CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38: CAUGHT IN HIS ARMS

The hall leading to the Alpha quarters was colder than the rest of the estate. Like even the walls knew not to speak.

I had no intention of coming here without an invitation. Royal etiquette dictated that noble guests never entered private quarters without permission. But this wasn’t a social call. I’d already searched every accessible part of the estate—courtyards, pack houses, even servant quarters. The only places left were the dungeons... and this.

I couldn’t access the dungeon without raising alarms or giving a politically justifiable reason.

But the Alpha quarters?

They wouldn’t dare close the door in a prince’s face, would they? So, I decided to visit this place first and confirm that she wasn’t here before planning my next move toward the dungeons—without alarming anyone.

My boots echoed on the marble as I walked with jaw tight, my heart beating faster than it should. I was prepared to find nothing. Or worse—find proof of how far they’d buried her. But halfway down the hall, I stopped short.

Her scent.

It was faint, but it was still there and I couldn’t be wrong.

Selene... she was really here. So those bastards actually made her stay in their quarters.

My breath hitched. I took a step forward. Then another. Her scent grew stronger.

My hand curled into a fist as I approached the wide double doors, carved with the crest of Silver Dawn. There was no one outside and I didn’t wait for permission. I simply pushed the doors open.

And the first thing I saw made me froze.

~~~

Selene’s POV

I knelt beside the sunken lounge seat made of dark wood and velvet, a seat more like a throne than a sofa. Lucian lay back, stretched out with that smug look on his face, like he owned the place and everyone in it.

A bowl of grapes sat on the carved pedestal beside us.

My fingers moved on their own, lifting the fruit one by one and placing them between his lips. He chewed with exaggerated delight, eyes closed, humming contentedly like some spoiled brat at a royal feast.

I wanted to shove the entire bowl down his throat.

But I didn’t.

Because Kael had warned me...no misbehavior. Not unless I wanted another "correction." The last one still throbbed on the side of my neck where his fingers had pinched down so hard I saw stars through the daylight.

So I grit my teeth and fed Lucian like some silent servant, every grape making my pride rot a little deeper.

I had learned to go still. Quiet and detached. But just as my mind started to drift...just as I forgot myself for one bitter second, Lucian suddenly moved.

He sat up with a fluid shift of muscle, and before I could retreat, he grabbed me by the waist and hoisted me into his lap.

I gasped, startled, my knees hitting the velvet cushion as he adjusted my position like I was a pet he was trying to pose. One arm circled my waist, locking me in place. I was straddling him now, facing him. A position that made my skin crawl.

"What are you doing—" I began, but he leaned in fast, pressing his hand over my mouth in a half-mocking hush.

But the gesture and the threat in his eyes was enough to silence me.

Just then, I heard it. Footsteps approaching us.

My body froze. Every hair on my arms stood up, What game he was trying to play? I wondered.

The door creaked open behind me and Lucian’s grip tightened at my waist, his fingers digging in just enough to send a warning: Don’t move and don’t speak.

I couldn’t see who entered.

But Lucian did.

His expression shifted instantly from smug amusement to fake embarrassment, his face lit with a sheepish, almost boyish grin.

"Ah, Prince Vaelen!" he called over my shoulder. "Forgive the scene. I wasn’t expecting you. How unfortunate you had to walk in while I was... entertaining myself with my little companion here."

And that was the moment my breath stopped. The name struck harder than a slap.

For a second, my heart didn’t beat. My lungs forgot what they were supposed to do. I just... froze.

Everything in me went still. My blood turned to ice, and the world narrowed into a sharp, ringing silence. Like I’d been dunked underwater without warning.

No...No. He couldn’t be here.

My fingers trembled where they rested on Lucian’s shoulders. I felt sick and humiliated. As if the velvet beneath my knees had turned to fire and I was being burned alive from the inside out.

But Lucian’s grip only tightened to keep me in place, his palm still at my waist like I was a possession. A prize. Something he wanted to show off.

I clenched my jaw, struggling to hold on to whatever shred of dignity I had left, trying not to fall apart right there in his lap.

But the damage was done.

Lucian shifted slightly beneath me, adjusting the fabric of my dress so that the neckline tugged down more than it should. He did it smoothly, intentionally, turning the entire scene into something far more suggestive than it was.

I felt Vaelen’s presence behind me now. I couldn’t turn to face him—Lucian’s hand pressed against the back of my neck, keeping my head down. Pinned So I could not even allow to look at prince.

The prince didn’t speak. But Lucian chuckled.

"She’s a bit shy," he said lightly, rubbing slow circles on my back like this was all a joke. "But I assure you, she’s well-trained. Almost like a pet now."

My nails dug into the fabric of his shirt.

How dare he. How dare he say those words like I was his trained pet. Like I have been willing.

The shame burned through my cheeks, and my anger took another level. I wanted to bite into his flesh. Tear away the smug smile I could still hear in his voice. My teeth clenched so hard it hurt.

I hadn’t done anything wrong. Not one thing. I never agreed to this...never chose to stay here, never chose him. And yet he made it all look like I was a willing plaything sprawled in his arms for everyone to see.

A lie. Every word out of his mouth was a lie.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to shove him away and tell the prince the truth. But I couldn’t move. Lucian’s hand stayed firm on the back of my neck, forcing me down. His other arm around my waist locked my spine against his chest. I couldn’t even breath let alone explain myself.

To anyone standing behind us, it would’ve looked like I was clinging to him. Resting in his lap like a lover.

I wasn’t. But that didn’t matter now. He made it look that way. And then, without warning, I felt his hand move.

It slid lower, past my waist and over my hips. My breath caught in my throat.

Before I could react, his fingers slipped beneath the edge of my dress and grabbed me. His hand clenched around my buttock and twisted.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips.