whitney obazuayeの小説

Scarlett’s POVSleep did not come easily.When it finally did, it was shallow and restless — filled with half-formed dreams and the constant, low hum of the bond in my chest.I woke before dawn.For a moment I didn’t remember where I was.The unfamiliar ceiling above me, the heavy velvet curtains, the faint scent of polished wood and something sharper — like cold stone after rain.Then everything rushed back.The dinner.Ione.Reed’s silence.The King’s offer.First Consort.I sat up slowly, pressing a hand to my sternum as if I could physically still the restless pull there.The bond felt different this morning.Not weaker.Just… strained.Like a rope pulled too tight.I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, moving toward the tall windows.Outside, the palace gardens were washed in pale silver light. Dawn hadn’t fully broken yet, and the world looked soft and distant — like it belonged to someone else.For the first time since arriving here, I allowed myself to wonder if

Reed’s POVReed stood in the corridor long after Scarlett disappeared around the corner.The palace hall was quiet again.Too quiet.The bond between them pulsed under his skin, sharp and restless, pulling in the direction she had gone.His wolf stirred uneasily inside him.Go after her.Reed clenched his jaw.Not tonight.Tonight had already gone wrong enough.Scarlett’s face when she walked away replayed in his mind—calm, controlled, distant.That hurt more than anger would have.If she had shouted, he could have fought back.If she had argued, he could have explained.But the cold distance in her eyes had felt like a door quietly closing.And he had no idea how to open it again.“You’re staring at the hallway like she might come back.”Reed didn’t need to turn to know who it was.Ione stepped out from the shadowed archway nearby.Of course she had followed.She always did that—appeared exactly when things were already complicated enough.Her arms were crossed as she leaned lightly

Scarlett’s POVNo one spoke after that.The dining hall felt suffocating.Servants continued bringing food like nothing had happened, but no one was really eating.I could feel the eyes.Watching.Judging.Waiting to see what the disgraced ex-convict would do next.Across the table, Ione lifted her wine glass slowly, her gaze never leaving mine.Satisfied.Like she had just reminded everyone exactly where I belonged.Not here.Not at this table.Not beside him.I set my fork down carefully.The small sound still echoed louder than it should have.“I believe that will be all for me tonight.”My voice was calm.Too calm.Several heads lifted.I pushed my chair back and stood.For a brief moment, the entire room watched me.Ione’s lips curved faintly.“Leaving so soon?” she asked smoothly.“I find I’ve lost my appetite.”The King placed his glass down.“Scarlett.”I paused.Slowly, I turned back.King Alaric studied me with the careful gaze of someone weighing a political problem.“You s

Scarlett’s POV“I’m Reed’s fiancée.”Ione said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.Like the word didn’t slice straight through the room.My fingers tightened slowly around my wine glass.Fiancée.I turned to Reed.“You’re engaged?”My voice came out quieter than I expected.Reed didn’t answer.Across the table, Sayer leaned back in his chair, watching the whole thing unfold with obvious interest.“Well,” he muttered, swirling the wine in his glass. “This should be fun.”Cassian shot him a warning look.“Sayer.”But Sayer only smirked.I kept my eyes on Reed.“You didn’t think that was something you should tell me?”His jaw flexed.“It’s complicated.”A short, humorless laugh escaped me.“Complicated.”“Technically,” Sayer cut in lazily, “it’s not that complicated.”Queen Azura sighed softly.“Sayer, do not—”“Oh come on,” he said, waving a hand. “She deserves to know.”His gaze flicked to me.“You see, Scarlett, our dear brother here has been promised to Ione since the

scarlett pov The woman who had just wrapped her arms around Reed finally stepped back, though her hands lingered on his shoulders a moment longer than necessary.Up close, she was striking.Tall, elegant, with pale golden hair that fell in soft waves down her back. Her dress was clearly expensive—deep blue silk that shimmered faintly under the palace lights. She carried herself with the kind of quiet confidence that only came from belonging somewhere powerful.Her gaze shifted to me.Curious. Measuring.Then she smiled.“You must be Scarlett,” she said.Her voice was warm, though something beneath it felt deliberate.I straightened slightly. “And you are?”“Ione Solace.”The name meant nothing to me—yet the way she said it suggested it should.I offered a small nod. “Scarlett Monroe.”For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. The silence stretched thin between us while Reed stood beside me, unusually quiet.Before anything else could be said, a soft voice spoke from behind us.“Your H

Scarlett povA day had passed.Three days to reach the Lycan kingdom.The further we drove, the quieter Reed became.Not cold. Not distant.Focused.The road stretched endlessly ahead of us, cutting through dense forest that felt older than memory. The trees here were different — taller, darker, as if they had been standing long before packs or politics ever existed.The air felt heavier too.My wolf stirred beneath my skin.We were getting close.“You’re thinking too loudly,” Reed said without looking at me.“I’m not making a sound.”“You don’t have to.”I crossed my arms, staring out the window. “Is it always like this?”“Like what?”“Like the air is watching.”A pause.“Yes.”That didn’t comfort me.Stone markers began appearing along the roadside — tall black pillars carved with the royal Lycan crest. Each one spaced perfectly. Deliberate.Territory markers.Claimed land.Reed’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly as we passed the first border post. Guards stood there in