The First Touch

Arianna's POV

Morning came far too quickly. I had barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard the Crown Prince’s voice. Now, I sat before the vanity mirror while a maid fastened the final buttons of my dress. An elderly physician stood near the doorway, waiting patiently.

"I am Doctor Alaric, Lady Arianna," he greeted with a polite bow. "I am responsible for Crown Prince Cassian's medical care. If you are ready, we should head to His Highness's chambers."

My heart skipped a beat. "Of course. Lead the way."

As we walked through the soaring corridors, my palms grew damp. Yesterday, I had seen the Crown Prince from across a crowded throne room. Today, I would be standing right beside him.

Doctor Alaric stopped before a pair of enormous black iron doors. The guards pushed them open, and we stepped inside.

The Crown Prince's private suite was breathtaking—vast, quiet, and bathed in golden morning light. Towering bookshelves covered one wall, while ancient weapons were displayed beneath glass on another.

And then I saw him.

He sat near the high windows in his black wheelchair. The thick black silk blindfold remained firmly in place across his eyes, shielding his gaze entirely. Even blindfolded, he looked completely in control. Morning light carved his features into sharp relief, tracing the hard line of his jaw.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Doctor Alaric said softly.

The prince's head turned slightly. "Morning, Doctor."

His voice was deep, smooth, and controlled. I stood awkwardly beside the doctor, keeping my mouth shut.

"I have brought Lady Arianna," Doctor Alaric informed him. "She will begin learning your physical therapy routine today."

"I know," the prince replied flatly. He didn't offer an objection, nor did he display a trace of curiosity.

"We'll begin with his legs," Doctor Alaric said, stepping toward the wheelchair. "Watch carefully."

Doctor Alaric briefly demonstrated the technique on the lower leg before gesturing for me to take over. I hesitated, taking a small step closer, suddenly painfully aware of how close I was standing to him.

"If you intend to do this, stop hesitating," the prince said, his head turning slightly toward me.

A flush of heat crawled up my neck. I swallowed hard and leaned down, placing my palms against his lower leg.

The moment my skin met his, heat rushed straight up my arms.

My breath caught. His skin was unexpectedly warm, carrying the same intense heat I had felt from his wolf in the throne room. It wasn't frightening. It felt... familiar. And beneath my palms, the muscle was firmer than I had expected.

Something moved in the corner of my vision. I turned my head sharply.

The crimson wolf stood near the far wall. It wasn't growling. Its molten gold eyes were fixed directly on my hands resting against its master's skin.

It took a slow, silent step toward me.

I froze, my hands going still.

"Why did you stop?" the prince asked smoothly.

"Your wolf..." I whispered. "It's coming closer."

"I know when it moves." His voice remained perfectly calm.

I bit the inside of my cheek, ignoring the jab, and forced my hands to continue working upward. But the heat of his skin, combined with the strange, magnetic pull radiating off his body, was making my head spin.

And then, deep inside my chest, something stirred.

Not a thought. Not a heartbeat.

Something answered.

My wolf.

A soft, unfamiliar rumble vibrated beneath my ribs, flaring briefly before vanishing back into the dark.

My breath caught in my throat. For eighteen years, I had been empty inside. I had never felt a wolf. But in this exact moment, touching his skin, something buried deep within me had finally stirred.

"Lady Arianna," the prince's cold voice snapped me out of my shock. "You stopped again."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness."

His jaw set into a hard line. "Stop making mistakes."

A flare of anger rushed through me. "Then perhaps you should stop distracting me," I retorted before I could stop myself.

Doctor Alaric looked at me as though I had just slapped the Crown Prince.

The prince didn't yell. Something unreadable crossed his face, his fingers tightening once against the armrest before his lips pressed thin. "Continue."

Following the doctor's earlier instructions, I worked my hands above his knee. The feeling returned, stealing my attention for a second.

My fingers drifted too high, brushing the inside of his thigh.

His entire body went rigid beneath my hands. For the briefest second, even his breathing stopped. Then every muscle tightened sharply, and his breath left him in a sharp exhale.

"Was that intentional?" His voice dropped into a dangerous rasp that made the hairs on my arms stand up.

I snapped back to reality, horror washing over me as I realized where my hands had landed. I pulled my hands back instantly. "No—I'm sorry—it was an accident—"

"That’s enough, Doctor," the prince interrupted, his voice icy and tight. "Leave."

Doctor Alaric glanced between us and hesitated, then bowed. "Lady Arianna, let us call it a day."

Panicked and eager to put distance between us, I hurried after the physician.

He opened the heavy door, and I stepped toward the threshold.

"Lady Arianna."

His voice stopped me.

I turned back slowly.

The blindfolded prince sat near the window, his face angled unerringly toward me.

"The doctor may leave," he said smoothly. "You will stay."

Doctor Alaric hesitated again, glanced back at me, then bowed and stepped into the corridor.

The door shut.

The lock clicked.

There were no guards.

No doctor.

Only Prince Cassian.