke the silence, urgent, “did you catch a glimpse of the killer?”

    “No,” I shook my head, trying to steady my breath, though it felt like the air had thickened around me.

    “This is uneptable,” Dorian’s voice was low, seething with fury. His eyes scanned the room, pinning every elder in ce, his anger crackling in the air like a live wire. “First, my elder is poisoned, then my Queen is attacked under my own roof? How did this happen?”

    The room fell into an ufortable silence, the kind that pressed against the skin, made you squirm. Even Briar bowed

    his head.

    Pierre rubbed his chin, squinting at the piece of cloth in my hand. “The color of this… it’s grey.” His voice wasced with

    suspicion.

    A soft mutter ran through the House of Shadow’s elders.

    Briar’s voice sliced through it like a dagger. “What are you implying, Pierre? Just because the killer wore grey, you’re going

    to me the House of Shadow?”

    Pierre’s eyes narrowed, his tone rising. “The House of Shadow has always disagreed with King Dorian’s choice of Queen! You’ve got a motive!”

    Briar scoffed, his voice a low growl. “Yes, we want a Lycan Queen. But that doesn’t mean we’d go so far as to kill the King’s

    fiancée. This usation is absurd-”

    “Oh, cut the crap, Briar! You’re a scheming, sneaky bastard!”

    Dorian’s roar cut through their bickering like thunder, silencing everyone.

    “I don’t want to hear another word of this!” His voice was dangerously calm, but I could feel the storm brewing beneath. “One thing’s for certain–whoever the traitor is, I’ll hang their head on a gpole.”

    A chorus of murmurs filled the room.

    Dorian rubbed his temples, as though he couldn’t even bear the weight of the day’s chaos. “Is there anything else?”

    Before anyone could respond, a white–robed elder from the House of Light stepped forward, bowing deeply to Dorian. “My King, Lady ra, you and His Majesty have yet to acknowledge your mate bond, correct? I strongly suggest you do so. Once bonded and an heir is born, the union between the werewolves and Lycans will be solidified forever–”

    An heir?

    I gasped, my heart stuttering. What in the world was he talking about? An heir?

    1:00

    Sat, 30 Aug

    33%

    The words rang in my ears like a distant bell, fading into confusion.

    “An heir…” the elder continued, unaware of the turmoil swirling in my mind, “A child of both the werewolf and Lycan blood. The birth of such an heir would solidify the bond between your two peoples.”

    What the hell?

    I shot a nced at Dorian, fury welling in my chest. He’d said nothing to me about this–nothing at all.

    “I need a moment with my Queen,” Dorian muttered, turning to me.

    The room cleared quickly as the elders filed out, one by one. The heavy wooden doors groaned as they shut, leaving me alone with him.

    I didn’t even wait for him to speak. “No.” My voice was sharp, my fists clenched at my sides.

    He paused, brows furrowed in surprise. “You haven’t even heard me out.”

    “I don’t fucking need to,” I shot back. “Our deal was simple: I’ll pretend to be your Queen until you get your elders under control. I’m not recognizing any mate bond, and I’m damn sure not giving birth to your heir.”

    Dorian leaned against the stone column, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. “You think you have a choice?”

    “Of course I do.” My hands were trembling, but I was beyond caring.

    He pushed himself off the wall, his eyes locking onto mine. His gaze turned cruel. “Let me remind you of something, ra,” he said, his voice low. “You’re in a foreignnd, surrounded by enemies. And the only person you have to protect you is me. If you refuse my offer…” He stepped closer, his handing to rest on the back of my neck, pulling me toward him. His breath brushed my ear. “You’ll regret it. Trust me.”

    I swallowed, trying to ignore the way his voice made my pulse spike. I yanked myself free from his grasp, anger ring in my chest. “What if I tell your precious elders that our rtionship is a sham? That you’re just a kidnapper and I’m your prisoner? How would that go over with them, huh?”

    Dorian chuckled, his eyes lighting up with something dangerous. “You’re very attractive when you threaten me, my love,” he teased, his voice dripping with amusement.

    I could feel my cheeks flush with frustration. “Don’t make me hit you,” I hissed through gritted teeth.

    His smile faltered for just a second, but he recovered quickly, a glint of amusement still dancing in his eyes. “Too bad your threat means nothing to me,” he shrugged. “The elders may resist, but they’ll never turn on me. They wouldn’t dare.”

    My heart thundered in my chest, my thoughts racing.

    “Then why don’t you just find someone else to be your Queen?” I snapped, my voice tight with exasperation. “I already told you, Dorian! My heart is with Thorne.”

    He grabbed my chin, his grip firm but not unkind. His voice dropped to a low growl. “Then change your heart.” His gaze flickered down to my lips. “You are my mate. My Queen. The only person I want by my side.”

    I could feel the tension in the air thickening, the space between us shrinking.

    11:38 Sat, 30 Aug

    “You’re delusional,” I muttered, but it came out quieter than I intended.

    “I’ll give you one week to think about it,” he said suddenly, his voice rough withmand. “One week. After that, we’ll recognize the bond, and I’ll have my grand mating ceremony.”

    “I won’t-”

    He cut me off. “One week.”

    I stared at him, my body trembling with frustration. Could I find a way out of this?

    Could Thorne get here in time?

    But there was no way through the mist forest… no way to escape.

    “No matter what you think,” Dorian added with a sly grin, “you need someone to protect you. Especially when I’m not

    around.”

    “Why don’t you just let me die and find yourself a new Queen?” I spat, my words dripping with venom.

    Dorian smiled, that damn charming smile. “That’s not going to happen. You’ll live a long, peaceful life with me.”

    Before I could retort, he whistled sharply.

    The doors creaked open, and in walked a tall figure, d in armour.

    “Meet Dario,” Dorian announced, his voice smooth. “The best warrior in the Kingdom.”

    +38

    I turned to look at him, and my heart skipped a beat. His eyes–cold, grey–sent a chill down my spine. The same eyes I’d seen in the dark the night before.

    And suddenly, my fight felt like it was slipping through my fingers.

    bAD /b