010

The nights had started blending together since Madam Kaelene’s training began.

Every evening after she dismissed me, Mira,  the quiet maid assigned to my room, would take my hands, massage in some fragrant cream, then slip warm silk gloves over my fingers.

It was strange, looking at my hands now. They didn’t look like the hands that once scrubbed muddy boots or bled from hauling buckets. They looked… royal.

But while my hands were getting used to this new life, my head was a mess.

Dinner with the royal family was two days away. Which meant meeting Derek’s mother.

And every time her name came up, Lyra and Madam Kaelene exchanged that strange look, like they knew something I didn’t.

I kept replaying that first time I saw Derek’s expression change when the woman’s name was mentioned. 

Was she dangerous? 

A crazy thought crossed my mind — was she like Vanessa?

No.

If she was anything like Vanessa, she wouldn’t be quietly waiting for her moment. People like Vanessa never hid their hatred; they threw it at you the moment they saw you.

I let out a long breath without realizing it. Mira glanced up from massaging my knuckles.

“Are you well, my lady?” she asked softly.

I was just staring at her when she added, “I heard you will be meeting the Queen Mother soon.”

I sat up straight so fast you’d think the Moon Goddess herself had just answered my prayer. Mira probably knew more than anyone was telling me.

“Yes,” I said quickly. “Can you… tell me about her? Should I be nervous?”

My head snapped up so fast my neck nearly cracked. The Moon Goddess had heard me. Mira probably knew the truth about this woman.

“Yes,” I said quickly, leaning forward. “Can you… tell me about her? Should I be nervous?”

Mira’s lips curved into a smile — but it didn’t last. The smile slowly faded, her eyes shifted past me… and then she dropped to her knees so suddenly I froze.

“What—?” I turned — and my heart jumped.

Derek was standing in the doorway.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Mira whispered, her forehead almost touching the floor.

Panic shot through me. I’d put her in trouble.

I sprang to my feet and gave a quick bow.

“I’m sorry! She hasn’t told me anything, please don’t punish her,” I blurted out.

I glanced at Mira,  she was trembling. Derek always looked warm and easy, but now I realized that no one else prayed to see his “other” side.

“Please, my king,” I tried again, my voice low, almost pleading.

He didn’t answer right away. His gaze stayed on me, unreadable. Then… that dimple appeared, only on one side, his mouth curving slowly.

“Did you follow Madam Kaelene’s lessons at all?” he asked.

I blinked. “…What?”

“Did she teach you to bow to your mate,” he said, his voice dropping just enough to make my pulse race, “when I deserve a warm hug and a kiss after a long day?”

He opened his arms and tilted his head farther to the side,  almost like a spoiled child asking for candy.

My mouth opened but no word came out.

Was he serious right now?

Mira was still kneeling like the floor would swallow her any second

I swallowed.

Slowly, I stepped forward.

His eyes followed me the whole way, not blinking, that small curve still on his lips.

When I stopped in front of him, his brow lifted, like he was silently saying Well?

I let out a small sigh, placed my hands on his chest, and gave him the quickest hug in history.

“Happy now?” I muttered.

Apparently not.

One arm wrapped around my waist, the other went to the back of my neck, pulling me in until I was against him completely.

His scent was the same as always, dark, warm, and distracting enough to make my head feel light.

“You can do better than that,” he murmured against my ear.

I stiffened, my fingers curling slightly into his shirt before I could stop them.

He chuckled low, like he felt it.

Then, just as suddenly, he let me go, stepping back like nothing happened.

“Mira, you may leave,” he said without looking at her.

The poor girl scrambled out so fast, I wondered if she’d even taken a full breath.

“Now,” Derek said as he stepped inside fully, “tell me about your day. Let me know if I’ll have to keep anyone in the dungeon. Come, tell me.”

He sat down on the couch, patting his lap casually. My wolf stirred instantly, that warm pull making my cheeks heat.

I hesitated for a heartbeat before walking over and sitting sideways on his lap, careful not to meet his eyes.

“No one,” I said quietly.

He studied my face for a moment, his gaze so steady it made me shift slightly. Then, his arm slid around me, pulling me closer until my body was against his.

He rested his head against my chest, his weight warm and solid.

For a second, I froze, then my hand moved on its own, brushing through his hair slowly.

“You can ask me anything you want to know,” he murmured, his voice muffled against me.

I stilled.

Anything?

It would be easy to ask about his mother now… but no. I finally decided I’d rather see it with my own eyes.

His stomach suddenly growled, loud enough to make both of us freeze.

“Ohhh jeez, that’s embarrassing,” he muttered, pulling away a little and covering his face with one hand.

I couldn’t help it — a small smile slipped out. His soft side was… unexpectedly cute.

He reached for his phone, probably to call a maid for food, but before I even thought it through, my hand moved on its own, stopping him mid-way.

“Can I make you a meal?” I asked, my voice coming out more casual than I felt, eyes darting away so I wouldn’t have to see his reaction.

But his reaction was impossible to miss. He froze, his brows lifting in surprise, then he stood, his hands resting firmly on my shoulders.

“Say it again,” he said, dimples deepening as if he’d just been told the best news in the kingdom.

“What?” I frowned, my cheeks heating under his stare.

“What?” I repeated, pretending I didn’t understand why he was looking at me like that.

“You,” he said slowly, his grin widening, “just offered to cook for me.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to step back, but his hands were still on my shoulders. “It’s not a big deal—”

“It is to me,” he cut in, lowering his head until we were almost at eye level. “No one cooks for me unless they’re trying to poison me.”

I stared at him. “...That’s comforting.”

He chuckled, finally letting me go. “Alright then, little wolf. Show me what you can do.”

I blinked. “Now?”

“Unless you plan to let your king starve tonight.” He tilted his head toward the door, that smirk not leaving his face.

Minutes later, I was in the royal kitchen.

The place was bigger than the inn I grew up in, lined with shelves of spices I couldn’t even name. The head chef, a tall man with a face like stone, looked ready to throw me out — until Derek walked in behind me and said, “She’s in charge. Everyone else out.”

The kitchen emptied so fast, it was almost funny.

I took a deep breath, trying to remember recipes from home. Simple was better. If I messed up, at least it wouldn’t taste like I tried to be fancy.

Derek leaned on the counter like he had all night to watch me.

“You look nervous,” he said.

“I’m not nervous,” I lied, cracking eggs into a bowl.

“Good,” he said, though the way his eyes kept following my hands made it harder to focus.

By the time the food was ready — just a simple egg stir and toasted bread — he had moved closer, close enough that his arm brushed mine when I set the plate down.

He sat, took one bite, and went completely still.