V

bChapter /bb21 /b

bNyssa /bbpov /b

“This is so good!” bI /bbgasped/bb, /bholding the drumstick in one hand with a wide smile before taking ba /bbite of the pizza slice in my other hand. bI /bbclosed /bmy beyes /bat the heavenly taste, nodding in appreciation.

“bThis /bbis /bamazing too,” bI /badded, turning to the head bchef /bwith a grin that showed all my teeth. “bI’ve /breally missed your bpizzas/b, they’re my favorite. It bfeels /blike ages bsince /bbI /bst had them. I missed your cooking so much. No onepares to byou/b.”

I raised a thumbs–up in delight.

The chef stiffened, staring at me with a puzzled expression, his head slightly tilted bas /bif trying to figure out what I meant. And I understood why.

To him, I might have only missed a few meal while I bwas /bina. But for me, it had been over a year since I’d btasted /bhis cooking. Why? Because he’d died during the rogue attack that would happen two years from now, an attack that took everyone’s life.

My gaze narrowed and a slight frown formed on my lips as that memory resurfaced. Despite the ughter, every single one of them had tried to protect me- to keep me alive.

My father. His beta and gamma. Serene. This cook. Even the guards and the maids… they all fought for me simply because of the Alpha’sst dying wish.

“Save my princess,” he had whispered as silver arrows pierced his body. “No matter what happens, you have to bsave /bher.”

That was his finalmand. And even though they could’ve run, even though they didn’t owe me anything- they stayed. They fought.

First, it was Calen and Benjamin, my father’s beta and gamma. They had shielded me from the iing arrows, battling the rogues until the end. Then the cook, wielding only a kitchen knife, took down as many as he could before falling. Serene had stepped in too, blocking a fatal blow meant for me, though she’d miraculously survived. But the others hadn’t.

And just when I thought it was all over, when I was certain death was seconds away, Kieran had appeared like the hero I believed he wasb, /btaking a hit for me.

But now that I think back, I never saw him or Aria during the main part of the attack. They were absent until the perfect

moment.

He’d timed it.

It bwas /bbclear /bnow, he had done it for two reasons: to increase my trust in him, and to ensure that if anything happened to me, he would still bsecure /bthe position. Otherwise, someone else close to our lineage would have been next in line as Alpha if I died.

The corner of my lips curved into a slow smirk as the thought sank in.

“bHe’s /bmore cunning than I thought.”

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that, mydy,” the cook said, snapping my attention back to him. I instantly smiled, my beyes /bcurving as I held the drumstick up and grinned.

“I said it tastes really, really good!”

As soon as I said that, the cook sighed and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

38

b“/bThank byou/bb, /bmy bdy/b,b” /bbhe /bsaid, lowering his bhead /bin a small bbow/bb. /bbBut /bat the bcorner /bbof /bmy beye/b, bI /bcaught him mouthing, “bWhat /bis bwrong /bbwith /bthe bdy/b?” bto /bbSerene/bb, /bwho stood behind me. I bwasn’t /bbsure /bwhat bexpression /bshe gave in returnb, /bbut he sighed bagain/bb, /bonly for his beyes /bbto /bsuddenly widen the bnext /bbsecond/b.

bHe /bimmediately dropped to the ground in brespect/bb, /band one by oneb, /beveryone around followedb, /bdropping to their bknees /bbin /bbdeep /bbbows/b.

My beyes /bbwidened /band then I grinned. I already knew who it bwas/bb. /b

“Father! Good morning! Serene and I want to go shopping and-” I turned around excitedly, the chicken and bpizza /bbstill /bclutched in my handsb… /bonly to bfreeze /bthe moment my eyesnded on the man standing behind me.

Oh my goddess. Kill me now.

It was my father standing there. And yesb, /bCalen and Benjamin were there too but so was Darius, the king. Cassian, his bbeta/b. And the infamous doctor, Zayn.

However, among everyone present, my eyes were immediately drawn to him, and a soft gasp escaped me as his gaze locked onto mine. His eyes narrowed, lips tugging into a deep frown that sent a shiver crawling down my spine.

My current bstate- /bhow do I even exin it? I was holding a chicken drumstick in one hand, a slice of pizza in the other, and without a doubt, oil was smeared across my mouth and fingers. There was no saving this moment.

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath.

From the corner of my eye, I caught my father shaking his head in disappointment before pping a hand over his face. Calen and Benjamin tried their best to stifle theirughter, their shoulders trembling. Even the king’s beta, Cassian, and Zayn looked amused.

Only Dariusb… /bonly he wore an emotionless mask, unreadable as ever.

“I thought you said she wasn’t eating or sleeping because she was worried and scared,” Cassian whispered under his breath, shifting his gaze to my father.

My father’s face turned red instantly, and for a brief moment, he said nothing.

“Ahem…” He cleared his throat and puffed out his chest slightly, trying to regainposure before speaking. “Yes, as you can see, my daughter is sad, and whenever she is, she has always used eating as a distraction—”

His words were cut short as my face flushed bright red. I began coughing violently, eyes turning teary in an instant while my hand frantically hit my chest as the food got stuck in my throat.

I closed my eyes and turned around, reaching for the ss of water.

“Missb, /bare you okay?!” Serene yelled as she quickly handed it to me. Without thinking twice, I grabbed it and frantically gulped it down, my hand hitting my chest harder as I tried to swallow. Eventually, the coughing fit died down, and I slowly opened my eyes but I didn’t dare to look back, afraid I’d start coughing again from pure embarrassment.

The room fell into a tense silenceb. /bNo one spoke for a long moment, but I could feel all their eyes on me, making me curse under my breath as I dropped the food I was holding back onto the te.

Fuck. Just great.

“Miss, are you okay?” Serene asked again, softer this time. I gave her ba /bsmall nod and whispered,

“I’m fine,” just barely loud enough to hear.

But I lied. I was nowhere near fine.

What was the king doing here? Don’t tell me he came just to have breakfast?

My question was quickly answered when I heard my father clear his throat and speak.

“I apologize for the… dy. Please, Your Majesty, have a seat and enjoy breakfast.”

bChapter /bb22 /b