Rian’s POV “I missed you,” I breathed. I didn’t even realize tears had filled my eyes. “I never left,” the voice replied gently, deep and ancient, echoing through my bones. My heart clenched. For years, I thought I was broken. Less. An omega who couldn’t even feel her own wolf, not since the first time someone tried to tame me. Not since the fear began. Finally, I stood, holding the book to my chest like a shield. I turned and padded quietly back toward my room. The halls were dark now, the palace asleep. I slipped inside and found Mira already curled up on the bed, one leg flung out like she owned the place. A half-eaten cookie rested on her stomach, and I nearly laughed through my still-wet tears. Carefully, I set the book on the little table by the window and climbed into bed beside her. I didn’t want to wake her. I just needed a moment. Maybe two. But sleep didn’t come. Instead, as the moonlight spilled across the stone floor, something shifted. At first, I thoug
Rian’s POV Imagine him thinking he can just say he wants to make amends—like that’s enough. After everything. After treating me like a damned sex toy and tossing me aside like I was nothing. If he thinks he can waltz back into my life and fix it all with soft words, he’s got another thing coming. He’s going to have to try a lot harder than that. It was another boring day, the kind that stretched endlessly within the palace walls. No visitors. No errands. Just the quiet suffocation of my thoughts and this empty room. “Let’s go out to the garden,” Mira said suddenly, breaking the silence. I let out a long sigh, dragging my eyes away from the ceiling. “I don’t want to see him.” It wasn’t just about avoiding him—it was the ache in my chest, the twist in my stomach whenever I thought about facing him again. What would I even say if he tried to talk to me? That he’d ruined something in me I hadn’t even known was whole? “Maybe he just wants to make amends, Ri…” Mira said softl
Darius POV The scent of parchment still lingered on my fingers, yet it was her absence that haunted me most. The weight of her rejection settled in my chest like a cold, unmoving stone. She had returned the phone and the laptop I’d ordered for her—simple things, meant to give her freedom, connection, something of her own. She’d rejected them without hesitation. It was not the gesture that stung. It was what it meant. She wanted no ties to me. The coldness in her eyes the last time I saw her… it hadn’t been rage, nor the confused longing that once shadowed her gaze. It was distance. A wall she’d placed between us with meticulous care. She no longer treated me like her mate. She treated me like a king. And that was worse. The road to Sorenth Vale was longer than I remembered—lined with trees that whispered secrets in the wind. Toran didn’t question why we left so abruptly, though he shot me a concerned look when I didn’t speak for the first hour. He was loyal like that.
Rian’s POV The door slammed shut behind me, the sound sharp and loud enough to make Mira jump. She was already waiting inside, her hands folded neatly as if she was ready to serve, but her eyes softened the moment they met mine. I barely looked at her. “Another night of being dismissed like I’m a passing thought,” I muttered, sliding down against the door until my back hit the cold wood. “He can call me whenever, touch me whenever… then tell me to leave like I’m nothing.” Mira didn’t say anything, but the way her eyes lingered on me said more than words could. She had been there when the king had summoned me to his hut again—when his touch came rough and quick and meaningless. When afterward, he looked at me as though I were a broken thing to be discarded. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I hated how much it hurt, how deeply his cold dismissal cut into me. “You’re not nothing,” Mira said softly, crossing the room to kneel beside me. “Not to me. Not to anyone who sees yo
Rian’s POV I was sitting on the edge of the window bench, watching a pair of sparrows chase each other between the trees when I heard the soft knock. “Come in,” I called, expecting one of the silent castle servants. But it was Mira. Her dark curls were pulled into a neat bun, and she wore a modest but well-fitted maid’s uniform, the royal crest stitched just above her heart. “Mira?” I stood, surprised. “What are you—?” She smiled wide, her eyes shimmering. “Don’t get all soft on me now,” she teased. “I’ve been reassigned.” “Reassigned?” “To you.” The words didn’t register at first. I blinked, stunned. “I’m your maid now,” she said gently, stepping further into the room. “Your personal one.” I didn’t know what to say. Warmth rose to my throat, along with a pressure behind my eyes I tried to blink away. “But… why?” She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, even though I knew it was. “Avery pulled some strings. Said someone trustworthy should be by your side. Som
Rian’s POV The kitchen always smelled of warmth fresh bread, roasted meat, and the faint trace of honeyed wine. It reminded me of the safe corners of my past, even if those were few and fleeting. I hadn’t meant to stay long. Just to check in on Mira,the maid who had taken a quiet liking to me since my arrival. She offered smiles, soft bread rolls, and silence when I needed it. But today, there was tension in the air thick and coiled, like a storm waiting to break. Mira was there, bustling between the tables, her dark curls bouncing as she spotted me. Her smile was genuine, a rare treasure in this place. “Rian! I didn’t think you’d come,” she whispered, hugging me and handing me a slice of warm bread. I accepted it gratefully, the simple kindness grounding me. “I wanted to see you,” I said softly, settling onto a nearby bench. “Oh, how much I’ve missed you.” “I heard what happened. I’m glad you’re okay now,” she said gently, and before I could reply A