Chapter Twenty-Seven

IVY’S POV

The quiet hum of the laptop fan was the only sound echoing through Leo’s spacious study. I sat comfortably on the soft leather sofa, the computer resting on my lap as I casually scrolled through the local news and wolf-community blogs, looking for any updates on high-society fashion for the upcoming Apex Gathering.

Then, my finger froze over the trackpad.

Right at the top of the trending entertainment page was a high-resolution photograph taken just hours ago inside the Royal Palace lobby. It showed Leo standing in his crisp black suit, looking impossibly broad and handsome, while a strikingly breathtaking woman stood close to him. She was laughing, her manicured hand resting intimately on his forearm, leaning into his space as if she belonged there.

The glaring headline above the photo read:

"High-Society Lovebirds Reunite? Lady Celeste and Crown Prince Leo Spotted Sharing an Intimate Moment Ahead of the Apex Gathering!"

A sudden, sharp wave of heat flared deep in my chest. My fingers tightened on the edge of the laptop until my knuckles turned white.

No.

An irrational, fiercely protective instinct surged through my blood. She wasn't going to accompany Leo as his high-society partner. I was his mate. I was the woman carrying his child.

Needing to know who she was, I typed her name into the search bar: Celeste Willow.

The search results loaded instantly with pages of glowing high-society articles, official portraits, and accolades.

Celeste Willow was the only daughter of the powerful Alpha of the Moonridge pack. She was a born high-ranking Alpha herself and had carved out a highly successful career in advanced healing and supernatural medicine. The articles detailed how she had traveled across different supernatural realms for years, mastering rare holistic healing techniques, ancient potion-making, and trauma medicine.

I clicked on her primary profile photo and gasped in shock.

She was the full package. Standing at an elegant five-foot-nine, she possessed a slender silhouette, glowing porcelain skin, and long, cascading ginger-colored hair that framed a striking, flawless face. Below her biography, a highlighted article noted that she had already turned down five marriage proposals from high-ranking lords across the continent.

I frowned, looking back and forth between her flawless portrait and the news photo of her leaning into Leo.

My chest tightened with a faint, involuntary prick of insecurity, but then I stopped myself. I took a slow, deep breath, remembering the interview clip I had watched just a few days ago. Leo had looked directly into the camera and declared, without a second of hesitation, that Celeste was merely a dear family friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

Leo said in his interview that they were strictly friends, I reminded myself firmly. And Leo is not a liar.

Unable to stomach looking at the headline any longer, I closed the news browser entirely. Seeking a quick distraction from my spiraling thoughts, I popped in an animated cartoon movie, leaned back against the plush cushions, and let the cheerful colors and soft dialogue wash over me.

I got so completely lost in the movie that I didn't hear the heavy study door click open, nor did I notice the soft sound of boots stepping across the thick rug.

"Ivy?"

I startled, my head snapping up.

Standing near the edge of the sofa was Leo. He had tossed his suit jacket over a nearby chair, his white shirt unbuttoned at the top, looking slightly worn from his long day at the palace. The moment my eyes met his dark, amber gaze, a wide, unstoppable smile broke across my face, all my lingering doubts evaporating into thin air.

Leo opened his broad arms wide, offering a quiet invitation for a hug.

I hesitated for a brief, second-long heartbeat, my cheeks flushing, before I pushed the laptop aside, stood up from the couch, and stepped straight into his embrace.

His massive arms wrapped securely around my waist, lifting me slightly off my feet as he pulled me flush against his hard chest. The rich, intoxicating scent of dark chocolate, crushed pine, and warm amber enveloped me, instantly settling every frayed nerve in my body.

"How was your day, my love?" he murmured into my hair, his deep voice vibrating against my ribs.

"It was... just there," I shrugged, giving a tiny, half-hearted gesture as he set me back down, though I kept my hands resting lightly against his chest. "Did a little browsing and decided to watch cartoons."

"What's the name?" he asked, a faint, amused smile touching his lips.

"The Secret of the Moon-Bears," I admitted shyly.

"Come here," Leo said gently, stepping over to the large leather armchair near the fireplace. He sat down first, and without giving me a chance to protest, he reached out, caught me by the waist, and effortlessly lifted me onto his lap.

I let out a soft gasp as my legs draped across his thighs, my chest resting against his shoulder. He pulled me close, tucking my head under his chin.

Leo took a deep, heavy breath, inhaling the scent of my hair, before he grew quiet.

"Ivy," he began, his voice dropping into a low, serious tone that made my heart give a sudden flutter. "I don't know if you saw the article about me and Celeste... but it's not true. I've already ordered for it to be taken down immediately."

I felt my tensed shoulders completely relax in relief, my forehead resting against his neck.

"I want you to know..." Leo's voice grew thick with raw emotion. He reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out a small velvet box, and gently popped the latch open.

My eyes widened as he lifted a breathtaking, teardrop-shaped moonlight-sapphire pendant that shimmered like a pool of deep blue water under the dim firelight. He reached around my neck, his cool, steady fingers brushing my skin as he fastened the ancient, protective royal chain around me.

The heavy sapphire settled right over my heart, radiating a faint, soothing warmth against my skin.

"This pendant is a symbol reserved only for the Crown Prince's true mate," Leo murmured, his hand coming up to frame my jaw, his dark eyes burning into mine with an intense, unyielding devotion.

"What?" I gasped in shock, my fingers hovering over the glowing stone.

"This is all new to me, too," Leo confessed softly, his thumb gently caressing my cheek. "But as long as you are beside me, I promise to fight for the both of us, and I…"

He was still talking when I leaned in and kissed him.

I cupped his strong jaw with both hands, pressing my lips directly against his. Leo let out a low, shuddering breath against my mouth, his entire frame going rigid for a fraction of a second before he surrendered completely.

His hand slid up to the back of my head, his fingers tangling deeply into my hair as he pulled me closer. The kiss deepened, becoming exquisitely slow, hot, and intense. His lips moved against mine with a deep, intoxicating rhythm that sent a wave of pure, undeniable heat rushing through my veins, consuming every lingering fear I had ever carried.

Tears broke free from my eyes, rolling down my flushed cheeks as I kissed him back with everything inside me.

Leo tasted the salt on my lips and pulled back a tiny fraction, his breath coming in short, heavy rasps, his forehead resting gently against mine. His dark eyes flickered with concern as he gently wiped a tear from my cheek. "Ivy... why are you crying?"

"Because I'm happy," I whispered, a wet, breathless laugh escaping my lips as I tightened my grip on his unbuttoned shirt.

I looked down at the brilliant sapphire resting against my chest, then looked back up into the eyes of the powerful Alpha holding me as if I were his entire world.

In that quiet, firelit room, something shifted deep within my soul. The scared, traumatized girl who had spent months cowering from her past, terrified of her own shadow and running from her family's cruelty, was gone.

I was no longer a fragile girl hiding in the dark.

I pressed my hand firmly against Leo's heartbeat, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm that matched my own. Step by step, alongside the man who loved me, I was ready to face my family.