Chapter 8

I barely made it three steps out of the grand hall before Kael caught up to me.

His hand closed gently—but firmly—around my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.

“Astrid.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but there was a sharp edge to it, like he was trying to keep a storm contained under the surface.

The corridor was quieter than the hall, but the faint hum of castle life still filled the air—servants passing by with trays, guards in polished armor, the distant echo of footsteps. Even so, Kael didn’t let go of my wrist.

“You’re coming with me.”

It wasn’t a question.

Before I could protest, he was already leading me toward one of the side chambers—a private strategy room, judging by the heavy oak door and the long table inside. He shut the door behind us with a solid thud, and the sound made my stomach twist.

“What the hell was that back there?” he asked, finally letting me go but still standing close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him.

I tried to look anywhere but at him, but his amber eyes were impossible to ignore—especially when they were burning with that particular mix of anger and… something else.

“He put a ring on my finger, Kael,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended. “What did you expect me to do? Throw it in his face? In front of half the court?”

“I expected you to say no,” Kael shot back. “You’re not his. And you shouldn’t be letting him make it look like you are.”

I crossed my arms, defensive. “It’s not like I asked for it! And maybe—just maybe—having a vampire prince claim I’m under his protection will keep certain people from trying to slit my throat in my sleep.”

“That’s not protection,” Kael said, his voice low but fierce. “That’s possession. And Lucien doesn’t give anything without expecting something in return.”

I swallowed, because he wasn’t wrong. But that didn’t make my position any easier.

“Kael,” I said softly, “if I’d refused him in public, you know it would’ve been worse. The rumors, the attention… It’s better to play along for now.”

His jaw flexed. “Play along? Astrid, you’re not a piece on his board. You’re—” He cut himself off, running a hand through his dark hair in frustration. “You’re more than that.”

For a moment, the air between us shifted.

I could hear the faint rustle of his breath, feel the way his presence filled the room. His anger wasn’t the wild, dangerous kind—it was the protective kind. The kind that made my heart stumble in my chest.

“You think I don’t notice?” he said, stepping closer. “The way he watches you. The way he smiles like he already owns you.”

“I don’t belong to him,” I said firmly.

Kael’s gaze dropped to my hand—the one still wearing Lucien’s moonstone ring.

“Then take it off,” he murmured.

I hesitated.

Because as much as I hated the idea of Lucien “owning” me, that ring had already done something—shifted the balance in the court. People would think twice before making me a target now.

And wasn’t survival worth the cost of pride?

I reached up to slip it off, but my fingers froze. I could almost feel Lucien’s smirk in my mind, like he’d know the instant I did it. Like it would be giving him the satisfaction of seeing me hesitate.

Kael noticed my pause, and something flickered in his eyes—not anger this time, but disappointment.

“You’re afraid of what he’ll do,” he said quietly.

“I’m not afraid,” I lied. “I’m cautious.”

Before he could argue, a knock sounded at the door.

Kael’s expression darkened. “If that’s him—”

It wasn’t Lucien. It was a young servant, head bowed. “My lord, His Highness requests Lady Astrid’s presence in the gardens.”

Kael’s scoff was almost a growl. “Of course he does.”

“I don’t have to go,” I said quickly.

“Yes, you do,” Kael replied grimly. “Because if you don’t, he’ll come here. And I’d rather not be arrested for punching a prince.”

The gardens were just as beautiful as I remembered—lush greenery, roses climbing trellises, fountains that caught the afternoon sun in a cascade of light. But there was something colder in the air now. Or maybe it was just the man waiting for me.

Lucien sat on a stone bench, one leg crossed over the other, his posture perfect. He looked like he belonged in a painting—sharp cheekbones, flawless pale skin, hair catching the light like spun silver. His crimson eyes lit up when he saw me.

“Astrid,” he said smoothly, as if my name was a fine wine he intended to savor. “You came.”

“Did I have a choice?” I asked, keeping my voice cool.

“You always have a choice,” Lucien said, smiling faintly. “You simply don’t always like the options.”

He gestured for me to sit beside him. I didn’t. I stood.

“Why the public display?” I asked, cutting straight to it. “The ring, the whispers—what’s your game?”

His eyes glittered. “My game is survival. Yours, to be exact.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You expect me to believe you’re doing this for me?”

“I expect you to believe that keeping you alive benefits me,” Lucien said without shame. “And I expect you to wear the ring until I tell you otherwise.”

“Or what?” I challenged.

Lucien’s smile didn’t waver, but the air between us cooled. “Or someone else will remove it for you. And I can’t promise you’ll still have a hand when they’re done.”

It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.

I hated that part of me believed him.

“You could at least pretend this is about something other than politics,” I muttered.

Lucien tilted his head, studying me. “What makes you think it isn’t?”

For a second, his gaze softened—barely, but enough to make my breath catch. Then it was gone, replaced by that infuriating smirk.

“Tell Kael,” he added as I turned to leave, “that the ring suits you. And that I’m not in the habit of returning what’s mine.”

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

Kael’s words and Lucien’s warning tangled in my mind until I couldn’t tell which was louder.

I sat by the window in my room, moonlight spilling over the floor, and stared at the ring. It glowed faintly in the silver light, almost like it was alive.

I hated it.

I needed it.

And deep down, I knew—this was only the beginning.

Because Kael and Lucien weren’t just circling each other anymore.

They were circling me.

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