Noahの小説

I am besotted with my mate, and she has no idea.The realization hit me during the morning Council briefing. I’m standing beside Kael’s throne while some minor lord drones on about grain shipments. I should be paying attention—after all, this is my job, my duty—but all I can think about is the silk dress I gave Selene last night.The way her eyes went wide with disbelief when I presented it to her. Deep, emerald green, the color of forest shadows, cut to drape and cling in ways that made my mouth go dry just imagining it on her body.“Seth, this is too much—”“Nothing is too much for you.” I pulled her close, breathing in her scent, already half-hard from proximity alone. “Try it on.”And gods, when she did… The silk whispered against her skin like a lover’s caress, molding to every curve, bringing out the sapphire in her eyes. She looked like something precious and rare—like she was mine.I teased her about how she should thank me, and she decided to take it seriously. My mate has a

I take a breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Your Majesty, I think I saw Zane in the rose garden when Elara and I were on our way here.” The words come out less steadily than I want. “He was watching me through the window. But I’m not certain if it was real.”“It doesn’t matter if you’re sure or not,” Kael says immediately, his voice taking on the commanding edge of a king. “We’ll verify either way.”“I’ve already sent guards to investigate,” Seth adds, his hand moving in soothing circles on my lower back. “We’ll know soon enough if he was there.”Elara’s face goes pale. Her hand instinctively moves to her stomach, protective of the life she just learned about mere minutes ago.“There’s something else,” I say quickly, needing to get it all out before I lose my nerve. “Something you all should know about my meeting with him yesterday.”Kael’s eyes sharpen. “What happened?”I tell them about Zane’s request—how he asked about my lunches with Elara, how he suggested meeting closer t

But then, I see her face. That radiant joy, the pure happiness glowing in her eyes like sunlight breaking through clouds. She’s carrying on a new life. She deserves this moment of perfect, untainted bliss.I can’t ruin it. Not with my paranoia. Not when I might have imagined it. Not when telling her would mean guards flooding the gardens and Kael locking her away in fear.She deserves better than that.“Nothing.” I force a smile, pushing off the wall even though my hands are shaking. “Just got dizzy for a second. I’m fine.”Her brow furrows worriedly, but before she can press me, I take her hand and pull her forward. “Come on. Kael’s waiting.”We’re off again, but my eyes keep darting to windows, to shadowed corners, to doorways and alcoves—anywhere Zane might appear. Anywhere he might be, watching.My wolf paces frantically, whining, sensing my fear but unable to pinpoint the source. Every shadow looks wrong. Every reflection in the polished marble could be him.He was there. He saw

I change quickly, the familiar weight of my uniform calming me somewhat. But even freshly dressed, I can’t erase the feeling of Seth’s hands on my skin, his mouth on mine, the way he claimed me over and over.Focus, Selene.I’m fastening the last button when Zane’s request about the Queen replays in my mind.“The next time you have one of those lunches scheduled, you should tell me. We could meet up afterward.”My fingers pause. I should tell Elara. Not because it’s urgent—Zane can’t do anything without me facilitating it—but because she deserves to know. She should be aware, prepared.I glance at the clock again. If I hurry, I can stop by her chambers on the way to my shift. Just a quick warning, and then I’ll go to work.Decision made, I grab my bag and slip out of Seth’s quarters.The palace corridors are busy with afternoon activity—servants carrying linens, guards changing shifts, nobles drifting toward the dining halls. I weave through them, my healer’s robes granting me passage

I step through the doorway and freeze.This isn’t a room. It’s a suit.My quarters in the healers’ wing were practical—one small bedroom, a kitchenette barely large enough to heat tea in, a bathroom where I could touch both walls if I stretched. But this? The living area alone could fit my entire old space twice over. Plush furniture arranged around a stone fireplace, shelves lined with books and military memorabilia, tall windows overlooking the palace grounds, with heavy curtains pulled back to let in the afternoon light.Through an archway, I glimpse a kitchen—an actual kitchen, with proper counters and even a table. Beyond that, a bedroom door stands ajar, revealing what has to be the largest bed I’ve ever seen.“Do you like it?”Seth’s voice pulls my attention back to him. He’s moving through the space with quick, jerky movements—grabbing a shirt draped over a chair, snatching up what looks like training gear from the floor near a window, shoving everything into a basket with bar

I inhale deeply through my nose. “You waded through it?”“I had to. Zane was dying.” Her voice drops. “The mist was so thick I could barely see. But I could smell the blood, hear him breathing. I just… I had to reach him.”“Fuck.” The word comes out harsh. My mind races through the implications. “That mist—it’s not normal magic. My wolf can sense it’s wrong. Dangerous.”“What is it?”“I don’t know yet.” I stand and move to the bathroom, where I fill a glass with water at the sink. “But it’s obvious you’ve entered that forest more times than you know. That mist is doing something to you, Selene. Controlling you somehow.”She shivers despite the warmth of the room.A thought occurs to me, and I stop halfway back to the bed. “Wait. You talked about the mist just now.”“Yes.”“When we questioned you about that night, you never mentioned it.” I move closer, studying her expression. “You said there was nothing unusual. Just Zane, injured and alone.”She’s quiet for a few seconds, thoughtful