Damon
“My King. You need to come. Isabella’s been seen inside the palace grounds.” Ronan’s voice cut through the intimate moment like a blade,
Lila froze in my arms. The firelight still danced on her skin, her hand still pressed against my chest–but the warmth between us vanished in an instant. felt it like a door slamming shut.
I exhaled slowly and looked toward the door, jaw tightening. I hadn’t heard Isabella’s name in weeks. Not since I dismissed her from the palace under cover of discretion–no public disgrace, no spectacle. I thought it would be enough.
Apparently, it wasn’t.
Lila stepped back, her brow furrowing. “Did he say-”
“Yes.” I turned to face her fully, gently brushing her hair back behind one ear. “I need to deal with this.”
Her gaze searched mine, not panicked, but wary. She didn’t ask me to stay–but she didn’t have to. Her unease was a living thing between us. Worry stirred behind her eyes, sharp and tense.
“She shouldn’t be here,” Lila murmured.
“I know.”
I touched her cheek briefly–my thumb just under her eye. She leaned into it for half a breath before pulling away.
“Will you-” she started, then stopped.
“I’ll be careful,” I said. “And I’ll come back.”
She gave a tight nod, then returned to the fire without a word. I stood there a second longer, memorizing the lines of her silhouette against the flame. Then I turned and crossed the room to the door.
Ronan was waiting outside, his face grim. He fell into step beside me without prompting.
“Where was she seen?” I asked.
“She entered through the southern carriage wing,” he said. “No guards stopped her–she told them she was summoned by one of the Elders.”
I swore under my breath.
“She’s in the west parlor now. Calm. Unarmed. Waiting.”
“Of course she is,” I muttered.
He gave me a sidelong glance. “You want her detained?”
“No. Not yet.” I forced my voice level. “If we corner her too soon,
Ronan nodded. “The others?”
she’ll play the victim. Let her talk first. We’ll see how far she plans to take this.”
“I want the palace searched–quietly. No panic, I want a record of who let her in, who she’s spoken to, and what rooms she’s touched.”
“Understood.”
We moved in silence through the back corridor. The tension curled tightly in my chest. I could already feel the narrative she was building–too familiar.
14:20 Fri, 6 Jun
Chapter 101
The poised return. The carefully chosen guest chamber. The pretext of “an old alliance” or “for old time’s sake“. She wouldn’t move openly. Not yet
But when she did, it would be calculated, public–and brutal. And I had given her the space to do it.
When I dismissed her, I should have buried her. Instead, I gave her room to breathe. To plan. To smile in front of guards and reenter my halls like a priestess, not the threat she was.
That was a mistake I wouldn’t make again.
We reached the outer chamber of the west parlor. One of the guards
“She’s inside, Your Majesty.”
stationed outside gave a sharp nod.
I paused with my hand on the door handle. My pulse was steady, but only I
because I forced it to be.
Behind this door waited a woman who didn’t need her claws to wound me.
or
my mate.
“She asked to speak to you directly,” the guard added.
།
“Did she now.” I glanced once toward Ronan. “Stay out here. If you hear raised voices–wait for mine.”
He inclined his head. “Good hunting.”
I didn’t return his smirk. There was no humor left in me–not when I could still smell the fear in Lila’s scent or see the bruises fading across her wrists. This wasn’t a diplomatic meeting. It was a reckoning long delayed.
I opened the door. And stepped back into the game.
Isabella was already standing when I entered.
Draped in ivory silk, her posture regal, hands folded in front of her like she was in a temple–not a room she had lost the right to be in.
A soft trace of incense lingered in the air. Her doing, no doubt. Even the lighting seemed intentional–lamplight low and flattering, turning her golden
hair into a halo.
She smiled like we were old friends.
“Your Majesty,” she said smoothly. “I’m so glad you came.”
I closed the door behind me and didn’t return the smile. “You weren’t invited.”
She tilted her head, innocent. “On the contrary. I was summoned. Elder Malric requested my presence. Something about… spiritual insight in uncertain times.”
+didn’t move further into the room.
“Don’t insult me,” I said quietly. “You knew you weren’t welcome here.”
She let out a soft, sympathetic laugh. “And yet here I am. Isn’t that interesting?”
I let the silence stretch. She glanced at one of the cushions arranged behind her and gestured. “Will you sit?”
“No.”
Her smile didn’t falter, but I saw the flicker of tension in her throat. Just a flash.
“You handled the announcement well,” she said. “Bold. Disruptive. Almost romantic.”
I didn’t bother to reply.
Chapter 101
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girl.” She stepped slowly toward the table, picking up a small crystal vial from
“I imagine the court is still reeling. So many traditions swept aside for one the tray. She held it to the light. “And she wears your mark. How… binding.”
My hands curled into fists at my sides. “You’ve made your point.”
She turned, still holding the vial like prop.
1? I don’t think I’ve even begun,”
I took a step forward, scowl firmly in place. “If you came to make threats, make them. But do not pretend this is a blessing.”
Hér eyes sparkled, but there was nothing warm in it. “Oh, Damon. I don’t need to make threats. I’ve already been painted as the villain, haven’t I? Dismissed quietly, without explanation. Disappearing like a scandal instead of a valued family member.”
“You were dismissed because you crossed a line,” I said. “You’re only here because I’m giving you the chance to walk away again. On your own.”
She met my gaze without blinking. “You think you’ve won. But the court hasn’t chosen. They’ve paused. That’s not loyalty, Damon. It’s calculation.”
Her voice lowered, just slightly. “They’re watching how she behaves. How quickly she bends or breaks. How much of you she wears, and how much of you she weakens.”
I knew she was right. And I hated it.
“Lady Ashford has my protection,” I said. “If you move against her-
She raised her brows. “Me? Move? I’m not here to make enemies. I’m here to help. To observe. To… assist.”
I stepped in close enough that her perfume hit–sweet, herbal, and nauseating.
“You were once trusted, my first mate’s sister,” I said. “Don’t make me regret showing restraint.”
Isabella looked up at me, serene as ever. “Then I suggest you choose your next steps carefully. Because the Court is watching.”
Her expression softened just enough to unsettle me. “I understand why you’re drawn to her,” she said. “But understanding isn’t the same as approval
She moved past me, slowly, silk whispering against her legs, and paused at the door.
“I’ll be seeing you, Your Majesty.”
Then she was gone.
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