- 5 hours ago
The Dungeon Couldn't Stop A Luna
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00:00I always felt like I never belonged, not in this pack and definitely not in the family I was placed
00:00:04with.
00:00:05I was orphaned at birth.
00:00:07My mother died giving birth to me, and my father soon after.
00:00:11Alpha Joe handed me off like an unwanted gift to Amma and Vargos.
00:00:15For a while, they treated me like their own.
00:00:18Until I was seven and Amma's belly began to swell with new life.
00:00:22Then the world shifted.
00:00:25The arms that once cradled me grew cold.
00:00:35Narayan! It's five in the damn morning! Get your useless self moving!
00:00:42I closed my eyes and breathed deep.
00:00:44Today was different.
00:00:45Tonight, under the moonlight, my dormant wolf gene will awaken and I'll finally become a full-fledged werewolf.
00:00:51Once I shift, I can leave Amma's house and start saving to finally get out of Kragnan.
00:00:55A small, secret smile tugged at my lips.
00:00:57I'd been waiting for this moment my whole life.
00:01:00I rose stiffly from my pile of clothes.
00:01:02There she was, leaning over the railing like a queen surveying her dirty peasant.
00:01:07Sorry.
00:01:09Sorry?
00:01:10You should be.
00:01:11Living off our kindness all these years.
00:01:14The least you could do is pick up more slack.
00:01:16It's the weekend.
00:01:16I swallowed the bitter rage clawing up my throat.
00:01:19More slack?
00:01:20What more could I possibly do that wasn't already dumped on my shoulders?
00:01:24I clenched my fists until my knuckles shook.
00:01:27Just a few more hours, I reminded myself.
00:01:30I woke Levian to get his laundry.
00:01:32He shoved two overflowing baskets into my arms and threw a duvet at the back of my head before slamming
00:01:37the door.
00:01:38Downstairs, Amma was sipping coffee and reading a fashion magazine.
00:01:40The washing machine's broken.
00:01:42Peter can fix it later.
00:01:43Take the laundry down to the river bend and wash it by hand.
00:01:46Oh, and grab your father's and my laundry too.
00:01:49I tripped and grabbed the counter, accidentally knocking a plate to the floor.
00:01:54Amma's palm collided with my face, knocking me backwards into the fridge.
00:01:59I saw stars and tears spilled from my eyes.
00:02:03You stupid little bitch!
00:02:05That was a vintage plate!
00:02:07Sorry doesn't fix your stupidity!
00:02:10Useless girl!
00:02:11You're nothing but a migraine!
00:02:12I stayed silent, letting the insults rain down until she stormed off.
00:02:19Then I heaved the heavy bags onto my back and stumbled toward the river bend,
00:02:24where there was less chance of anyone seeing me like this.
00:02:29By the time I made it back, the sun was retreating.
00:02:32I heard Alpha Joe's voice inside.
00:02:34I pushed open the door, and every head at the dining table turned toward me.
00:02:38Amma sweetly told a lie, saying that I went to wash clothes by the river
00:02:42because I complained the washing machine hadn't gotten them clean enough.
00:02:45Nareen, I've been waiting for you.
00:02:47It's custom for the Alpha to bless you on your birthday,
00:02:49and pray that Irina's spirit sees you through your transformation from man to beast.
00:02:54I blinked.
00:02:55Stunned.
00:02:56I took a single spoonful of pasta at dinner.
00:02:58My parents hadn't.
00:02:59Suddenly, heat exploded under my skin.
00:03:02I doubled over, gasping.
00:03:03Get out.
00:03:04I took a deep breath through the pain and stumbled out the door.
00:03:07The storm howled, and rain pounded down.
00:03:10My bones snapped and elongated painfully slow, my spine twisting at odd angles.
00:03:15I laid there crying, powerless.
00:03:20After an eternity, the pain faded, and I staggered up panting.
00:03:25I looked down, and my white fur shimmered under the rain,
00:03:29with champagne-hued, burnished golden tips.
00:03:32I howled wildly to the red moon, brimming with happiness, and turned back toward the others.
00:03:38They froze and stared as if I had two heads, then flinched when I stepped forward.
00:03:42In a puddle, I saw my huge reflection with a third eye on my forehead,
00:03:46black socket and golden iris, and my main eyes blazing red.
00:03:51Darkness swallowed me whole.
00:03:52Three years later, there were no windows or clocks, no way to tell day from night.
00:03:56Tobias' boots echoed through the rotten corridor.
00:03:58He tossed a tray beside me.
00:04:00Oh, you still ain't dead yet?
00:04:01You're one strong little bitch.
00:04:02It's been three years, can you believe it?
00:04:04This pit stinks worse than a rotting sewer.
00:04:05Last time I'm coming down here, mark my word.
00:04:08Three years.
00:04:08The words slithered into my mind like a poison dagger, but I felt nothing.
00:04:12Had it really been that long?
00:04:14I stared up at the cracked ceiling, tracing the spiderweb of fractures again and again.
00:04:18Every split had been memorized long ago.
00:04:20I had been rotting in this dungeon long enough for the ceiling to become more familiar than faces I once
00:04:24loved.
00:04:25They tried to get rid of me, but my cursed body healed relentlessly.
00:04:28They turned to silver, searing it into my flesh and leaving a map of scars.
00:04:33Joe was the worst.
00:04:34He peeled my skin back layer by layer, probing for the monster he swore lurked beneath.
00:04:38He would let me shriek until my lips cracked and my stomach twisted,
00:04:42then dangle a single drop of water in front of me.
00:04:45Shift.
00:04:46Show me what you really are.
00:04:47But I was too weak to summon the beast he so feared.
00:04:50I had screamed for death, begged for it in hoary sobs.
00:04:54But even death found me repulsive, leaving me trapped in this decaying shell.
00:04:59When I turned my head and saw the tray, a jolt struck my half-dead nerves.
00:05:03The cell door was in jaw, unlocked.
00:05:06Tobias, lazy, careless.
00:05:09Tobias hadn't locked it.
00:05:11A strange, foreign sensation stirred in my hollow chest.
00:05:14Hope.
00:05:15But I crushed it hard.
00:05:17Even if I escaped, where would I go in this state?
00:05:20Skin stretched over brittle bones, not even remembering my own face.
00:05:24I clenched my jaw.
00:05:26If I must die, then let it be under the sky, with the wind on my skin and the stars
00:05:30bearing witness.
00:05:31Not rotting away nameless in this tomb.
00:05:35I forced my skeletal frame to move and dragged myself across the threshold.
00:05:39I didn't remember how I stumbled through the night.
00:05:41Only the scent, honeysuckle and sun-warmed cedar.
00:05:44Cutting through the rot like a blade.
00:05:46Then a pair of warm arms caught my crumbling body.
00:05:49When my eyes fluttered open again, there was no cracked ceiling.
00:05:53Above me were intricate carvings kissed with gold and silver.
00:05:56A chandelier glowing softly.
00:05:57The bed beneath me was impossibly soft, silk curtains swaying at its corners.
00:06:02Was I dead?
00:06:03Was this heaven or hell dressed in beautiful lies?
00:06:06I tried to move but my limbs trembled violently.
00:06:08My hands were clean and pale, nearly translucent.
00:06:11I was dressed in a large hoodie.
00:06:13The grime I'd worn like a second skin was gone.
00:06:17I flinched and snapped my gaze toward the voice.
00:06:20He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.
00:06:23He stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed over a broad chest, warm brown eyes framed by thick,
00:06:29dark lashes.
00:06:30How are you feeling?
00:06:32That voice was like thunder wrapped in silk.
00:06:35I wanted to speak, but only a weak gasp escaped.
00:06:39When he reached out a hand, I threw my arms up to shield my face, bracing for the blow I
00:06:45knew would come.
00:06:46I don't want to hurt you.
00:06:51I would never hurt you, Imsirelli.
00:06:55I peeked through my arms.
00:06:57He had lowered his hand and wore a sad smile.
00:07:00He introduced himself as Sargas, the ruthless, untouchable Lycan king.
00:07:08He said, I was in the palace of Karagnyr, that he had found me on snow wolf territory.
00:07:14This had to be a hallucination.
00:07:16How could someone as broken as I am be in the palace?
00:07:19In the king's bed.
00:07:20I tried to pinch myself awake, but there was no flesh to grip.
00:07:25So I scooted toward the edge, intending to fall and wake up.
00:07:29The next second, I crashed into a solid chest.
00:07:32His heartbeat thudded against my ear.
00:07:34I looked up into those warm eyes that could melt the fiercest ice.
00:07:38But warmth was always a lie.
00:07:40I pushed weakly, but he simply laid me back on the bed.
00:07:44Then he pulled out a phone and issued a steady command.
00:07:49Royal physician.
00:07:51My room.
00:07:52He was summoning an entire medical team.
00:07:56This is all my fault.
00:07:57I'm sorry I didn't find you soon.
00:07:59He dropped his head onto my lap, his broad shoulders trembling slightly.
00:08:04I froze.
00:08:06Why would a king grieve over me?
00:08:09A knock sounded, and a group in teal scrubs filed in, bowing in unison.
00:08:14That was what they called him.
00:08:16Supreme Alpha.
00:08:18And I sat there, trembling, utterly bewildered.
00:08:21What the actual fuck was happening?
00:08:23They wanted to examine me.
00:08:25I curled into a ball, pressing my palms over my ears, rocking back and forth.
00:08:29Don't touch me.
00:08:30Please, no.
00:08:31The man called Sarja sat on the edge of the bed, his voice low.
00:08:35I promise you, M'sirelli, nobody here is going to hurt you.
00:08:39They won't touch you in any way you're uncomfortable with.
00:08:42I swear on my title and my life.
00:08:45I looked at him.
00:08:47There was a burning sincerity in those eyes.
00:08:52Slowly, my hands slid down from my ears.
00:08:56I nodded.
00:08:58The physician Maravec approached cautiously, like handling a frightened fawn.
00:09:02He measured my vitals, my height and weight, his brown deepening.
00:09:07When he gestured for me to open my mouth, a foul stretch filled the room,
00:09:11and I saw Sargas' knuckles turn white.
00:09:13They asked questions, and I answered with nods, shakes, or fingers.
00:09:18Three.
00:09:19Three years since I last spoke.
00:09:21Twenty-one.
00:09:22I was twenty-one.
00:09:24Finally, they handed me a notepad and pen to write my name.
00:09:27My hand trembled so badly the letters came out crooked.
00:09:31Nino?
00:09:32Or maybe Maka?
00:09:34The physician guessed twice and was wrong both times.
00:09:38Sargas impatiently snatched the note and squinted at it.
00:09:41Noreen.
00:09:43I nodded.
00:09:47Noreen.
00:09:48He pronounced that name like a sacred vow.
00:09:52Everyone left, and the door clicked shut behind them.
00:09:55Silence wrapped around me again, my oldest best friend.
00:09:59I looked around the massive room.
00:10:01High vaulted ceilings, polished stone walls, a bed big enough for five.
00:10:05It was too surreal.
00:10:06I was in the Lycan king's palace.
00:10:09In his bed.
00:10:10Under his care.
00:10:12Why?
00:10:12What did he want?
00:10:13No one ever gave without wanting something in return.
00:10:16Especially not for someone like me.
00:10:19A knock came, and a dark-haired woman entered, fox-like eyes smiling.
00:10:23She introduced herself as Hazmik, my lady in waiting.
00:10:26She brought an iPad and a wireless bell.
00:10:28Would you like to stay resting in bed?
00:10:30Or would you love to watch the sun?
00:10:31It's beautiful from the balcony.
00:10:34The sun.
00:10:35That word struck me like a jolt to the chest.
00:10:37I pointed weakly toward the window.
00:10:40She smiled and helped me up, letting me lean on her as we shuffled step by step towards the
00:10:45large glass doors.
00:10:47The door slid open, and sunlight flood in.
00:10:49The first ray hit my face.
00:10:52I froze.
00:10:53The warmth was so foreigner it almost hurt.
00:10:56I closed my eyes and breathed it in, letting it soak into my bones.
00:11:00I had forgotten.
00:11:02I had forgotten how the sun felt.
00:11:04Hazmik helped me sink into a giant beanbag that swallowed me whole.
00:11:08The sky was a tender blue, clouds drifting slowly.
00:11:11A breeze kissed my matted hair.
00:11:13I don't know how long I sat there.
00:11:15Maybe I fell asleep.
00:11:16When I opened my eyes again, the sky was painted amber and rose gold, a wool blanket wrapped
00:11:22around me.
00:11:23Then I met those warm brown eyes, Sargis standing by the railing, silently watching me.
00:11:28You seem so comfortable sleeping.
00:11:30I didn't have the heart to disturb you.
00:11:32It's getting windy.
00:11:34I should get you inside so you don't catch a cold.
00:11:38Before I could react, I was weightless in his arms.
00:11:42My face pressed against his chest.
00:11:45His steady heartbeat thudding in my ear.
00:11:49I froze.
00:11:50But he just smiled.
00:11:52As if carrying women was part of his daily routine.
00:11:59He laid me back on the bed, tucked the duvet around me, and then turned for the door.
00:12:07Leaving my heart hammering like a drum.
00:12:10The door clicked shut behind him.
00:12:12I curled up alone in that too soft bed, my heart still pounding.
00:12:16When he carried me back from the balcony, his arms had been steady as stone, as if I weighed
00:12:21nothing.
00:12:22I burrowed deeper into his hoodie.
00:12:24That scent, cedar and honeysuckle, had soaked into the fabric.
00:12:28I hated to admit it reminded me of something distant called safety.
00:12:33Outside, moonlight silvered the gardens.
00:12:36I stared at it, asking myself over and over.
00:12:40Who was I to be held in a king's hands?
00:12:43The answer came as cold as moonlight.
00:12:46Tonight, I was not worthy.
00:12:48The physician Maravec's words echoed in my head.
00:12:51Severe malnutrition, dehydration, post-traumatic stress.
00:12:54My teeth had rotted from neglect.
00:12:56If I were human, he had said, I would already be dead.
00:13:00It was the cursed wolf blood that had kept me alive.
00:13:03The blood that made me a monster.
00:13:06I touched the crescent and spiral mark on my forehead.
00:13:09It always throbbed faintly.
00:13:10I closed my eyes, trying to piece together what that man, Sargis, could possibly see in me.
00:13:16A mute ghost.
00:13:17A skeletal wreck.
00:13:19A three-eyed abomination.
00:13:22Sooner or later, he would see the truth and throw me back into the abyss.
00:13:26Thirty sunrises and sunsets passed.
00:13:28I was trapped in this gilded dream, receiving IV drips, dental repairs, nutritional supplements
00:13:32day after day.
00:13:33Flesh slowly returned to my frame, and my skin grew less translucent.
00:13:36Hazmac became my shadow.
00:13:37She never pushed, never overstepped, simply offering a hand when needed.
00:13:41She reminded me of something I had never possessed.
00:13:43A sister.
00:13:44And Sargis slept on the sofa.
00:13:45Every single day.
00:13:46Whenever I woke, he was either reading or watching me like a puzzle he couldn't solve.
00:13:50His gaze was too intense and I could never meet it.
00:13:52I woke earlier than usual today.
00:13:54Dawn had not yet broken, and the room was empty.
00:13:56I didn't want to wait for Hazmac to help me with everything like a parasite.
00:13:58I pulled the IV needle out, wincing at the sting, but I didn't stop.
00:14:01The bathroom was gilded magnificence.
00:14:03The mirror showed a face still pale, but no longer hollow-eyed.
00:14:06I stared at the brand on my forehead, trying to recall when it appeared, but memory offered
00:14:10only black holes.
00:14:11I picked up scissors and began cutting away the matted knots.
00:14:13Platinum strands fell around my feet, snip after snip, until my head felt as light as
00:14:17if three years of weight had been lifted.
00:14:19Hot water poured from the shower head, steam billowing.
00:14:21I closed my eyes and let the stream wash over of every inch of skin.
00:14:24It was the first time I truly bathed myself.
00:14:25The scent of soap drowned out the memory of rot.
00:14:27I touched every inch of skin, as if getting to know my body for the first time.
00:14:30After the shower wrapped in a blue robe, I found myself standing before the mirror again.
00:14:34I took a deep breath and let the robe fall.
00:14:36Then I saw them scars, covering my body like dried-up riverbeds.
00:14:39The most horrifying one snaked from my lower abdomen to just beneath my left breast.
00:14:43The skin was tight and shiny, as if it still had a pulsacy.
00:14:45Joe.
00:14:46He had dragged a silver-coated blade up my stomach, slow as if savoring a delicacy.
00:14:50The sizzle of silver on flesh.
00:14:52The iron tang of blood.
00:14:54His humming.
00:14:55My screams.
00:14:56The door burst open.
00:14:58Sargas rushed in, then froze.
00:14:59His gaze landed on me for only a heartbeat before jerking away as if scolded, the back
00:15:03of his neck flushing red.
00:15:06I saw her body, which made me uncontrollably think of some blush-endearing images.
00:15:11I'm sorry.
00:15:12I didn't think before barging in.
00:15:13Your heartbeat.
00:15:14I thought, shit.
00:15:15I'm so sorry.
00:15:16Are you okay?
00:15:17Why are you crying?
00:15:18Only then did I realize I was curled naked on the floor, tears streaming down my face.
00:15:22I scrambled to pull the robe around me, heart-hammering.
00:15:25He kept his back to me, shoulders rigid.
00:15:27Put some clothes on, I'll be outside.
00:15:29He practically fled.
00:15:35I sat there for a moment, then pulled on another of his white shirt and burrowed under
00:15:39the covers.
00:15:40He stood by the window for a long time before slowly returning.
00:15:43I lay in bed with my back to him.
00:15:44His voice came from behind, low and careful, like taming a deer ready to bolt.
00:15:48You've been cooped up in here for a month.
00:15:49If you want, we can stroll through the palace gardens.
00:15:51The lilies just bloomed.
00:15:52Maravik says you can start on solid foods.
00:15:54I didn't respond.
00:15:55He held out the tablet and asked if there was anything I craved.
00:15:58I stared at the flowing screen as if it were an alien artifact.
00:16:01But eventually, I took it.
00:16:03He showed me how it worked, his fingers careful never to touch mine.
00:16:06I typed, then turned the screen toward him.
00:16:08What do you mean?
00:16:09What do I want?
00:16:10I snatched it back, typed furiously, and flipped it again.
00:16:13I need answers.
00:16:14Why was I brought here?
00:16:15Why am I in your bed?
00:16:16Why all this excessive care?
00:16:18Why waste resources on someone you don't even know?
00:16:20He fell silent.
00:16:21The air grew heavy as red.
00:16:22That's because you're my mate, Cyreli.
00:16:26Mate?
00:16:27Me?
00:16:27His?
00:16:28The eternally bound, soul-deep lichen mate cursed by Irina?
00:16:31Absurd.
00:16:32I was a three-eyed monster.
00:16:34He couldn't be serious.
00:16:36There had to be a mistake.
00:16:37A defective thing cast aside by everyone.
00:16:40He couldn't be serious.
00:16:41This had to be another cruel trap.
00:16:43I couldn't believe him.
00:16:44The moment he saw my true form, he would revile me like everyone else.
00:16:47I had to leave.
00:16:48Before he discovered the truth, before those gentle looks turned to disgust, I had to escape.
00:16:52But I was too weak right now.
00:16:53I needed time to regain my strength, to earn his trust, to find an opening.
00:16:57The garden.
00:16:57He mentioned the garden.
00:16:58There had to be a way out from there.
00:16:59I forced my breathing to steady, picked up the tablet, and typed my reply one letter at a time.
00:17:03Banana.
00:17:04He stared for a full three seconds.
00:17:06Then his handsome face split into a smile I had never seen.
00:17:10Pure.
00:17:11Bright.
00:17:11Utterly relieved.
00:17:12The freshest bananas should be immediately brought to my quarters.
00:17:15Soon, Hazmik rushed in with an armload of bananas, her eyes glistening.
00:17:20She peeled one and offered it to me with a joy as if I had just asked for the crown
00:17:24itself.
00:17:24I took the first bite.
00:17:26The sweetness exploded on my tongue, foreign and overwhelming.
00:17:29I couldn't remember bananas ever tasting this good.
00:17:32One after another, I couldn't stop.
00:17:35I heard his low chuckle.
00:17:37You're going to turn into a banana at this rate.
00:17:39I paused, looked up at him, and gave him the faintest, most unexpected eye roll.
00:17:46His laughter grew louder.
00:17:48In that moment, something cold in my chest seemed to crack.
00:17:54I'm so rarely meant my beloved in old crag nook.
00:17:58He said it with such tenderness that I had to look away.
00:18:01I didn't deserve to be looked at like that.
00:18:03After the bananas were gone, he sat quietly on the sofa and told me about Arena's curse.
00:18:08How lichens were punished for their arrogance, bound eternally to one person, heart and soul
00:18:12intertwined until death.
00:18:13I don't care about the curse.
00:18:15All I know is that when I found you, here...
00:18:18He pointed to his chest.
00:18:19The place that had been empty for 23 years suddenly felt full.
00:18:24I clutched the sheets.
00:18:26His words were honeyed, but I had tasted too much poison wrapped in honey.
00:18:33I picked up the tablet and typed with trembling fingers.
00:18:37I don't want to be your mate.
00:18:38His smile didn't disappear.
00:18:40It just softened into something sad, like a flame dampened by rain.
00:18:44I know, and I won't force anything on you, Noreen.
00:18:46Ever.
00:18:47But I also won't lie to you.
00:18:49You're not just anyone to me.
00:18:50You're the only one that's ever silenced the monster inside me.
00:18:57He left after those words, leaving me alone with the silence.
00:19:01I looked toward the balcony.
00:19:03The sky was vast, and I was in a cage.
00:19:05No, I would be no one's prisoner anymore.
00:19:08I would grow strong, exact my revenge, and then be truly free.
00:19:12I walked to the balcony, slid the door open, and cold wind hit my face.
00:19:18I stared at the abyss beyond the railing.
00:19:21One step, and all the pain would end.
00:19:23I climbed onto the railing and spread my arms.
00:19:28Noreen!
00:19:29Please don't do that!
00:19:30I whipped my head around, my foot slipped, then the world flipped, and I fell into the void.
00:19:35A hand clamped around my wrist.
00:19:36I dangled in midair, looking up to see Sargas half over the railing, one hand gripping the edge,
00:19:41the other holding me with desperate strength.
00:19:42His face was contorted with strain, veins bulging, but what burned in his eyes was not anger.
00:19:46It was pure, unadultated terror.
00:19:48Hold on, Noreen!
00:19:49Just hold on!
00:19:50With a guttural roar, he hauled us both back over the railing, inched by agonizing inch.
00:19:54We tumbled onto the cold tiles.
00:19:56I sprawled across his chest, his heart hummering wildly against my ear.
00:20:01He sat up, gripping my shoulders, his voice raw and shaking.
00:20:04Are you okay?
00:20:04I know I'll never fully understand what you've been through, but taking your life is not an option.
00:20:08Do you hear me?
00:20:08If something is too heavy for you, let me carry it.
00:20:11I'll burn this entire world to ashes for you, just say the word.
00:20:14You have no idea the power you hold over me, Imsirelli.
00:20:17Please, don't ever try to do that again.
00:20:19I froze.
00:20:20He was kneeling before me, the supreme lichen king, his voice laced with raw pleading.
00:20:26Not anger, not reproach.
00:20:28Fear.
00:20:29Fear of losing me.
00:20:30I looked down and saw the wound from the IV still bleeding on my hand.
00:20:36He followed my gaze and then gently lifted my hand.
00:20:40Let me help you clean this.
00:20:41He fetched the first aid kit and knelt on one knee at my feet.
00:20:45His touch was exquisitely careful, as if I were the most fragile porcelain on earth.
00:20:50I watched his profile, which seemed almost reverent.
00:20:58Something hard inside my chest quietly gave way.
00:21:02He applied a bandage, then stood and fetched a steam mop.
00:21:04My eyes widened as the lichen king rolled up his sleeves and began personally cleaning the blood off the floor.
00:21:09His forearms flexed with each movement, veins tracing intricate paths.
00:21:12I tore my gaze away, cheeks burning.
00:21:14Damn it, what was I thinking?
00:21:15This man had just saved my life, and I was oogling his arms?
00:21:17I buried myself under the covers in feigned sleep.
00:21:21The hum of the steam mop was an odd lullaby.
00:21:25After a while, I heard him set it down and quietly settle back onto the sofa.
00:21:30I didn't sleep that night.
00:21:32Not from fear, but from a strange, unnameable flutter.
00:21:36He said I had power over him.
00:21:38But what power could a broken, mute wreck like me possibly hold?
00:21:43Two months passed.
00:21:45My body recovered rapidly.
00:21:46I could keep down most solid foods and had even gained a little weight in my cheeks.
00:21:51But my wolf remained dormant.
00:21:53Maravec said it would take a few more months.
00:21:55I didn't plan to wait that long.
00:21:57I had to leave.
00:21:58Sargash's tenderness was a net drawing tighter each day, and I feared drowning in it.
00:22:02I couldn't.
00:22:03I had a revenge to fulfill.
00:22:04Today, the opportunity came.
00:22:06I picked up the pablet and typed.
00:22:08I remember you once offered to take me to the garden.
00:22:11Does that offer still stand?
00:22:12He read the screen, and his lips curved slowly into a smile that could melt ice.
00:22:18Of course it does.
00:22:21Sargash's smile bloomed like the first breath of spring.
00:22:24He led me through the palace corridors, and I stepped into the moving iron box called an elevator for the
00:22:31first time.
00:22:32When the floor trembled, fear gripped my throat.
00:22:35I threw myself into his arms, clinging to his waist.
00:22:38His chest rumbled.
00:22:39He was laughing.
00:22:41This way, Lady Koala.
00:22:44I followed him past towering columnists.
00:22:46Two obsidian-carved lichen thrones loomed at the far end.
00:22:49The ceiling stole my breath, and guards stood like statues.
00:22:53For the first time, I understood with absolute clarity he was a king.
00:22:57This is the palace ballroom.
00:22:59We host royal events, meetings, celebrations, and official matters here.
00:23:03I stared at the thrones, my skin pricking.
00:23:05He could snap my neck with a flick of his wrist.
00:23:08Yet I slept in his bed, wore his clothes, ate his candy.
00:23:11The thought of escape laud in my mind like a thorn.
00:23:13Guards pushed open a heavy oak and iron door, and sunlight spilled in like it had been waiting for centuries.
00:23:18I saw a black luxury car parked in the courtyard.
00:23:22Sargish opened the door for me himself.
00:23:25I got in, and he slid in beside me.
00:23:30Here.
00:23:31You can munch on it while we make our way there.
00:23:33I took it, tore it open, and shoved a handful into my mouth.
00:23:38The sweetness melted on my tongue.
00:23:40He kept watching me.
00:23:42When I looked up, he quickly averted his eyes and pretended to study the scenery.
00:23:47The garden was called Velariad, an arched stone gate twilled with vines, the scent thick as a liquid dream.
00:23:53I stepped in and was swallowed by blooms, birds of paradise, bleeding hearts, ghost orchids, and a bush of silver
00:23:58roses.
00:23:59They're called moonlit etel roses.
00:24:01They grow nowhere else in the world.
00:24:02They're used in every major royal event.
00:24:05Mating ceremonies, coronations, presentations of heirs, even funeral rites.
00:24:10I crouched before the roses, afraid to touch them.
00:24:12The petals were true silver, like melted starlight trapped in delicate folds.
00:24:17I didn't know how long I crouched there until my legs cramped.
00:24:20When I stood, I saw Sargish sitting cross-segged on a hanging chair, hand up his head, grinning without guard.
00:24:25This has always been my favorite place to escape, even when I was a kid.
00:24:28Whenever I had a fight with my parents or just needed to disappear, I came here.
00:24:30I listened, and the corner of my lips twicked upward against my will.
00:24:33I wiped it away immediately.
00:24:34I had no business smiling at him.
00:24:37You're so beautiful.
00:24:39Has anyone ever told you that?
00:24:41I froze.
00:24:42No one, never.
00:24:43Something warm and dangerous swelled in my chest.
00:24:46I had to crush it.
00:24:47I shot to my feet, desperate to flee this tender trap.
00:24:51My heel caught the fountain's edge, and I tilted backward.
00:24:55Arms banded around my waist and pulled me against a solid chest.
00:24:59I looked up in panic, just as his face angled down.
00:25:04Our lips touched, then memory surged like black tide.
00:25:07Joe's hands, Joe's laughter, Joe's weight pinning me down.
00:25:11I screamed and shoved him away, collapsing to the ground, scrubbing frantically at my lips.
00:25:16I heard myself begging hoarsely, but the name I cried was Joe's.
00:25:21I finally came to the first thing I registered was pain.
00:25:24A dull, burning throb echoed in my bones as if my entire body remembered every bruise.
00:25:29The second thing I noticed was a warm, solid arm draped over my waist.
00:25:33And another tucked beneath my head, gently pinning both my wrists.
00:25:36The third thing was the heat.
00:25:37A comforting, enveloping warmth that seemed to seep into my skin.
00:25:41How good he smelled, and how perfectly his body molded around mine.
00:25:45And the last thing that made me freeze was a poke, right on my lap.
00:25:49No! No, no, no!
00:25:51I twisted, kicked, and squirmed until I managed to slide out from under him and tumble off the bed.
00:25:56I scrambled backward like a startled deer until my back hit the nightstand.
00:26:01You're finally awake.
00:26:04Why the fuck were you in bed with me?
00:26:06You were having a nightmare, thrashing and clawing at yourself.
00:26:09I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't stop.
00:26:11So I held you, all night.
00:26:12I stared at him.
00:26:14That made sense.
00:26:15But why wasn't I scared?
00:26:16It was like my body knew this alpha wouldn't hurt me.
00:26:19But my brain was struggling to keep up.
00:26:21Are you reading my mind?
00:26:22You're not insane.
00:26:24You were simply thinking out loud.
00:26:25A scream tore from my throat again.
00:26:27And then I heard it.
00:26:28My voice.
00:26:29Trembling, I pressed a hand to my throat, disbelieving.
00:26:33A soft gasp escaped me.
00:26:35Tears welled in my eyes.
00:26:37So this...
00:26:38This is how I sound?
00:26:41I didn't even remember anymore.
00:26:45The memories came crashing into me.
00:26:47The palace, the garden, the kiss, and Joe.
00:26:50My chest caved in.
00:26:52I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.
00:26:54But the weight of that memory pulled me under.
00:26:56The kiss reminded me of Joe.
00:26:59I couldn't breathe.
00:27:00I dropped my gaze to my hands.
00:27:02There was torn skin beneath my nails.
00:27:05He wasn't lying.
00:27:06Sargis had protected me from myself.
00:27:08Again.
00:27:10Good morning.
00:27:13Do you want to use the bathroom first or should I?
00:27:15I shuffled toward the walking closet and grabbed one of his black shirts and a pair of shorts.
00:27:20Wearing his clothes felt normal now.
00:27:22I stepped back into the room.
00:27:23He was sitting at the edge of the bed, phone in hand.
00:27:26Inside the bathroom, I caught my reflection.
00:27:28Angry red lines across my arms and collarbone.
00:27:31I had done that to myself.
00:27:33I realized I was growing comfortable here with him.
00:27:36That scared me more than anything.
00:27:38I wasn't staying forever.
00:27:40I'd kill Joe.
00:27:41I stepped out of the bathroom, drawn by the scent of heaven.
00:27:45Sargis stood behind the island counter, fussing with a skillet, plating eggs, sausages, bacon, pancakes.
00:27:52He could cook?
00:27:55Come take your seat.
00:27:56I obeyed immediately.
00:27:57He placed a full plate in front of me.
00:27:59I picked up the fork and deg in.
00:28:02A moan slipped out without warning.
00:28:04How is it?
00:28:05I haven't cooked in a while, so I might be a little rusty.
00:28:08I flashed him a thumbs up.
00:28:09He grinned and served himself a plate.
00:28:11We ate in silence.
00:28:13Once the meal was done, I rose to grab the dishes.
00:28:16He intercepted me.
00:28:17I can do it.
00:28:19I absolutely do not doubt your capability, but allow me to do these little things.
00:28:24You don't ever have to lift a finger.
00:28:26I looked away quickly.
00:28:28There was something disarming about the way he spoke.
00:28:30He was gentle, and I didn't know how to handle gentle.
00:28:34I wandered back to the living space and collapsed onto the sofa.
00:28:38Minutes later, he approached.
00:28:40Here.
00:28:41He held out a bowl filled with brightly colored candies and sour gummies.
00:28:45I took it with both hands.
00:28:47You don't ever have to thank me for things like this.
00:28:49It's my pleasure.
00:28:51Then he turned and walked away.
00:28:55I stared after him.
00:28:59And didn't know what to think about him anymore.
00:29:17Time had passed.
00:29:18Two and a half months since everything changed.
00:29:21Since I screamed and found my voice.
00:29:23Sargis and I were in a much better place now.
00:29:25Not perfect, but closer.
00:29:27I spoke with him freely when I wanted to.
00:29:30Quietly when I didn't.
00:29:31He never pushed.
00:29:32I'd started leaving the palace, too.
00:29:34With Hazmik.
00:29:35She became something close to a friend.
00:29:37She taught me games.
00:29:39Painted my nails.
00:29:40Let me braid her hair.
00:29:41What kind of man do you like?
00:29:43I had no answer.
00:29:45But she told me she and Lupercus were mated.
00:29:47I couldn't believe it.
00:29:48That tall, brooding wall of muscle?
00:29:49Him?
00:29:50Hazmik burst into laughter.
00:29:51But it was true.
00:29:52Physically, I was changing, too.
00:29:54I'd gained weight.
00:29:55Healthy weight.
00:29:56My hips had begun to round.
00:29:57My cheeks filled out.
00:29:58My hair grew thicker and longer.
00:30:00But I hadn't stopped searching for a way out.
00:30:02Notebooks hidden behind the wardrobe were filled with sketches of palace maps, blind spots, and guard rotations.
00:30:07Tunnel theories.
00:30:08But I still hadn't found a way out.
00:30:10I'm tired of seeing you in his clothes.
00:30:12You're getting thicker now, and your boobs are starting to fill out, but you're still dressing like a malnourished librarian.
00:30:15You need your own clothes.
00:30:16Dresses, shoes, undies.
00:30:18Sexy ones.
00:30:19The door swung open, and in walked Sargas.
00:30:23Good.
00:30:24You're here.
00:30:25Your mate is filling out.
00:30:26It's a crime she doesn't have decent underwear.
00:30:28I'm taking her shopping.
00:30:29Your what?
00:30:30She needs a wardrobe overhaul.
00:30:32Your card.
00:30:33Now.
00:30:33Sargas looked between us.
00:30:35Then he groaned.
00:30:37For the goddess' sake.
00:30:39Fine.
00:30:40He shoved his black card into her hand.
00:30:43Hasnique kissed his cheek.
00:30:45Good boy.
00:30:46The only person you're allowed to splurge on is Noreen.
00:30:49Not yourself.
00:30:51Crystal clear, my king.
00:30:52She looped her arm through mine, practically dragging me toward the door while I stumbled along, half horrified, half terrified.
00:30:57If she comes back with those hideous shades of yours, I'll personally exile you, Hasnique.
00:31:01Hasnique.
00:31:02And I went shopping.
00:31:03She drove.
00:31:03I sat in the passenger seat.
00:31:04The gates creaked shut behind us.
00:31:06Am I sure I should be doing this?
00:31:07Going out like this?
00:31:09Babe, I'm more than sure.
00:31:11And besides, I waited months for this.
00:31:13Don't rob me of my girl's day fantasy.
00:31:15I gave her a small smile.
00:31:19But my insides were knotted with anxiety.
00:31:23The road wound through towering sycamars and golden fields.
00:31:27Thirty minutes later, we reached the main gate.
00:31:29It opened.
00:31:31This was the first time I'd stepped into the outside world.
00:31:34People, no, beings, were everywhere.
00:31:36Furred, scaled, winged.
00:31:38I felt like a ghost.
00:31:41The main city's practically a circus.
00:31:43She parked and dragged me into the first shop.
00:31:46Red lace.
00:31:47The scent of perfume hit me.
00:31:50Lace.
00:31:51Satin.
00:31:51Silk.
00:31:52I froze.
00:31:53It's not your style.
00:31:54That's the point.
00:31:55You've been wearing Sargis's hoodies.
00:31:57This is your awakening arc.
00:31:59My what?
00:32:00She kept handing me sets.
00:32:02Some tame.
00:32:02Some scandalous.
00:32:03I tried on a deep green set.
00:32:05The soft fabric hugged my skin.
00:32:07Not too revealing.
00:32:08That one?
00:32:09That's the one.
00:32:10You look like you could kill a man and then write a love letter on his grave.
00:32:12I smiled faintly.
00:32:14Then my gaze drifted lower and I saw them.
00:32:16The scars.
00:32:17Long, silvery reminders slashed across my hips and the sides of my stomach like brands.
00:32:21The scars.
00:32:22They make it hard to see anything else.
00:32:23Those scars?
00:32:25That's armor, Noreen.
00:32:26That's survival.
00:32:28You don't hide them.
00:32:29You wear them like a goddamn crown.
00:32:31I wanted to believe her.
00:32:33But believing is easy when you're not the one living inside the body that remembers every scream.
00:32:38We moved on after that.
00:32:39Shoes.
00:32:40Jewelry.
00:32:41Dresses.
00:32:42At a street-side cafe, I barely touched my food.
00:32:45But I nodded along to Hazmic's banter.
00:32:48By the time the sun began to dip, our arms were full of bags.
00:32:53Lubricus, she stepped away to answer, motioning for me to stay.
00:32:56I stared at the exit.
00:32:58The streets were crowded, pulsing with energy.
00:33:00It would be impossible to track someone through that maze.
00:33:03My heart pounded.
00:33:05I hated myself for thinking it.
00:33:07But the need for vengeance wouldn't let go.
00:33:09I moved.
00:33:09Slowly at first.
00:33:11Pretending to browse a rack near the door.
00:33:14Then I slipped through the crowd like mist.
00:33:17Hazmic was still on the phone.
00:33:18Turned away.
00:33:20I ran.
00:33:22I moved like smoke.
00:33:24Weaving through clusters of shoppers.
00:33:25Ducking into crowds.
00:33:26I looped around the block twice, letting bodies mask my scent.
00:33:29My memory flicked back to the turns we'd taken.
00:33:31Right on Temple Avenue.
00:33:32Two blocks north.
00:33:33Then a side road called Moon's Hollow.
00:33:34Past the bakery with the strawberry bread.
00:33:36Left at the bronze statue of the feathered chimera.
00:33:37I followed the map I'd stitched into my mind.
00:33:40My lungs burned.
00:33:41But I didn't stop.
00:33:42Not until I turned a final corner and found myself on a quieter street.
00:33:45There in the shadow of a crumpling tower.
00:33:47I leaned against the wall.
00:33:48Panting.
00:33:49A weight crushed my chest.
00:33:50But vengeance had waited long enough.
00:33:52I didn't know where I was going.
00:33:53I only knew I was going to the snow wolf pack.
00:33:55To Joe.
00:33:56The streets of the city felt like a different world.
00:33:58People in clusters.
00:33:59Merchants yelling.
00:34:00Neon signs blinking.
00:34:01The snow wolf pack?
00:34:02A woman barely looked up from her phone and pointed south.
00:34:05That's hours away on foot, girl.
00:34:07You'll need transport.
00:34:08I nodded and kept walking.
00:34:09I had no money.
00:34:10No phone.
00:34:10No plant.
00:34:11I ducked into alleyways to breathe.
00:34:14When my legs went numb, I found a fountain at the edge of a plaza and collapsed beside it.
00:34:18The water shimmered like crystal under the city lights.
00:34:20I dipped my hands into drink.
00:34:22My reflection stared back, wild-eyed.
00:34:25What the hell was I doing?
00:34:26I hadn't thought this through.
00:34:28I'd romanticized vengeance.
00:34:29But I hadn't considered the logistics.
00:34:32The crowds had started thinning.
00:34:34Daylight had bled out of the sky.
00:34:35Most people had places to go.
00:34:37Homes.
00:34:38Packs.
00:34:38Families.
00:34:39I had nothing.
00:34:41The city suddenly felt like a mouth about to swallow me whole.
00:34:46I curled onto a bench, hugging my knees.
00:34:52Maybe I'd made a mistake.
00:34:55I eventually stumbled onto a bench by a bus stop, half limping and half dragging my body
00:34:59across the concrete.
00:35:01My knees buckled the moment I sat.
00:35:02My legs trembled from hours of walking with no direction.
00:35:05Goddess, what was I thinking?
00:35:07My lungs ached with every breath.
00:35:08My head throbbed.
00:35:09I was utterly spent.
00:35:11I was so stupid.
00:35:11I had made a split-second decision based on wanting to be free, to take control of my
00:35:15life, only to realize it wasn't as easy as I had made it sound in my head.
00:35:19Now I was stuck, exhausted, cold, and lost in a city I barely knew.
00:35:22I missed him.
00:35:23I hated how fast that thought came, how much it hurt.
00:35:26But I missed his gaze.
00:35:27His quiet presence.
00:35:28The way he made me feel seen and safe.
00:35:29I wanted to go back.
00:35:30To the steady hum of the corridors.
00:35:32To the scent of lavender on my pillows.
00:35:33To the quiet safety of knowing Hazmic would always be two steps behind me.
00:35:37But I didn't know how.
00:35:38No, I wanted revenge.
00:35:39That was the truth of it, wasn't it?
00:35:41No matter how much I missed the comfort of the palace, I couldn't pretend it would make
00:35:44everything right.
00:35:45It wouldn't undo what happened to me.
00:35:47Wouldn't erase the nights I screamed into my pillow, or the way my body still flinched.
00:35:51The palace could offer peace, but not justice.
00:35:54And I was starving for justice.
00:35:56But what had I even been thinking?
00:35:57That I could just show up at the snow wolf pack and kill Joe with my bare hands?
00:36:01That vengeance would be waiting for me like a gift wrapped in fury?
00:36:03I had been so blinded by rage and hurt that I forgot I was just one girl.
00:36:08With scars still healing and barely enough strength to hold herself upright.
00:36:11But I couldn't let it go.
00:36:12I couldn't move on.
00:36:13Not while he was still out there, breathing freely, laughing, living a life untouched by
00:36:16the horror he inflicted on me.
00:36:18He ruined my life.
00:36:19He destroyed pieces of me I would never get back.
00:36:21I needed to look into his eyes and watch him realize I had survived.
00:36:24But right now, I was helpless.
00:36:26I curled on the bench, arms tucked tight into my chest, rocking gently as the night deepened
00:36:31and the city blurred around me.
00:36:33One minute I was asleep.
00:36:35The next I was in the air, hauled, like a sack of grain.
00:36:39Hey!
00:36:39Hey!
00:36:40Put me down!
00:36:41The man didn't flinch.
00:36:42His arms were like steel.
00:36:43I was dumped into the backseat of a car.
00:36:45This is kidnapping!
00:36:47He slid into the driver's seat and locked the doors.
00:36:49I'm sorry, your gracious majesty.
00:36:51Please pardon my caveman behavior.
00:36:52I need to get you back to the palace as soon as possible.
00:36:54His majesty is not in a good state of mind.
00:36:56Oh, so I wasn't being kidnapped.
00:36:58They found me so fast.
00:36:59I thought I was clever, blending in.
00:37:01I was being taken back to the palace.
00:37:03I pressed my forehead against the cool window.
00:37:05I hadn't even lasted a full day out here.
00:37:07I was such a fool.
00:37:08But worse, I was ashamed of how relieved I was that they came for me.
00:37:16And soon, to him.
00:37:19To the man whose anger might just burn hotter than the fire.
00:37:22I carried in my own soul.
00:37:25As the car drew closer to the palace, anxiety coiled tighter in my chest.
00:37:28He was going to be furious.
00:37:30I deserved it.
00:37:31Sargas had been nothing but kind and patient.
00:37:32He gave me space, shielded me from a world I wasn't ready to face.
00:37:35And what did I do in return?
00:37:36Stop the car.
00:37:37I shouted.
00:37:38Stop the car.
00:37:39I didn't think I could face him.
00:37:40Ma'am?
00:37:41Now.
00:37:43The tire screeched as the vehicle jerked to a halt.
00:37:45Open the door.
00:37:46I can't.
00:37:47His majesty gave strict...
00:37:49Well, from what I've been told, I am her majesty.
00:37:51So doesn't that give me the authority to override a damn door lock?
00:37:54The lock disengaged.
00:37:55I stared at him.
00:37:56Stunned that it worked.
00:37:57I threw the door open.
00:37:58And the night air slapped me in the face.
00:37:59I didn't care.
00:38:00Screech.
00:38:00A deafening roar split the silence.
00:38:02A car came flying into view.
00:38:03Tires skidded sideways.
00:38:05And slammed to a halt just inches from me.
00:38:07The driver sang open so hard it slammed against the frame with a metallic crack.
00:38:10And then he was there.
00:38:11Sargas.
00:38:12I'd never seen him so disheveled.
00:38:13His jacket hung off one shoulder.
00:38:15His shirt half unbuttoned.
00:38:17He moved closer.
00:38:17Fuck.
00:38:18The moment his boots hit the pavement, he didn't stop.
00:38:22I was frozen where I stood.
00:38:24Wind tugging at my hair.
00:38:26Eyes wide with fear.
00:38:28He closed the distance until we were mere inches apart.
00:38:32He wrapped me in his arms.
00:38:34My body went rigid in surprise.
00:38:35Then I sagged against him.
00:38:37He buried his face in my hair.
00:38:39Breathed me in.
00:38:40You're okay.
00:38:41Did anyone hurt you?
00:38:43Did you eat?
00:38:44You...
00:38:45His voice cracked.
00:38:46We'll talk when we get home.
00:38:47I nodded slowly.
00:38:49He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.
00:38:53He guided me to his car.
00:38:57Neither of us spoke during the drive back.
00:38:59He glanced at me more times than he should.
00:39:02Just to make sure I was still there.
00:39:04The palace gate loomed under the dark sky.
00:39:06He parked, and we made our way up the steps and into the private elevator.
00:39:10I looked everywhere but at him.
00:39:12The doors opened, and he led me to the room.
00:39:14The door closed behind them with a soft click.
00:39:16I stood in the middle of the room, still wrapped in his jacket.
00:39:21Why, Nareen?
00:39:23Why did you run?
00:39:25Do you have any idea what you put me through?
00:39:29I didn't ask you to worry about me.
00:39:32I'm not a child.
00:39:33You can't keep me locked in here like a prisoner.
00:39:38I wasn't keeping you here.
00:39:40I was protecting you.
00:39:43Protecting me?
00:39:44I didn't ask for your protection.
00:39:47I'm your mate!
00:39:48It's my responsibility to care you go again with that mate bullshit.
00:39:54I don't believe in it.
00:39:57I'm not responsive to it.
00:40:00I've never felt it.
00:40:02The only thing I've ever felt towards you is gratitude.
00:40:10Nareen.
00:40:11No.
00:40:12Let me finish.
00:40:15Lupricus cleared his throat.
00:40:20We shouldn't be here.
00:40:22They quietly stood and left.
00:40:25The door closed behind them.
00:40:35I never asked you to save me.
00:40:37You did all of that on your own.
00:40:40I'm grateful.
00:40:42But that doesn't mean you get to dictate how I live my life.
00:40:50I never did this because I expected something back.
00:40:59Then stop acting like I owe you something!
00:41:04My words hit him.
00:41:05His body locked up.
00:41:07He stared at me in disbelief.
00:41:10You say you're my mate.
00:41:12But I never felt it, Sargus.
00:41:14No strings pulled at my soul.
00:41:16No magic tethered me to you.
00:41:19He nodded slowly, biting the inside of his cheek.
00:41:22His hands trembled at his sides.
00:41:26You've been kind, yes.
00:41:28But caring isn't suffocating someone.
00:41:32Caring isn't making decisions for me.
00:41:35And watching me like I'm a ticking bomb.
00:41:44Narian.
00:41:45You know what hurts the most?
00:41:47I almost believed you were different.
00:41:49But all this time, I know you've just been waiting for me to become something I'm not.
00:42:05You think because you gave me a soft bed and fed me?
00:42:11And gave me your attention that I owe you my heart?
00:42:16You want to claim me like some prize you've won!
00:42:20He staggered back a step, unable to breathe.
00:42:22All he could do was stare at me like I'd just torn him in half.
00:42:34Fuck!
00:42:35Narain!
00:42:35He grabbed a vase off the table and hurled it across the room.
00:42:45It shattered into a thousand sharp pieces against the wall.
00:42:48But it still didn't quiet the storm in his chest.
00:42:52You're right.
00:42:53I don't have any right to keep you here.
00:42:58I don't have the right to hope for something that clearly isn't there.
00:43:02He swore again, grabbing the edge of the table.
00:43:06You've got no idea what it's like devoting yourself to someone.
00:43:10I stayed up nights wondering if I was doing enough.
00:43:13If I was enough.
00:43:15But none of it mattered to you, did it?
00:43:20I looked away.
00:43:25You want to go?
00:43:26Then go.
00:43:27I won't stop you.
00:43:29You say you're not mine.
00:43:30I hear you.
00:43:33All I wanted was your happiness.
00:43:36If it doesn't lie in me, then so be it.
00:43:39I set you free.
00:43:41You don't owe me anything.
00:43:43Take what you need.
00:43:46Clothes, money, whatever.
00:43:50Just leave before I start begging you to stay.
00:43:54Because if I do, and you still walk away, I don't know if I'll recover from that.
00:44:01He turned away, unable to face me.
00:44:03Just go.
00:44:05I wasn't prepared for the sorrow reflected in his eyes.
00:44:08It wasn't a volatile pain that demanded attention.
00:44:12It was a quiet anguish that seemed to seep from his very soul.
00:44:15I never meant to hurt him.
00:44:17I didn't throw his kindness back in his face because I believed it was insincere.
00:44:22I did it because deep down I feared it might actually be genuine.
00:44:28I was used to striking first, pushing people away before they could draw me too close, striking out before I
00:44:35could be hurt.
00:44:37When he reached for me, when he took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders and asked softly
00:44:43if I was okay,
00:44:46panic flooded me.
00:44:48How could someone be so kind?
00:44:52It felt like a lie.
00:44:54I pushed him away to protect myself.
00:44:57To cling to the belief that he was just like the others.
00:45:02Untrustworthy.
00:45:03Indifferent.
00:45:04How could a man like Sargas care this deeply for someone like me?
00:45:09The mate bond?
00:45:11But I didn't feel it.
00:45:13All I felt was gratitude.
00:45:15Should I leave?
00:45:16That had always been the plan.
00:45:18To get out and find joy.
00:45:19To look the monster in the eye and kill him.
00:45:22And yet, I hesitated.
00:45:26The choice was in my hands now.
00:45:28Sargas had given it to me without resistance.
00:45:32I was finally free.
00:45:35So why did my chest ache when I thought of walking away?
00:45:39Maybe it was the way he was retreating.
00:45:41The way his broad shoulders, now slumped like the weight of the world, had finally crushed him.
00:45:48Or the way his eyes had dulled.
00:45:51Or the pain radiating off him like a storm, soaking the room.
00:45:56But whatever it was, it did something to me.
00:46:00It reached into that steel vault I'd buried my heart in and twisted.
00:46:06I stood there, frozen.
00:46:08Watching him walk away felt like watching something irreversible happen.
00:46:13And for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel fear.
00:46:18I wanted to comfort him.
00:46:22I opened my mouth to speak.
00:46:25Nothing sharp, or guarded, or meant to protect me from imagined betrayals.
00:46:30But before I could say a single word, he turned back.
00:46:35If you have any request, or anything you want to take along,
00:46:41ask anybody, and you'll be given.
00:46:46Then he walked out of the room.
00:46:49And I just stood there, staring at the door.
00:46:53I waited for him all through the night.
00:46:57Not a single blink of sleep touched my eyes.
00:47:02I sat on the bed, hugging my knees, staring at the door.
00:47:06But he never came.
00:47:08This was the first time he had stayed away for this long.
00:47:12The first time he didn't sleep in here.
00:47:16Did he deserve what I said?
00:47:18No.
00:47:20No.
00:47:21Especially when I hadn't meant it.
00:47:25I just didn't know how to not lash out when I felt scared.
00:47:30Didn't know how to let good things in without suspecting the worst.
00:47:34I reached for the tablet on the bedside table.
00:47:37I remembered him showing me how to contact him through it.
00:47:40Just in case.
00:47:43I opened the message app.
00:47:45My fingers hovered above the keys.
00:47:48I'm sorry.
00:47:49Please come back.
00:47:51That's what every piece of me was screaming.
00:47:55But wouldn't that make me selfish?
00:47:58After everything I said?
00:48:04I dropped the tablet and buried my face in my hands.
00:48:09I didn't know how to fix this.
00:48:14A knock sounded on the door.
00:48:16My heart leaped.
00:48:18It's me, Nareen.
00:48:20Then crashed.
00:48:22Lupercus.
00:48:23I didn't expect him.
00:48:24I slid off the bed and padded to the door.
00:48:30I hesitated.
00:48:32Then opened it slowly.
00:48:37Can I come in?
00:48:39I nodded.
00:48:41He stepped inside.
00:48:43I'm here to pick you up.
00:48:45His Royal Highness has made accommodation arrangements for you outside the palace.
00:48:51There's also a sum of money deposited in an account under your name.
00:48:55My heart twisted.
00:48:57He made plans for me already?
00:49:01After I threw his heart to the ground and stomped on it?
00:49:09I'm not going anywhere.
00:49:12You aren't?
00:49:14I don't want to leave anymore.
00:49:22Where's Sargis?
00:49:24I want to talk to him.
00:49:26I'm sorry.
00:49:28I can't reveal His Majesty's whereabouts.
00:49:33He's not in a good state of mind at the moment.
00:49:39Please, Lupercus.
00:49:43Let's assume I do take you to him.
00:49:46What would you do?
00:49:48Or say?
00:49:53Do you suddenly believe in the mate bond now?
00:49:56His words hit me.
00:49:58What would I say?
00:49:59I'm sorry?
00:50:01And then what?
00:50:03I don't know.
00:50:04I don't know what I'd say.
00:50:08But I don't want him hurting because of me.
00:50:11You need to make a choice, Noreen.
00:50:13I can't take you to see him if you don't even know what you want.
00:50:17Don't give him hope if you know you'll never be able to see yourself with him.
00:50:22His words pierced through every layer of denial I had built.
00:50:26He wasn't being cruel.
00:50:28Just honest.
00:50:30And the truth was...
00:50:32Everything he said was right.
00:50:35I know the concept of mate doesn't make sense to you.
00:50:38That's okay.
00:50:43Only lichens truly understand it.
00:50:47To be tethered to someone.
00:50:50It's like feeling something awaken in your bones and your blood.
00:50:56As though you were incomplete your entire life.
00:50:59And never knew it until that moment.
00:51:07I stared at him.
00:51:09I stared at him.
00:51:15Sargas is my cousin.
00:51:18We grew up together.
00:51:20One thing he wouldn't shut up about.
00:51:23The concept of mating.
00:51:25He searched for years.
00:51:29Each time he came back empty-handed, a part of him faded.
00:51:36Five years, Noreen.
00:51:38Five years of quiet misery.
00:51:44Until he found you.
00:51:55I have never seen him happier.
00:52:04Something about the way he said it twisted something in my chest.
00:52:09If you really get to know Sargas.
00:52:12If you let yourself be open-minded.
00:52:15Even just a little.
00:52:17You'll see that he's gentle.
00:52:20And full of love.
00:52:23And everything he's done for you.
00:52:25Since the day you were brought here.
00:52:29Isn't that proof enough that he cares about you?
00:52:38The seventh day.
00:52:40Seven long, agonizing days.
00:52:42And still no sign of Sargas.
00:52:44The loneliness had crept into me like a slow-acting poison.
00:52:48Curling its way through my chest until it sat heavy on my lungs.
00:52:51I never knew loneliness could hurt like this.
00:52:54I used to build my world around silence.
00:52:57I used to pride myself on not needing anyone.
00:53:00But now it felt different.
00:53:02The silence didn't feel safe anymore.
00:53:04It felt like a punishment.
00:53:07I curled up tighter on the bed.
00:53:09Wrapping his shirt tighter around me.
00:53:16It still smelled like him.
00:53:20Hasmik had left me a book.
00:53:22I finally cracked it open out of sheer desperation for distraction.
00:53:27The cover was spicy.
00:53:29But the story was gripping.
00:53:31The enemies-to-lovers trope was more than just spicy.
00:53:34It was intense, chaotic, and real.
00:53:37The heroine lashed out in fear and distrust.
00:53:39Only to realize she was falling in love without even meaning to.
00:53:43It felt so familiar.
00:53:44Like Sargius and me.
00:53:46I found a folded-down page with a line.
00:53:50I hated him so much I couldn't breathe.
00:53:54I loved him so much I didn't know how to.
00:53:58Then their first kiss came.
00:54:03That image, lips breezing together like an apology and a promise,
00:54:08dragged my memory back to that night.
00:54:11The fountain.
00:54:14I didn't even realize I was smiling.
00:54:17Or that I was kicking my feet in the air.
00:54:20Like some hopeless romantic.
00:54:22And then it got spicier.
00:54:25And as I read...
00:54:30I imagined it was us.
00:54:33Sargius and me.
00:54:36Should I stop?
00:54:37His breath scorched my skin.
00:54:39I shook my head.
00:54:40Because I didn't want to stop.
00:54:42He kissed my neck as if he wanted to bite it down.
00:54:45My fingers sank into his hair,
00:54:47gripping him like grasping the only driftwood.
00:54:50His fingers unbuttoned my buttons.
00:54:52One.
00:54:53Two.
00:54:54It wasn't him guiding me.
00:54:56It was me.
00:54:57My legs wrapped around his waist.
00:54:59At that moment, I wasn't bearing anything.
00:55:02I was taking something.
00:55:04He held my earlope and I trembled all over.
00:55:06Then I kissed him.
00:55:07It was my own initiative.
00:55:08His mouth has the taste I love.
00:55:09Sweet, hot, and addictive.
00:55:10I crumpled the bedsheet and he held my hand as if he wanted to sink down with me.
00:55:14At that moment, I was no longer a ruin.
00:55:16It was the fire he ignited.
00:55:17The thought was so jarring that I nearly dropped the book.
00:55:22My skin went hot.
00:55:25I snapped it shut like it had bitten me.
00:55:33I threw it across the room and buried my face into the throw pillow, groaning.
00:55:38Why was my brain like this?
00:55:43The silence pressed in again.
00:55:48Slowly, my thoughts faded and I drifted into sleep.
00:55:53I didn't know how long I'd been out, but a shadow fell over me.
00:56:01I stirred gruggily, blinking against the haze of sleep.
00:56:07His figure was retreating.
00:56:09My body moved before I could think.
00:56:13I grabbed his hand.
00:56:20Sargis.
00:56:21He turned.
00:56:23And when his eyes met mine, my heart ached.
00:56:27He looked exhausted.
00:56:30Dark shadows under his eyes, tangled hair, wrinkled shirt, stubble on his jaw.
00:56:39His eyes were guarded, like he'd locked the real Sargis somewhere deep inside himself.
00:56:48I looked away, as shame crawled up my throat like a vine.
00:56:59I'm sorry.
00:57:02I'm sorry.
00:57:07It's fine, Noreen.
00:57:09It's all good.
00:57:10No, it's not all good.
00:57:13You have no idea how guilty I feel for everything I said.
00:57:16I didn't mean all of it, at least not the way I said it.
00:57:21If you're only here because you feel guilty, you don't have to.
00:57:27You were just being honest.
00:57:28That's okay.
00:57:30No.
00:57:31I'm not staying because I feel bad.
00:57:34I'm staying because...
00:57:36I want to.
00:57:39But I need you to understand that I'm not an easy person to be with.
00:57:43I had a pretty messed up child.
00:57:45It left scars.
00:57:46Deep ones.
00:57:48That kind of trauma doesn't just go away when someone shows up with kind eyes and good intentions.
00:57:53I lost my parents as soon as I was born.
00:57:56I was raised by PAC members.
00:57:57At first they were kind, until I turned seven.
00:58:01They had a child of their own.
00:58:03And suddenly, I wasn't part of the family anymore.
00:58:06I became a servant in their home.
00:58:10And then...
00:58:11And then...
00:58:14I spent three years in a dungeon.
00:58:16Total darkness.
00:58:18Alone.
00:58:20Tortured beyond imagination.
00:58:29I'm telling you this not so you'll pity me.
00:58:32I hope it helps you understand me.
00:58:36Even just a little.
00:58:37I don't know how to love Sargas.
00:58:40I don't know how to let myself be cared for.
00:58:43Without feeling the need to give something back.
00:58:47All this time I've been here, I felt grateful.
00:58:50But also, like a parasite.
00:58:55Narian.
00:58:59No, please let me finish.
00:59:01I know everything you've done, you did because you wanted to.
00:59:04You don't expect anything in return.
00:59:06But I can't help how I feel.
00:59:08I feel indebted.
00:59:11Like I'm just taking and taking.
00:59:13Without ever being able to give anything meaningful back.
00:59:16But the past few months have been the most wonderful of my life.
00:59:19And that safety has made me realize something else.
00:59:22I still have demons.
00:59:23Still have so much pain buried inside me.
00:59:26And that pain has kept me from wanting to accept happiness.
00:59:29From believing I even deserve it.
00:59:33And that's why I ran.
00:59:35Not because of you.
00:59:38Not because I wanted to hurt you.
00:59:41But because I needed to confront my past if I ever wanted to move forward.
00:59:47As for the mate bond, it's true.
00:59:50I don't feel it.
00:59:51At least, not the way I'm supposed to.
00:59:54But Lubricus explained things.
00:59:57I'm sorry for hurting you, Sargas.
01:00:00You didn't deserve that.
01:00:02You're a wonderful man.
01:00:03But I'm not ready to be in something romantic.
01:00:06Not yet.
01:00:07I just...
01:00:07I don't think I'm in a place where I can give someone what they deserve without working on myself.
01:00:12But...
01:00:13If you're willing to wait.
01:00:15To be patient and stay beside me.
01:00:17Not because you're hoping I'll change.
01:00:18Or that I'll fall in love with you overnight.
01:00:20But because you see me.
01:00:22And you want to help me figure out who I am and what I want.
01:00:25Then I'd like that.
01:00:26I'd really like that.
01:00:27When I finally looked at him again, his expression had completely changed.
01:00:32He was smiling.
01:00:34Not that half-hearted, broken smile.
01:00:39A real one.
01:00:41I understand.
01:00:42And I mean that.
01:00:43Picture two.
01:00:45Thank you for trusting me enough to open up.
01:00:49I know it wasn't easy.
01:00:52I'm going to go take a shower.
01:00:53He smiled.
01:00:55Then made his way to the bathroom.
01:00:57The door clicked shut behind him.
01:01:00I stood in the room.
01:01:01My heart beat steadier.
01:01:03There was still a long way to go between us.
01:01:06But at least...
01:01:07I hadn't lost him.
01:01:09The loud thud of the bedroom door crashing open jolted me out of sleep.
01:01:13I sat up so fast the world spun.
01:01:15Hasmik stood in the doorway like a vengeful goddess of war.
01:01:19Her eyes cut straight through me.
01:01:22Hasmik.
01:01:24You fucking bitch.
01:01:27I winced.
01:01:28I knew I deserved it.
01:01:30What you did was fucked up.
01:01:32Really fucked up.
01:01:34I know.
01:01:35Let me finish.
01:01:36I was so scared.
01:01:37I have never been that terrified in my life.
01:01:39My mind raced through every terrible possibility, but...
01:01:42I'm sorry.
01:01:44I forgive you.
01:01:45Her words hit me hard.
01:01:47Not because I doubted them, but because I knew I didn't deserve them.
01:01:49I don't know what you were thinking, but...
01:01:51I hope you found whatever clarity you were chasing.
01:01:53I'm just glad you're safe.
01:01:55I'm truly grateful for you, Hasmik.
01:01:57You're like a real sister I never expected, but...
01:02:00Truly needed.
01:02:01I missed you too.
01:02:05Oh my god.
01:02:06I didn't miss the way her spine straightened.
01:02:08Or how her pupils dilated slightly in alarm.
01:02:11What?
01:02:11What is it?
01:02:13Anika just arrived at the palace.
01:02:16And who might that be?
01:02:18Sargas and her...
01:02:19They used to fool around.
01:02:21A lot.
01:02:22They were fuckmates.
01:02:23Hearing that Sargas had a fuckmate, who was currently in the palace, scraped something
01:02:27raw inside me.
01:02:28Though I didn't know how to feel.
01:02:30It wasn't as if I'd expected celibity, especially not from a leakin king.
01:02:34Sex was casual here, almost ritualistic among alphas and warriors.
01:02:38But still.
01:02:39There was this tang in my chest.
01:02:41Like the taste of blood when you've bitten your own tongue but pretend it doesn't sting.
01:02:44I wasn't jealous, I don't think.
01:02:46I had no claim on Sargas.
01:02:48Not truly.
01:02:49Not yet.
01:02:50But something inside me recoiled at the idea of him with another.
01:02:52Was she beautiful?
01:02:53Dominant?
01:02:54Submissive?
01:02:55Did he care?
01:02:55Or was she just another blur in a long line of bodies used to silence the beast inside
01:02:59him?
01:02:59I tried not to care.
01:03:01God, I tried.
01:03:02But I did.
01:03:02And that terrified me.
01:03:03Don't worry, Narain.
01:03:04She might be here on diplomatic matters.
01:03:06Sometimes she represents her brother at summits and visitations.
01:03:09Her words were meant to soothe, but they barely skimmed the surface of the storm inside me.
01:03:13I gave a small nod.
01:03:14Or maybe it was a hum.
01:03:15I couldn't tell.
01:03:16The door burst open.
01:03:17A woman stepped into the room like she owned the palace.
01:03:19She had the kind of beauty that punched the air from one's lungs.
01:03:21Her dark brown hair flowed behind her like a cape.
01:03:24I observed silently.
01:03:26She wore a soft pastel gown that hugged her curves.
01:03:29Why she's on his bed.
01:03:30And more importantly, why she's wearing his clothes.
01:03:34Princess Royal.
01:03:35Still, to what do we owe this unexpected visit?
01:03:38Answer the damn question.
01:03:40I saw the way Hazmic clenched her fists.
01:03:42I half expected her to spit a retorque back, but instead she drew in a sharp breath.
01:03:46Both women turned toward the door.
01:03:48Sargas and Lupercus burst into the room.
01:03:50Sargas looked like he'd run the whole palace down to get here.
01:03:53Onika.
01:03:53She stalked across the room, swaying her hips sexually, her heels clicking like the toll
01:03:57of a bell.
01:03:58She grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him.
01:04:00Right on the lip.
01:04:01My heart didn't just sink.
01:04:03It crashed.
01:04:04Like a mirror thrown from a hundred stories high.
01:04:06I closed my eyes and turned my back, not wanting to see anymore.
01:04:09What the fuck was that for, Anika?
01:04:11What?
01:04:12Don't you miss me?
01:04:13He didn't answer.
01:04:14And when his eyes flicked toward me, I had already turned away, retreating into myself
01:04:18again.
01:04:19I missed you and came to surprise you, but instead I found another woman in your bed.
01:04:23So who's the slut?
01:04:25She is not a slut.
01:04:26The woman you're referring to is my mate.
01:04:28Anika stared at me.
01:04:30Then she burst out laughing.
01:04:32You joke too much.
01:04:33I know she's just another body to warm your bed.
01:04:36Sargas stepped toward her, with enough heat in his eyes to melt through steel.
01:04:39Your diplomatic status buys you patience, not the right to disrespect my mate in my home.
01:04:44One more word and the guards will escort you out.
01:04:49You wouldn't.
01:04:50Try me.
01:04:51Oneika huffed and flipped her hair as she stalked out, followed by Lupergus, while Hasmik gave
01:04:58me the faintest smile and slipped away.
01:05:01The room was left with just me and Sargas.
01:05:04Silence settled like thick fog.
01:05:06I didn't know she was coming.
01:05:08I swear it, Noreen.
01:05:09I would have shielded you from this shit if I'd had even a hint.
01:05:13I said nothing.
01:05:14I didn't kiss her back.
01:05:16I hope you trust me enough to know that's not who I am anymore.
01:05:19Not with you in the picture.
01:05:20I'm not mad.
01:05:22You're not?
01:05:23No.
01:05:24I'm just...
01:05:25I don't know what I'm feeling.
01:05:26I just...
01:05:28hate how it made me feel, seeing that.
01:05:32Do you want me to ask her to leave?
01:05:34Can you?
01:05:35I'm the supreme alpha of this kingdom.
01:05:37There's not much I can't do.
01:05:39No.
01:05:39That'll just make it worse.
01:05:41Politically.
01:05:42For you.
01:05:42I didn't realize how tightly I'd been holding myself together until I leaned my head against
01:05:46him.
01:05:47And it felt...
01:05:48right.
01:05:49His shoulder was broad and warm.
01:05:51I didn't understand it fully, this instinct and pull.
01:05:54But I followed it anyway.
01:05:56It wasn't even about the kiss.
01:05:57Not entirely.
01:05:59It was about how easily she'd touched him.
01:06:02I hadn't earned the right to feel this way.
01:06:04We weren't bound yet.
01:06:07Hadn't exchanged vows or promises.
01:06:10She's really pretty.
01:06:13Noreen.
01:06:13It's not a competition.
01:06:15And even if it was...
01:06:17I wouldn't win.
01:06:18I'm not like her.
01:06:19I'm not loud or sharp or confident.
01:06:21I just...
01:06:22exist.
01:06:23Quietly.
01:06:24You don't have to be like her.
01:06:25But you were with her.
01:06:27I fucked her, Noreen.
01:06:28That's not the same as what I have with you.
01:06:30Resting my head against him, I looked at this infuriating, loyal, complex man who wouldn't
01:06:35want him.
01:06:36I was only with her because it was temporary and convenient, until we each found what we
01:06:40truly wanted.
01:06:41You don't owe me an explanation.
01:06:42You're an adult.
01:06:43I'm not angry, just surprised, and it reminded me how little I actually know about you.
01:06:48Then ask.
01:06:49I don't know what to ask.
01:06:50When I'm not working, which is rare, I like to travel alone sometimes to see the world
01:06:54without the weight of a crown.
01:06:56I blinked.
01:06:56It was hard to imagine him as anything but the supreme alpha.
01:06:59I dabble in sports like basketball and swimming, and I love to cook.
01:07:01Submerging in water feels peaceful and untouchable, and my three-pointer's pretty good.
01:07:05You?
01:07:06Love to cook?
01:07:07Careful.
01:07:08You're underestimating me.
01:07:09At night, Sargas turned over on the sofa.
01:07:11He thought I was asleep.
01:07:12I wasn't.
01:07:13My eyes were closed, but every sense was tuned to him.
01:07:15The creak of leather, his breathing, and his scent of cedar and honeysuckle soaked into
01:07:18his shirt I was wearing, filling every inch of air.
01:07:21I couldn't escape it, and didn't want to.
01:07:22A flash crossed my mind.
01:07:24Him in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, muscles moving as he chopped vegetables.
01:07:30I imagined those hands on me, fingertips tracing down my collarbone inch by inch.
01:07:38My breathing changed.
01:07:40I bit my lip and buried my face in the pillow, knowing I shouldn't be thinking this, when
01:07:45my body still remembered the pain.
01:07:46But Sargas wasn't Joe.
01:07:48That thought was a small flame, burning a hole through my chest.
01:07:52The next morning, after I showered, the scent of food drifted from the kitchen.
01:07:55Sargas was cooking.
01:07:56I watched him pull out Wagyu tenderloin, garlic, fresh herbs, and truffle butter to prepare an
01:08:00elaborate breakfast.
01:08:01He began with a palate cleanser.
01:08:03Cucumber juice, elderflower, and mint syrup in a tiny ceramic spoon topped with an edible
01:08:06flower petal.
01:08:07The main dish was black truffle Wagyu steak with bone marrow glaze, seared in a dry skillet
01:08:13and basted with garlic, herbs, and truffle butter.
01:08:16He turned roasted bone marrow into a creamy glaze and poured it over the steak.
01:08:21Is there a banquet?
01:08:22Thankfully, no.
01:08:23I'm making breakfast.
01:08:24For us.
01:08:26Is there anything I can help with?
01:08:27Yeah.
01:08:28I need you to keep turning this batter.
01:08:29The third course was flaky croissants topped with goat cheese, truffle oil, herbs, pomegranate
01:08:34seeds, candied walnuts, and honey infused with thyme.
01:08:37You know, you do have clothes of your own now.
01:08:40I noticed the closet had been rearranged, but maybe I'm just used to your clothes.
01:08:45They feel comfortable.
01:08:46I felt his gaze travel over me and saw him quickly turn away.
01:08:50But I pretended not to notice.
01:08:53We moved around the kitchen in an unspoken rhythm, handing off utensils, stealing glances.
01:09:00It felt natural.
01:09:01The dining table was a canvas of colors and scents.
01:09:05His eyes lit up.
01:09:06It was our first formal meal together using the dining table.
01:09:13How do you cook this well?
01:09:15I have my secrets.
01:09:16We washed the dishes together.
01:09:18She hummed softly under her breath, and I found myself humming along.
01:09:24I have something to do later, so I'll leave first.
01:09:28But actually, I went to Onika's room.
01:09:30I'd had enough.
01:09:32Explain, Sargis.
01:09:33Your subjects refuse to talk.
01:09:35As I already explained, Onika, the woman you met is my mate, and you will treat her and
01:09:39all my subjects with respect.
01:09:42You say she's your mate, but I smell no mark of claim on either of you, so no, I don't
01:09:46believe that nonsense.
01:09:47Whether or not you believe she's my mate doesn't change the fact that she is.
01:09:50An unmated male is still fair game, Sargis.
01:09:53I didn't come for my brother.
01:09:55I came for you.
01:09:57It's been so long since someone fucked me so hard my legs trembled.
01:10:01You won't dismiss my bond with my mate for your fantasies.
01:10:04Stay away from what's not yours, or you're finished here.
01:10:06Fine.
01:10:07I'll behave for now, but I'm staying for a month.
01:10:09Karagni is beautiful this time of year.
01:10:11Onika, when we agreed to be each other's sexual partners, we made a clear boundary.
01:10:15That it was only that.
01:10:16A temporary outlet.
01:10:17We agreed to part ways once we found our mates.
01:10:19I found mine, so you need to move on.
01:10:20I never wanted to be bound to someone I didn't choose.
01:10:23Unlike you, who worships lifelong belonging.
01:10:24A philosophy I never agreed with.
01:10:26Why should I accept a stranger because of some ancient curse?
01:10:28I'd rather die alone.
01:10:29Look at my brother.
01:10:30His mate has emaculated him into a shadow of his former alpha self.
01:10:33You don't need to tell me any of this.
01:10:34Your opinions on the bond, your brother's mate, your own fears, that's your path to walk.
01:10:37It has nothing to do with me.
01:10:39Well, that sad, came here hoping to convince you otherwise.
01:10:41To propose that we become chosen mates.
01:10:43That we take what we had, what we were, and make it permanent.
01:10:45That will never happen, not in this life or the next.
01:10:47I would rather die than leave Nareem.
01:10:48Give me one month if I can't get you into bed by then, I'll drop it.
01:10:52But if I do, you'll see the bond is just hormones and ancient magic.
01:10:56I'm not playing this game with you.
01:10:57This ends now.
01:10:58You need to leave.
01:10:59You can't do that, Sargis.
01:11:00Unless you want to offend my brother and start a diplomatic war.
01:11:03After all, I'm here under his protection, as his official assistant.
01:11:06Would be a shame if your kingdom suddenly lost trade privileges with the east, wouldn't it?
01:11:11If you so much as breathe near my mate again, I will take that risk.
01:11:14I will go to war with your brother, burn the treaties, and let the gods bear witness to
01:11:18what I do, if it means getting you the hell out of here.
01:11:21The next morning, Sargis had already left.
01:11:23Matters in the southern borders needed his oversight.
01:11:26He said he'd return by midday.
01:11:27I was alone.
01:11:28The silence pressed in slowly, like fog.
01:11:30I wandered through the sweet barefoot, dragging my fingers along the velvet edges of the furniture,
01:11:34trying to chase away the restlessness creeping into my bones.
01:11:36I tried not to think about his ex, the beautiful, poised woman who still haunted the palace halls
01:11:40like a ghost, with a history tied to his body.
01:11:42But I believed him.
01:11:43That was the scary part.
01:11:45I had begun to trust Sargis, tentatively and quietly.
01:11:47He earned my trust by shielding me, sitting with me in silence, and never pressuring me
01:11:51to be anything other than myself.
01:11:53I was his mate.
01:11:55No doubt about that, even if I still didn't fully understand what it meant for me.
01:11:58My thoughts turned to Joe, and the pack that was called mine.
01:12:02Were they still the same?
01:12:03Had anything changed?
01:12:04Were they building families, laughing in the places where I had once cried, content to forget
01:12:09the girl they left to rot?
01:12:11But maybe I didn't need to pursue Joe.
01:12:13Not now.
01:12:14Maybe what I needed more than anything was peace.
01:12:19Peace with myself.
01:12:22Peace with the shattered pieces of my life.
01:12:24I let Hazmint talk me into breakfast, maybe because of her hopeful smile, or simply because
01:12:29I was tired of hiding in the dark.
01:12:30At the head of an intimidating obsidian dining table, I felt like prey among lycans.
01:12:34Especially with Sargish's mountain of a father sitting at the far end.
01:12:38Annika lounged across from him, faking disinterest, but watching everything.
01:12:41I stood awkwardly, wringing my fingers, unsure whether to sit, wait, or run back to my room.
01:12:46Good morning, sir.
01:12:48And good morning to you too, ma'am.
01:12:50The pressure of their stares made me want to sink through the marble floor.
01:12:53You don't even know how to act properly like a queen.
01:12:56I lowered my gaze intentionally.
01:12:57Straighten your spine.
01:12:59Square your shoulders.
01:13:00Lift your chin.
01:13:01My body obeyed without thought, snapping into place like an overtrained
01:13:04puppet.
01:13:05Hazmint wrapped her warm arms around me, guided me to a seat near Onika, and sat beside me
01:13:10like a shield.
01:13:11Give her a break, auntie.
01:13:12She's still new to all of this.
01:13:14That's all she's done since she arrived.
01:13:17Catch a break.
01:13:20The room grew colder.
01:13:22I could feel Onika's gaze sliding over me like oil.
01:13:25Your Highness.
01:13:27I know I shouldn't interfere in matters of the throne, but looking at her, she's clearly
01:13:30unfit to be queen.
01:13:31She doesn't know proper court etiquette.
01:13:33She doesn't bear the mark of a mate or the crown of a queen.
01:13:35And should a real threat arises, she'd be your greatest liability.
01:13:38Her voice was calm, almost pitying.
01:13:40But the venom beneath it was unmistakable.
01:13:42I swallowed hard and clenched my fingers tightly in my lap.
01:13:45I didn't know what to say.
01:13:47I didn't know how to defend myself in a world that had already decided I didn't belong.
01:13:51Onika, I may be retired, but like you said, you shouldn't interfere in matters that don't
01:13:55concern you.
01:13:55And regardless of your opinion, she is my son's mate.
01:13:58That makes her the future queen of this kingdom.
01:14:00My eyes sting, sharp and unexpected.
01:14:02I hadn't even spoken, and yet someone stood up for me.
01:14:04I felt Hazmik's hand slip into mine under the table.
01:14:07She gave it a squeeze.
01:14:08I quickly blinked the tears away.
01:14:10Of course, Raja Baba.
01:14:11Pardon my intrusion.
01:14:12Looks like Sargis is here to scoop you up and keep you hidden away.
01:14:17The heavy double doors creaked open behind us.
01:14:20I turned just as Sargis and Lupercus entered the vast dining hall.
01:14:24The moment our eyes met, my chest eased.
01:14:28He made his way straight to me, slipped into the seat beside mine,
01:14:32and without a word, draped his arm across the back of my chair.
01:14:42Are you okay?
01:14:44I nodded, barely.
01:14:46But he understood.
01:14:48It is lovely to finally meet you, dear.
01:14:52It's nice to meet you too, sir.
01:14:54Please, call me Hyrik.
01:14:56I've always wanted a daughter.
01:14:57Sargis, I know you think I'm being harsh,
01:15:00but you've seen how restless the court has grown
01:15:02with the queen's throne empty for nearly seven months.
01:15:06Had it really been seven months since I was brought here?
01:15:09So tell me, is she going to ascend it or not?
01:15:13Suddenly I felt everyone's eyes on me and shrunk back
01:15:15as her words wrapped around my spine like chains.
01:15:18Mother, I told you she's not ready.
01:15:20And this isn't the time for that talk with a diplomat present.
01:15:23Oh, me?
01:15:23Don't mind me.
01:15:24I'm staying out of this.
01:15:26Her smirk said otherwise.
01:15:27We can leave right now if you want to.
01:15:29I glanced around the table.
01:15:31Hasmik smiled.
01:15:32Lupercus seemed detached.
01:15:33Sargis' father stayed neutral and his mother barely hide her disdain.
01:15:37Could I really just stand and leave this mess?
01:15:39I shook my head slowly.
01:15:41I didn't want to give them that satisfaction.
01:15:42Breakfast ended, thankfully.
01:15:44Sargis held my hand the whole time.
01:15:46Even when I barely touched my food, I just pushed things around my plate.
01:15:50I watched his mother.
01:15:51Aveline was brilliant, cunning, respected, but gentle was not her.
01:15:56She didn't know how to soften her words.
01:15:57If Sargis had found me the traditional way, I would have been sent to the Alpha Magus's
01:16:01wing for a month of seclusion.
01:16:03His mother would have trained me in etiquette, politics, and the nuances of being mated to
01:16:08a king.
01:16:08That path was never mine.
01:16:10Tradition stopped mattering the moment he pulled me out of that compound, broken and
01:16:14bleeding.
01:16:15They didn't know me.
01:16:16They didn't see what I saw.
01:16:18They didn't see me flinch at raised voices or curl into myself when the memories came.
01:16:23The breakfast was lovely.
01:16:25He stood and left.
01:16:28Onika, I hope you'll finish whatever you came for because this isn't the right time
01:16:31for you to be here.
01:16:34Of course, Rijibaba.
01:16:36See you later, Dustys.
01:16:38Have a lovely rest of the day.
01:16:40The tension of the morning faded, leaving only a quiet calm.
01:16:44For the first time in a long while, I felt at peace here.
01:16:48After Sargis left, I went back to the room.
01:16:50Breakfast had shocked me awake.
01:16:51I already knew I didn't fit in, but today showed me just how deep the divide really was.
01:16:56I looked in the mirror.
01:16:57Same girl, same curls, same eyes, but I stood differently now.
01:17:00The subtle slump of my shoulders.
01:17:02Hesitancy.
01:17:03Queen.
01:17:04The word rang in my mind like a bell.
01:17:06Could I really do that?
01:17:07Could I be her?
01:17:08A sharp pulse bloomed on my forehead.
01:17:10My hands strut up instinctively, pressing against the familiar spot of the tattoo.
01:17:15The one I thought was nothing more than a mysterious mark of fate.
01:17:18My knees buckled and I grabbed the dresser.
01:17:20This wasn't a hallucination, the glow was real.
01:17:23Brilliant and alive.
01:17:25Etched right across my forehead like a band.
01:17:27Something stirred inside me.
01:17:29My eyes fluttered shut.
01:17:31Then the world exploded.
01:17:32I could hear everything.
01:17:34Cutlerary clicking floors away and faint conversations through the thick palace walls.
01:17:38Red.
01:17:39That same red I'd seen once before.
01:17:41The same red that terrified me that night I first shifted.
01:17:44It was back.
01:17:45I stumbled away from the mirror, one hand covering my mouth.
01:17:49My wolf.
01:17:50She was stirring.
01:17:52No.
01:17:54Awakening.
01:17:57It was past midnight when I finally heard the elevator ding and smelled Sargas coming down the hall.
01:18:02But tonight, beneath his primal scent, I caught a sicky sweetness.
01:18:06Anika.
01:18:06And my stomach twisted.
01:18:08His footsteps soft, he eased the door open and slipped into the room, thinking I was asleep.
01:18:12He padded into the closet, clothes rustling.
01:18:15But all I could focus on was her.
01:18:17Her scent lingered in the air between us.
01:18:21He came out of the closet in his soft pajamas and settled onto the leather couch.
01:18:25He picked up the spoon.
01:18:26He liked the food I made.
01:18:27But he still reeked of her.
01:18:29Why had he been with her?
01:18:30Why did her scent cling to him so brazenly and why did it hurt so much?
01:18:34His gaze pulled me from my spiraling thoughts, so I squeezed my eyes shut as he moved closer and closer.
01:18:38You know I know you're awake, right?
01:18:40Shit.
01:18:41Busted.
01:18:41I kept my eyes shut, stubbornly.
01:18:43Noreen, you're a terrible actress.
01:18:45Your eyes are twitching, your breathing is unseavent, and you're clutching the sheet like it insulted your ancestors.
01:18:49I cracked one eye open, and our gazes locked.
01:18:51I saw him, not just as Sargis the Supreme Alpha, but as mine.
01:18:55I wasn't pretending to sleep, I was trying to, until all the noise you made.
01:18:59Noise?
01:19:00Me?
01:19:01I was careful not to wake you.
01:19:02I needed a quick distraction.
01:19:04My wolf was awake, and he could never find out.
01:19:06You're a little late today.
01:19:08Yeah.
01:19:09Had a lot of things to take care of.
01:19:10Things.
01:19:11Like her?
01:19:12Was Onika one of those things?
01:19:14Hmm.
01:19:16Something happened, though.
01:19:19So, Onika came to my office, and she tried to force herself on me.
01:19:26What?
01:19:27Nothing happened.
01:19:28I swear, Noreen.
01:19:29I pushed her away.
01:19:30I would never...
01:19:32Why...
01:19:32Why are you telling me that?
01:19:34Because I didn't want there to be any misunderstandings between us.
01:19:38Especially not when it comes to Onika.
01:19:40I stared at him, dazed.
01:19:41Why was he so open and honest when he could have easily lied?
01:19:45For dinner.
01:19:46It was delicious.
01:19:48I swallowed hard.
01:19:49He was giving consistently.
01:19:50Patiently.
01:19:51Vulnerablesly.
01:19:52And I was still hiding.
01:19:53Still keeping secrets.
01:19:55Sargas.
01:19:56The mate bond.
01:19:58What would happen if, eventually, my wolf awakens?
01:20:02How do I know if what I'm feeling is really mine, or just something the bond wants me to feel?
01:20:07I will always be here.
01:20:09The morning sunlight spilled across the room.
01:20:12I sat at the edge of the bed.
01:20:14My eyes wandered to the sofa.
01:20:16Empty.
01:20:18The blanket neatly folded, like he hadn't even used it.
01:20:23He never made noise when he left in the mornings.
01:20:26Never woke me on purpose.
01:20:30But today I knew the moment he left.
01:20:34How could I not know?
01:20:36Every shift of his body on that sofa.
01:20:39Every time the leather creaked beneath his weight.
01:20:42Every subtle exhale as he tried and failed to get comfortable.
01:20:46Every little sound stirred me awake.
01:20:49He was a king.
01:20:51And yet, night after night, he surrendered his comfort.
01:20:54Sleeping on a couch far too short for his frame.
01:20:58Curled up like an exile in his own home.
01:21:01All because of me.
01:21:03The tension in his shoulders.
01:21:06The strain in his back.
01:21:10The quiet way he endured it without ever asking for more.
01:21:16The memory of last night tugged at me.
01:21:19How he'd confessed about Onika.
01:21:21How he'd looked so sincere.
01:21:24So careful not to hurt me or spark jealousy.
01:21:27Withersifrishon.
01:21:29Even though I had no claim over him.
01:21:31This bond.
01:21:32This man.
01:21:33The way he cared so freely without expectation.
01:21:38It shook me.
01:21:47Maybe it would have been easier if he were cruel.
01:21:50If he yelled and demanded.
01:21:53But Sargas didn't do any of that.
01:21:58He was one of a kind.
01:22:01I decided to leave the room.
01:22:06I wanted to know more about the kingdom.
01:22:08About Sargas.
01:22:11About who I was supposed to become.
01:22:15I texted Hazmik.
01:22:17She replied quickly.
01:22:19We met in the hallway.
01:22:21Look who finally decided to come out of her shell.
01:22:26We walked side by side.
01:22:29She sighed.
01:22:30I want to apologize.
01:22:32For the breakfast.
01:22:35You were thrown into something you didn't ask for.
01:22:42It wasn't your fault.
01:22:44Then I smelled her.
01:22:46Onika.
01:22:47My face scrunched in disgust.
01:22:50Hazmik's eyes narrowed.
01:22:52She picked up her pace and opened the door with more force than necessary.
01:22:56My heart jumped into my throat.
01:22:58Onika was in Sargas' study.
01:23:00She turned her head slowly.
01:23:02Her gaze landing on Hazmik first.
01:23:05Then on me.
01:23:07Her eyes narrowed.
01:23:09Oh.
01:23:10Did I interrupt a study date?
01:23:17Noreen, don't leave.
01:23:20I can explain.
01:23:24I wasn't going to leave.
01:23:26The very sight of you sickens me.
01:23:28You don't know him like I do.
01:23:30You never will.
01:23:32He's only doing this because of the bond.
01:23:34It messes with your head.
01:23:36So don't delude yourself.
01:23:38Don't pretend he loves you.
01:23:39Because he doesn't.
01:23:41Onika lunged at Hazmik.
01:23:46In a second, she had Hazmik pinned against the wall.
01:23:50Digging her claws into her throat.
01:23:52Then Sargas was there.
01:23:54He ripped Onika's hand from Hazmik's throat.
01:24:00Hazmik collapsed to the ground, coughing hard.
01:24:04Never in your life lay your hands on any of my subjects again.
01:24:07This is a royal decree.
01:24:09Effective immediately, you will pack your things and leave the palace.
01:24:13You've repeatedly bypassed protocol, insulted my mate, assaulted my subjects, and undermined my authority as king.
01:24:20No.
01:24:21No, no, no.
01:24:23Surely you wouldn't invoke a royal decree just because she disrespected me first?
01:24:29She dared to address me like an equal.
01:24:32But Sargas didn't back down.
01:24:34Onika stared at him.
01:24:35Then she looked at me.
01:24:36And there it was.
01:24:37Hatred.
01:24:38She screamed and it made my skin crawl.
01:24:40Her voice was so grating, so abrasive, that I found myself wishing she would just...
01:24:44stop speaking.
01:24:46Forever.
01:24:46A pulse throbbed across my forehead.
01:24:49I blinked.
01:24:50She was still ranting.
01:24:51But her mouth was moving.
01:24:53I couldn't hear a thing.
01:24:54Not a single syllable.
01:24:56She paused mid-terrade, blinked in confusion, and brought her hand up to her throat.
01:25:01She opened her mouth again.
01:25:03No sound.
01:25:05She clutched her throat with both hands.
01:25:07Her eyes darted frantically.
01:25:09Sargas thought she was acting.
01:25:18But I could feel her.
01:25:19I could feel her.
01:25:21Behind the door.
01:25:23Even though she was no longer in the room.
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