ログインMarcelo recovered first, which I expected as much.A man like him hadn't risen to the position of Lord Valmere by crumbling beneath silence alone. The uncertainty I had seen moments ago disappeared almost as quickly as it came, tucked neatly back behind the practiced smile he had perfected over years of political gatherings and merchant councils.He drew in a slow breath and smiled. "I was under the impression," he said evenly, "that the royal palace had already taken charge of investigating that unfortunate incident." His voice remained calm and reasonable as if we were discussing delayed shipments instead of the day someone had tried to end my life. "I saw no reason to interfere with an ongoing royal investigation."Beside him, Seraphine nodded immediately. "Exactly." Her relief came far too quickly. "It would have been inappropriate for House of Valmere to involve itself while His Majesty's investigators were already handling the matter."I watched them quietly. I didn't interrupt
Marcelo didn't answer immediately.He simply looked at me.The silence stretched between us, long enough that I could almost hear the ticking of the clock hanging against the far wall. His fingers remained loosely intertwined atop the polished table, his posture deceptively relaxed despite the subtle rigidity I had noticed the moment he entered the room.He was thinking and choosing his next move. Just like he always did.Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth lifted. It wasn't genuine.It never was.It was the same smile he had worn countless times during political gatherings and trade negotiations throughout our marriage. The kind carefully crafted to appear approachable while revealing absolutely nothing underneath."I suppose..." he began at last, breaking the silence with a quiet chuckle, "...this negotiation is already proving rather different from our previous one."The memory surfaced before I could stop it. This very room. The same polished table. The same morning light pourin
Marcelo eventually recovered enough to sit down. It wasn't comfortably and entirely, but enough to arrange himself into the practiced posture of a man in control of the situation, even as the confusion from a moment ago continued its quiet work behind his eyes.He glanced once more toward Father before finally settling into the chair across from me, the look lasting precisely a half second too long before he caught himself and looked away. Seraphine followed shortly afterward, smoothing her skirts as she sat with the kind of fluid, unhurried grace that spoke of long practice. The doors closed behind them with a soft, definitive sound.And just like that, the negotiation began. For a few moments, nobody spoke. The silence stretched, and the kind that both sides allowed to exist because breaking it first meant conceding something, even if no one outside this room could have named exactly what. Sunlight continued its slow movements across the mahogany table. Somewhere below, the trad
The negotiation chamber inside the Caelthorn Trade House was unusually quiet.Morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows overlooking the city, falling in long, clean lines across the polished mahogany table occupying the center of the room. Documents had already been arranged neatly before me. Every report relevant to the failed negotiation, every contract, every figure that told the story of exactly how thoroughly House of Valmere had overplayed its hand. Tea had been prepared. Everything was in its place.Everything was ready.All that remained was for the lord of the House of Valmere to arrive.My fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of my chair before I stilled them purposely. Outside the chamber, the Trade House continued operating with its usual morning rhythm. Employees walked the corridors carrying ledgers and correspondence. Merchants discussed shipments in the rooms below. Servants moved in and out of offices with the unhurried efficiency of people who had no r
I found myself smiling again before I'd even decided to.Then, my gaze dropped to the bouquet still carefully preserved in his hand, trapped somewhat awkwardly between our bodies, where he'd managed to keep it from being destroyed during my rather enthusiastic arrival.My eyes lit up immediately. "Those are for me?"Lucretius looked almost offended. Deeply, personally offended, as though the question itself were an affront to his character. "No."I blinked.He shifted the bouquet with great solemnity, holding it fractionally closer to his chest and away from me. "They're for Enoch."A long-suffering snort sounded from somewhere behind him, near the door, where Enoch had apparently been standing in silence this entire time, witnessing everything."Don't involve me in this."I immediately burst out laughing, the sound filling the entrance hall, and felt Lucretius's arms tighten slightly around me in response. It was the involuntary, instinctive kind of tightening, the kind that happened
By the time the sun began its slow descent beyond the city, painting the sky in amber and fading gold, I had already brought several documents back from the Trade House.The study room inside the Caelthorn residence looked exactly as it always did whenever I worked from home. Ledgers stacked at the left corner of the desk, precisely where I always kept them. Contracts arranged by date, oldest to newest, the way my father had taught me before I was old enough to understand what half of them said. Merchant reports. Shipping manifests. Correspondence that had been waiting patiently for my attention since morning.Several stacks of paperwork occupied the desk before me.Normally, I would have finished half of it by now.Instead, I found myself staring at the same report for far too long, my eyes skimming the opening paragraph and then sliding off the page entirely, drifting somewhere between the words and nowhere in particular.I returned to the beginning.Again.A quiet sigh escaped me.
We stayed on the balcony, the night air heavy with music drifting from a distance and the glow of the moon bathing us. Lucretius sat back against the daybed, one arm braced behind him, the other settling at my waist as I straddled him.Our kisses were no longer patient. They were hungry. It was sl
The moment the ceremony ended, everything around us dissolved into music, applause, and the warm buzz of celebration. People began moving the grand reception hall, and Lucretius was pulled away by a few elders who wanted to congratulate him personally. It gave me a brief moment to breathe, which g
"Take care of her for us."Those were the words from Alpha Derrick and Luna Olivia when they walked me down the aisle as soon as Alpha Derrick handed my hand to Lucretius. I couldn't contain my tears as I hugged them both, whispering how thankful I was for who I was today."You can count on me," Lu
The cheers of the pack still echoed faintly in the distance, even the wolves howling, as Lucretius's hand remained firm at my back as he guided me away from the crowd.We were walking in a path with faintly glowing lanterns as the sun had already set. I could even see the countless fireflies steeri







