JESSICA

I quickly pulled off the silk dress as soon as I stepped into my room, wearing only a silk slip. I could still feel the stinging pain from where the corset had grabbed my ribs. I should have been happy. The photoshoot in the garden had gone perfectly. Nathan and I had cool conversations, and the pack photographer had gushed about how radiant we looked together.

But as soon as the door clicked shut and I was alone, I felt like I was suffocating.

I walked to the mirror and stared at my reflection. My neck was flushed. My eyes looked wild, the pupils were still slightly dilated. Honestly, I looked like a mess.

Suddenly, my wolf began to pace in the back of my mind, her claws scratching at the floor of my consciousness. She wasn't interested in the "Golden Alpha" anymore, she wanted the protector.

"Stop it," I whispered to the empty room. "He’s a guard. He’s a soldier. He’s nothing."

But my body knew I was lying. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those dark, scarred hands. I saw the way his jaw had clenched when Nathan touched me. It wasn't just protection, it was agony.

The sound of a knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Who is it?" I called out.

"Kaelen."

The name alone made my stomach do a slow, dizzying roll. I grabbed my silk robe from the bed and tied it around my waist, my fingers trembling so much I had to knot it twice. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heart, and opened the door.

He was standing there like a statue carved from obsidian. And he wasn’t looking at my face; his eyes were fixed somewhere over my shoulder.

"The Alpha ordered a full sweep of the suite," he said. His voice was deep, a low rumble that I felt in my bones rather than heard. "The balcony needs to be secured."

"My father already checked the perimeter, Kaelen," I said, trying to sound like the Luna I was supposed to be. "I’m fine."

"The Alpha’s orders were absolute," he replied. He stepped past me without waiting for an invitation.

The room suddenly felt tiny. His presence took up all the air, pushing me back against the dresser. He moved toward the balcony doors, his eyes scanning here and there as he checked the locks, his large hands moving with a grace that didn't match his rugged outlook.

I watched him. I couldn't help it. I watched the way his muscles moved under his black shirt, the way the moonlight caught the silver of the scar on his neck. The silence between us was heavy and I found it difficult to breathe.

"Why won't you look at me?" I blurted out.

Kaelen froze. His back was to me, his hands still resting on the glass of the balcony door.

"I am performing my duties, Lady Jessica," he said.

"Lady Jessica," I repeated with a bitter laugh. "Yesterday I was just Jess. Now I’m a 'Lady' and a 'Luna' and everyone treats me like I’m made of gold. But you... you won't even acknowledge that I’m standing here."

I walked toward him. "Look at me, Kaelen. Tell me you didn't feel it in the hall. Tell me I’m crazy."

He turned then, and for the first time, he looked directly into my eyes. The intensity of it was like a physical heat. His pupils were blown so wide there was only a thin sliver of dark brown left. He looked hunted. He looked like a man standing on the edge of a cliff, deciding whether to jump.

"You are the Future Luna," he rasped. "You belong to the Alpha. My feelings... they don't exist."

"That’s a lie," I whispered, stepping closer. The scent of him was overwhelming now, filling my head until I couldn't think. "I can feel your heart beating from here. I can feel the pull. It’s like a chain wrapped around my soul, and you’re at the other end of it."

"Stop," he growled. It wasn't a human sound; it was a warning from his wolf.

"Why? Because it’s treason? Because Nathan is 'perfect'?" I was inches from him now. I could see the sweat beads on his forehead. "Nathan has never looked at me the way you did today. He looks at me like a trophy. You look at me like..."

"Like I’m dying," Kaelen finished for me, his voice breaking.

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed from the trees outside the balcony.

In a heartbeat, the soldier came back. He grabbed my waist and swung me behind him, pinning me against the heavy mahogany bedpost. He shielded my body with his own, his arm braced against the wood beside my head, his other hand reaching for the dagger at his thigh.

"Don't move," he hissed.

He was pressed against me. There wasn't an inch of space between us. I could feel the hard planes of his chest, the heat radiating off his skin, and the frantic thud of his heart against my own. My breath hitched, caught in my throat.

The mate bond exploded. My wolf began to howl in triumph. Him. Him. Him.

Kaelen stayed frozen, his eyes scanning the darkness outside the window. But he wasn't just guarding me anymore. His head lowered, his nose brushing against the sensitive skin of my neck. I felt his breath against my ear.

He let out a low, pained groan, a sound of absolute defeat. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, taking a deep, shuddering inhale of my scent. His hand, the one braced against the bedpost, curled into a fist, causing the wood to creak under his strength.

"Jessica," he choked out. My name sounded like a prayer and a curse all at once.

I reached up, my fingers grazing the side of his jaw. I wanted to pull him closer. I wanted to tell him to forget the pack, forget the wedding, forget everything but this moment. My world had narrowed down to the heat of his body and the way he was trembling against me.

"Kaelen," I whispered, my eyes fluttering shut. "Please..."

He stiffened, as if hearing my voice broke whatever spell that had held him. He pulled away so violently I almost fell. He retreated toward the door, his chest heaving, his face a mask of pure horror—not at me, but at himself.

"There was nothing outside," he said. "Just a fallen branch. The perimeter is secure."

"Kaelen, wait—"

"I am a soldier, Jessica," he snapped, his eyes flashing with a sudden, bitter fire. "I am the man they hire to kill rogues. I am not a hero, and I am certainly not a King. You have a wedding in three days. Do not make me a dead man before then."

He didn't wait for me to answer. He turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him.