Chapter 12

Delilah’s Pov

Heading home felt… strange. The rumble of the carriage wheels against the dirt road should’ve been comforting, but instead, it felt like an echo of defeat. My plan was supposed to work. I was supposed to get close to Malric, learn everything about him, then dismantle his world from the inside out. That was the goal. That was always the goal.

And yet… somewhere along the way, my plan started defeating me instead.

That’s why I had to leave.

I needed to breathe. I needed space. I needed to prepare myself better. Because Malric wasn’t the type of man you could take down with simple tricks and whispered lies. No, he was something else entirely. Something dangerous.

I sat curled in the carriage, knees tucked close, journal resting on my lap. I’d spent hours scribbling thoughts that made no sense.

Even when I tried not to think about him, my body betrayed me. Every memory of his voice, every fleeting touch, it was like fire licking through my veins. It shouldn’t feel this way. I hated that it did.

Hours bled into days, and before I knew it, we were crossing into Nytheria. Home.

The moment the carriage slowed, I spotted her. Reyna. She was waiting at the gates, practically bouncing on her heels. Her whole face lit up when she saw me, and before I could even step down, she was already rushing forward.

“Delilah!” she squealed, throwing her arms around me so tightly I almost stumbled back.

I couldn’t help but laugh, hugging her just as tightly.

“I missed you so much,” Reyna gushed, pulling back only to grab my shoulders, scanning me like a mother hen. “Did anyone hurt you? Did they give you trouble? Delilah, I swear to God, if anyone laid a single finger on you, I will smack their faces off. I’ll—” she huffed dramatically, “—I’ll charge at them with everything I have.”

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. “No one did anything, Reyna. Relax. If anything, I think I was the trouble.”

Her eyes widened suspiciously. “Are you telling me the truth?”

I raised a brow. “Are you really going to keep interrogating me outside like this?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Oh my goodness, forgive my manners!” she gasped, grabbing my wrist. “Come, come inside. You must be exhausted!”

Servants trailed behind us, carrying my belongings into my room, and the familiar scent of home washed over me as we stepped through the doors. For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe again.

“Go freshen up,” Reyna said as we reached the hallway. “Then come downstairs so we can talk. And don’t you dare hide anything from me, I want everything.”

I forced a small smile and nodded. “Certainly, I’ll tell you everything.”

…Not entirely.

Upstairs, I undressed and let the warm bathwater wrap around me, but even the heat couldn’t burn away the thoughts in my head. Him. Always him.

Malric.

The sound of his voice. The weight of his stare. The memory of his hands. My body still remembered, and I hated how much it wanted more.

Later, lying on my bed, I caught myself thinking about his mouth, his touch, the raw hunger in his eyes. My fingers drifted lower before I stopped abruptly, exhaling sharply.

“Delilah,” I muttered under my breath. “Control yourself.”

I forced myself out of bed, dressing quickly, hoping moving would silence the storm inside me.

When I stepped downstairs, Reyna was already waiting in the dining hall, sitting at the long table absolutely grinning. Platters upon platters of food were spread across the surface, freshly roasted meats, baked bread, sugared fruits, rich sauces, and spiced wine.

I blinked at the sight. “It seems you’ve prepared enough to feed the entire town.”

Reyna smirked, leaning back in her chair. “Why not? You deserve it.”

I shook my head, taking a seat opposite her. Servants began placing plates before us, and I picked up my cutlery, trying to focus on the food.

But Reyna wasn’t eating.

I glanced up and found her staring at me, her chin propped on her hand, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“What?” I asked, narrowing my gaze.

“You know exactly what,” she said, drawing out each word. “Spill every. Single. Thing. To me.”

“There’s nothing much that happened,” I said casually, slicing through my meal, trying to sound uninterested. “I went there, gave him his medicine, talked to him a little… talked to some people, walked around. Nothing much has changed.”

Reyna narrowed her eyes suspiciously, leaning forward like a hawk. “Mm-hm. Nothing much, you say.”

“Exactly.”

“And yet,” she dragged out the words, “you’ve been staring at your food like it insulted your ancestors since you got here.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m just tired, Rey.”

“Uh-huh.” She twirled her spoon, smirking. “And this ‘medicine job’ of yours… no drama? No official recognition? Because if they did, I would’ve heard about it.”

I shook my head. “No. I was covered. And besides, Malric lives far from the main town anyway. Where he stays is… isolated.”

Reyna’s brows furrowed, but then she leaned back and hummed. “Okay, okay. What else?”

I hesitated, and that was my mistake. Reyna’s eyes sharpened instantly.

“Delilah.” She placed her spoon down with a little clink. “Don’t tell me…” She leaned forward like a predator closing in on prey. “…don’t tell me you shared a bed with him.”

I froze mid-bite.

Reyna gasped dramatically. “You DID!”

“I didn’t say that!”

“You didn’t deny it either.”

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Rey—”

But before I could finish, a voice interrupted from behind us.

“Am I missing something?”

I turned sharply to see Brian standing at the edge of the dining hall, tall and perfectly composed, his handsome face softened by an easy smile.

“Oh, Brian!” Reyna said brightly, like this was perfectly normal timing.

Brian’s gaze shifted between us, his brow slightly raised. “Am I late?”

I shot Reyna a look that screamed, You invited him?! She gave me an innocent, wide-eyed expression in return, pretending to sip her drink.

Brian, oblivious, walked over and sat down as if he belonged there.

“Delilah,” he said warmly, “how have you been?”

I cleared my throat and forced a polite smile. “I’ve been fine, Brian. Perfectly fine.”

Reyna, of course, beamed. “I invited him to dinner. I hope you don’t mind, Delilah.”

“Oh, no,” I said, my smile tight and my tone dripping with sarcasm. “Why would I ever mind?”

Brian chuckled softly, clearly missing the bite in my words. “Good.”

We spent the next hour in a strange cocktail of conversation. Reyna asked ridiculous, loaded questions, Brian answered with shameless compliments, and I… well, I just tried not to choke on my food.

“Brian, stop looking at her like she’s the moon,” Reyna teased at one point, grinning wickedly.

“She’s prettier than the moon,” he said without hesitation, his gaze on me unwavering.

I stabbed a piece of meat a little harder than necessary. “The moon is very far away, Brian. You should keep it that way.”

Reyna nearly choked on her wine from laughing. “Gods, you two are entertaining.”

Dinner ended, finally, but just as I stood to retreat upstairs, Brian called softly, “Delilah. Can I… talk to you outside for a moment?”

I turned slowly to Reyna, who was already nodding enthusiastically, her grin unholy.

“You traitor,” I muttered under my breath.

“Go,” she whispered.

I sighed. “Sure, Brian.”

As he walked out first, I leaned toward Reyna and whispered, “I’m going to kill you later.”

She smirked. “As long as it’s later.”

Outside, the air was cooler, quieter. Brian stood under the lantern light, his hands tucked in his pockets.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said softly, his tone unusually serious. “And now you’re back. I… I think I’m lucky. Good things have been happening to me lately, and I’d like to believe you’re one of them.”

I blinked, unsure how to respond.

He cleared his throat. “There’s a ceremony in a few days. I was wondering if you’d like to come with me.”

“Brian…” I began, preparing my best polite escape.

“Please, Delilah.” He stepped closer, his expression earnest. “Don’t say no. Just… come with me.”

I hesitated, and for some reason, the refusal stuck in my throat.

“Fine,” I said finally. “I won’t say no. I’ll go with you.”

His shoulders relaxed instantly, and his lips curved into a soft smile. “Thank you. I’ll be expecting you.”

“Goodnight, Brian,” I said quietly.

“Goodnight, Delilah.”

I walked back inside, pushing the door open, only to find Reyna waiting for me with the widest grin on her face.

“You have so much explaining to do,” she whispered dramatically.

“You’re lucky I’m too sleepy to strangle you right now,” I muttered, brushing past her. “Get ready for me tomorrow.”

Reyna’s giggle followed me all the way upstairs.

Back in my room, I slipped out of my dress and settled onto the floor, legs crossed, beginning my nightly meditation. My breathing slowed, my mind steadied…

But somehow, everything circled back to him.

Malric.

The memory of his hands. The weight of his body. The way he’d held my head, thrusting into me, driving me to madness. Heat coiled low in my belly, my wolf unusually.

I shook the thought away, crawling into bed, but the last thing on my mind before sleep claimed me was him…always him.