CHAPTER 3

My legs shook so badly I could barely walk as Prince Darius led me through the stone halls. The image of that letter burned in my mind like fire. My name. My real name. How did Prince Rhett know who I was?

"You are safe now," Darius said, his deep voice gentle despite his scary size. "My brother gets carried away sometimes. He forgets that not everyone plays his word games."

I wanted to laugh. If only he knew that his brother had almost caught the biggest game of all. Instead, I let tears roll down my cheeks. They were real tears, born from terror and the crushing weight of my mission.

"Thank you, My Prince. I was so scared."

Darius stopped walking and turned to face me. His amber eyes were kind, so different from his brothers. "What did he ask you about?"

"Old bloodlines. History. Things I do not understand." I wiped my face with shaking hands. "I am just a simple omega. I do not know why he thinks I would know about such things."

"Rhett sees puzzles everywhere. Sometimes there is nothing to solve." But something in his voice told me he did not believe his own words.

We reached the omega quarters, but instead of leaving me at my door, Darius followed me inside. The small room felt even smaller with his huge frame filling it. I pressed against the wall, playing the scared little omega perfectly.

"You do not have to fear me," he said softly. "I know my size frightens people, but I would never hurt something so small and helpless."

"I know, My Prince. You saved me from your brother."

"Rhett is not evil. Just... careful. Our family has enemies, and he protects us by watching for threats." Darius sat on the edge of my bed, making it creak under his weight. "But you are no threat. Anyone can see that."

If only you knew, I thought. Out loud, I said, "What kind of enemies does your family have?"

His face went dark. "The kind that would hurt innocent people to get revenge. The kind that blame us for things that happened long ago, before we were even born."

My heart pounded. Was he talking about people like me? Survivors who wanted justice for their murdered families?

"That sounds terrible, My Prince."

"It is. Sometimes I wonder if the crown is worth all the blood that has been spilled for it." He looked at me with such sadness that I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"You would make a good king," I heard myself say. "You have a kind heart."

"Kind hearts do not win wars or stop enemies from killing your people." His hands clenched into fists. "Sometimes I think Kael is right. Sometimes mercy is a weakness we cannot afford."

"Do you really believe that?"

Darius was quiet for a long moment. "I do not know what I believe anymore. All I know is that I will protect what matters to me. No matter the cost."

The way he looked at me when he said those words made my skin burn. There was something new in his eyes. Something that made me want to run.

"I should go," he said, standing up. "But I want you to know something. If anyone tries to hurt you while you are here, you tell me. I do not care if it is a prince, a guard, or the queen herself. You are under my protection now."

After he left, I sank onto the bed and buried my face in my hands. This was getting too complicated. I was supposed to make them want me, not care about me. And I was definitely not supposed to start feeling things for them.

A soft knock made me look up. The same servant girl from before peered around the door.

"Miss? You have a visitor."

I froze. "Who?"

"Lady Celeste Ravenclaw. She wishes to speak with you privately."

My blood turned to ice. Lady Celeste was Prince Kael's betrothed, the woman who would be queen when he took the throne. Why would she want to see a lowly omega?

The lady who entered my room was everything I was not. Tall, beautiful, with golden hair and blue eyes that could freeze fire. She moved like a queen already, her silk dress worth more than most people saw in a lifetime.

"So you are the little omega who has caught my princes' attention."

I dropped to my knees, keeping my head down. "My Lady."

"Look at me when I speak to you." Her voice was like cold steel. "I want to see what all the fuss is about."

I raised my eyes, letting fear show clearly. Lady Celeste studied me like I was a bug she was thinking about stepping on.

"You are prettier than I expected. No wonder Darius feels the need to play hero." She walked around me slowly. "And Rhett seems quite interested in your... background."

My heart stopped. "My Lady?"

"Oh yes, little omega. I know all about Prince Rhett's investigation. The question is, what will I do with that information?"

She knelt down so we were at eye level. Her perfect face was calm, but her eyes burned with something dangerous.

"You see, I have worked too hard and too long to let some mysterious omega ruin my plans. So I am going to give you a choice." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You can leave this palace tonight and never return. Or you can stay and face the consequences of whatever secrets you are hiding."

"I have no secrets, My Lady. I am nobody."

Lady Celeste smiled, and it was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen. "We both know that is not true. The question is, who will figure out the truth first? Prince Rhett with his lists and investigations? Or me with my own methods of getting answers?"

She stood up and walked to the door, then turned back to look at me one last time.

"Choose wisely, little omega. Your life depends on it."

The door closed behind her with a soft click, leaving me alone with the crushing realization that my mission had just become infinitely more dangerous. Lady Celeste knew something. Maybe not everything, but enough to destroy me.

And from the look in her cold blue eyes, she would not hesitate to do exactly that.