LOGINKael’s POVI stood in the center of the hall before the sun could think of setting. My arms folded, listening to the echo of my own footsteps as I paced.I can't believe that asshole is back and the fact that he tried to hurt Xena again made my blood boil hotter than a volcano. Who does he think I am? What the hell does he take me for? If it wasn’t for the council I would have revealed my identity to the world, so I can freely tear him to shreds in front of a billion people to warn others not to mess with me. That dickhead. Oh, I can't wait to get my hands on him and tear him into shreds. And what the hell is taking xena so long? She was two minutes late. I checked the clock again, irritation building in me. If she thought I was doing this for fun, then she clearly hadn’t been listening last night.Just as I was about to call one of the guards to drag her out of her room, my phone buzzed. I yanked it from my pocket and answered.“Yes?” I said flatly.“My Lord,” the voice on the oth
Xena’s POV. The first thing I saw was my ceiling, which brought me a little relief knowing that I was no longer in that cursed restaurant. Although I was awake, I remained glued to the bed. The throbbing on my head seemed to increase with each heartbeat, I winced and shifted slightly. The sheets rustled, and the sound was enough to stir Kael who was sitting in the chair besides me. He was slouched like a man who had fought a war in his sleep. His head had been tilted against the armrest, but the second I moved, his eyes opened immediately, like he was a soldier on a battlefield who mistakenly took a nap. “You’re awake,” he said, voice rough and low, but filled with a kind of relief that surprised me. “Yes,” I whispered. My throat was dry, but I managed the word. I tried to sit up, but he leaned forward quickly. “Don’t push yourself.” His hand went to my shoulder, gentle but firm, guiding me back. “I don't have the strength to listen to the doctor.” I chuckled faintly. And w
Kael’s POV. The second Xena’s heels clicked away toward the bathroom, I dropped my fork and reached for my napkin like a man about to commit a crime. I didn’t even pretend to be polite about it—just brought the damn thing up and spat into it as quietly as I could. The taste of that… whatever-the-hell-it-was was still clinging to my tongue like a bad memory. Slimy. Sour. Vaguely like something that had already been eaten once before.“Never again,” I muttered under my breath, balling the napkin and pushing it to the side of my plate.I only ordered the food to get on Xena's nerve. I wasn't going to let her find a perfect excuse not to eat the food so I ordered mine. Bad—- very bad idea by the way. Suddenly my phone buzzed, I reached for my phone, grateful for the distraction, but the relief died fast when I saw the name lighting up the screen.Celina.A pulse of anger went through me. She was the reason Xena found me in a questionable situation. She was the one who’d grabbed in th
Xena’s POVKael’s eyes flicked over me once, his eyes sharp and unreadable. Then, without missing a beat, he said, “We’re late for dinner.”That was it. No “sorry,” no explanation, not even a hint of what had him looking like he’d just fought with a ghost in the hallway.I glanced past him, back toward the bathroom mirrors, and my stomach knotted. The same woman from before was standing in front of the sink, reapplying her lipstick with lazy precision.Something hot and irrational rose in me. I didn’t even know her name and I didn't want to know, what I wanted right now was to march over and rip every strand of hair off her head. My mind supplied its own story: her with Kael, pressed against the cold bathroom wall, while I was busy adjusting my lipstick like an idiot.If Kael wanted to play house with me, fine. But if he wanted me to believe any of this was real, he could at least keep his pants zipped long enough to make it to dinner.I turned back to him, my voice cold. “Fine. Let’
Xena’s POVKael’s eyes flicked over me once, his eyes sharp and unreadable. Then, without missing a beat, he said, “We’re late for dinner.”That was it. No “sorry,” no explanation, not even a hint of what had him looking like he’d just fought with a ghost in the hallway.I glanced past him, back toward the bathroom mirrors, and my stomach knotted. The same woman from before was standing in front of the sink, reapplying her lipstick with lazy precision.Something hot and irrational rose in me. I didn’t even know her name and I didn't want to know, what I wanted right now was to march over and rip every strand of hair off her head. My mind supplied its own story: her with Kael, pressed against the cold bathroom wall, while I was busy adjusting my lipstick like an idiot.If Kael wanted to play house with me, fine. But if he wanted me to believe any of this was real, he could at least keep his pants zipped long enough to make it to dinner.I turned back to him, my voice cold. “Fine. Let’
Xena’s POVI couldn’t really pick a style because none of them were mine. The dresses, skirts, and jackets the attendants brought me looked expensive—too expensive—but they didn’t feel like me. It was like dressing up in someone else’s life. But since I wasn’t the one paying, I decided not to overthink it. If he wanted me to try all this, then fine. I’d just take everything and let him deal with the bill.When I finally walked out of the changing room, the attendants were waiting. One of them carried a small box and opened it with a bright smile. Inside was a bracelet—thin, gold, with tiny diamonds that caught the light in a way that made it almost blinding.“This is on the house, ma’am,” the woman said politely.I hesitated for a second. People didn’t just hand out things like this where I came from. “Thank you,” I said quietly, still unsure.They began wrapping up the clothes I’d picked, layering each item in crisp white paper, tucking them into glossy bags. I stood there, watching







