Se connecterKlaus was standing in the doorway , his face pinched in anger as he glaree at the huge man towering over me.“What,” he repeated, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper, “the fuck do you think you’re doing with the queen”The huge man immediately dropped to one knee, his head bowed. “Your Highness. We didn’t know—we thought—”“You thought what exactly?” Klaus stepped into the room, and the other figures in the shadows quickly followed suit, all of them dropping into poses of submission.My mind reeled. These people knew him. They answered to him. The way they bowed wasn’t out of fear but familiarity, respect even.What the hell was going on?“We got the King’s new bride,” the big man said, his earlier aggression completely gone. “We thought—we thought it would be a good strategy, you know? Get leverage against Aldric. Force his hand on some of the new laws he’s trying to pass. Deal with him in ways we couldn’t before. We didn’t realize she was—that you—”He trailed off, clearly strugg
I was slightly amused, in a twisted sort of way.The fact that he was so stupid to think that I;d be harboring romantic fantasies about a troll like him was very amusing…but I bit back whatever retort I might have and a smile and kept my face perfectly neutral.Moron.The arrogance was almost impressive.Almost.“Is there anything else, Your Majesty?” I asked, my eyes still fixed on that spot above his head.“No, that will be all.” He waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, wait. I’m having the head of household take you shopping today. Your current wardrobe is…” He made a vague gesture, his lip curling slightly. “Suitable for a provincial Alpha’s daughter, perhaps, but not for my queen. You need clothes that reflect the aesthetic of this court. Something befitting your new position.”I smiled tightly, forcing the words through clenched teeth. “Thank you your majesty for suvh generosity.”“You’re dismissed.”I bowed once more—swallowing the bile rising in my throat—and turned toward the door. E
MargauxI hadn’t slept.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my mother’s outstretched hand, heard my sister’s last breath, felt the sticky warmth of blood soaking into the floorboards of the only home I’d ever known.And beyond that door, just down the corridor, the man responsible for it all slept peacefully in his bed.I stared at the ornate ceiling of my chambers, tracking the pre-dawn light as it crept across the painted cherubs and gold leaf. Such beauty built on so much suffering. Every piece of art, every silk curtain, every polished marble tile—paid for with the blood and sweat of people my new husband viewed as less than human.My fingers curled into the sheets.It would be so easy. I could slip out of this bed, walk silently down that hallway, and smother Aldric in his sleep before anyone even knew I was gone. Watch the life drain from those cold eyes. Make him feel a fraction of the fear my family felt in their final moments.But I wouldn’t.Not because I couldn’t—George had
|| Klaus ||🪷🪷🪷I was losing my fucking mind, or at least I am dangerously close to that.I’ve been pacing my chambers for the past hour, wearing a track in the expensive carpet my father had imported from the eastern territories. It’s been more than five hours, and I’ve tried countlessly to put my mind at ease, to stop the agitation crawling at my chest, but no matter how many times I tried, I just could not for the life of me stop my mind from drifting back to the woman sleeping somewhere in this palace who wanted nothing to do with me.Margaux.My Margaux.The name repeated in my head like a prayer, like a curse, like the answer to a question I’d been asking for five years.She was alive. She was here. She was fucking real.The whiskey burned going down, but I poured another glass anyway. My third? Fourth? I’d lost count somewhere between replaying that kiss in the hallway and trying to make sense of the impossible fact that Margaux was alive.I collapsed into the chair by the w
The slap cracked through the corridor like a gunshot.Klaus’s head snapped to the side, and I watched the red bloom across his cheek. My palm stung. My whole body was trembling—from rage, from that damned kiss, from the way every nerve ending came alive under his touch like I’d been dead for five years and he had just breathed life back into me.I hated it. I hated him. I hated that for one traitorous second, I had kissed him back.“Yes,” I snapped, “Yes, I’m Margaux. And you better stay the fuck away from me because there was nothing between us. There would never be anything between us.”He touched his jaw, working it slowly. “How could I stay away? We’re mates—”“Do you really think I gave a damn about the mate bond? I didn’t!!”“Margaux—”“You humiliated me.” My voice rose, years of buried pain clawing up my throat. “You broke my heart. You disgraced me in front of your spoiled, rich brat friends, laughing while they threw coins at your feet, and you had the nerve to touch me like…
I froze, every muscle locking down. The word hung in the air between us like smoke.“Prince Klaus.” I pulled my hand back smoothly, dipping into a curtsy. “I would be honored to have your escort inside. I’m sure His Majesty is waiting.”Klaus stared at me, confusion flickering across his face. His jaw worked like he wanted to say something else, but after a beat, he offered his arm.“Of course, Princess.”I placed my hand on his sleeve, and that electric current sparked again. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, restless and hungry. I forced my breathing steady, my smile serene behind the veil.How was this possible?Five years. Five years of silence from my wolf, of feeling broken and incomplete, and now—now—she decided to wake up? For him?Klaus led me through corridors of white marble and gold trim. His arm was rigid beneath my fingers, tension radiating through every inch of him. I could feel him watching me from the corner of his eye.Stay calm. He can’t know. He can’t possibly—But







