Chapter Five: The Heat

Questions spiraled through my mind as I stared at him.

Leon had a brother?

How was that possible?

I had spent most of my life in the palace. I knew the names of council members, noble families, foreign rulers, and military commanders, yet somehow, I had never once heard Leon mention a brother.

The revelation unsettled me, making me wonder how much thought I knew but didn’t.

“Your Majesty.”

His response was respectful, yet colder than the northern winds he had spent the last decade fighting in.

Leon stepped forward then, his expression shifting into something that resembled warmth, though I had learned long ago that his smiles were often just another form of performance.

“Ares,” he said, his voice smooth and steady, “you must be exhausted from your long journey.”

Ares.

So that was his name.

It resonated in my mind like a soft ripple in still water, shifting the balance of everything I believed.

Leon let out a hearty chuckle as he crossed the distance between them, resting one hand on Ares’s shoulder.

“You should have arrived earlier. You missed proper rest before your welcome ceremony.”

Ares’s gaze lingered in Leon’s hand longer than it should have, almost like he was considering shrugging it off but didn’t. The unspoken tension between them crackled in the air, and something about what he said didn’t align with what I knew.

Leon claimed Ares had only just arrived today… Yet I had seen him last night.

Did that mean he had been inside the palace without Leon’s knowledge?

“I managed,” he replied, his tone detached. “The border required my attention until the last hour.”

Leon nodded, his smile widened slightly as he dropped his arm. “Of course. The whole Kingdom is lucky to have a capable general like you.”

With that, he leaned forward, lowering his voice to make it seem like they were discussing something private, but the entire hall could still hear him.

“We have a lot to catch up on.”

At that moment, something shifted in Ares’s stoic expression. It was subtle, and no one would have noticed it. But I did. I didn’t know if it was because of the mate bond, but I was painfully aware of his presence. So much that even the slightest movement caught my eye.

I took note of how his Adam's apple bobbed, the slight twitch of his lips, and how a small crease formed between his brows.

It wasn't anger, not exactly, but something sharper beneath the surface, as if he was holding his emotions tightly under control.

“I will not be staying long,” Ares took a step back, and Leon straightened up, one brow arched in interest. “I have to visit the families of the soldiers who fell during the war. Please try to understand.”

A beat of silence settled between them, and a wave of whispers filled the hall.

Leon’s expression tightened before he exhaled softly, as though amused rather than offended. “As expected,” he said quietly. “You never change.”

As he turned slightly, his gaze shifted toward me, as though he had just remembered I was there.

My fingers curled tightly around the armrest of the throne, instinctively bracing myself for whatever came next. But before he could speak, Nyra slipped forward with a bright, effortless grin.

“Your majesty,” she latched onto his arm as usual, promptly bringing his attention back to her. “I’ve been so eager to meet your brother properly. I hope we’ll all get along now that he’s finally home.”

Leon chuckled at her expense, glossing over the fact that her manner of approach was disrespectful to Ares. She didn’t even address him directly, but her innocent facade made it seem like she didn’t know any better.

Nyra spoke as if she’d known about Ares before now, and I found it unbelievable that Leon told her but completely left me in the dark.

One would think he would have considered informing me, given that we grew up together, but I guess it didn’t really matter to him.

“Ares, this is my mate and mistress, Nyra Rothwell.” He proclaimed, and Nyra beamed at the introduction, tucking a strand of her golden hair.

“It’s an honor to meet another member of his majesty’s family,” Her tone was light and bashful, probably looking to charm him the same way she had charmed the entire court.

Ares, however, did not respond in the way she expected. He merely glanced at her, then gave a small, indifferent nod.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Nyra’s smile faltered for only a second before she recovered, giggling under her breath.

With that, Leon beckoned to me, calling my name without looking back at me.

Every gaze in the hall settled heavily on my shoulders as I stepped down from the throne platform. I approached them with small steps, careful not to put too much weight on my ankle.

“This is Elira, the Astral Luna and queen.” Leon introduced me briefly, and of course, he mentioned everything I was except the fact that I was his wife.

I pretended to be unaffected, but the moment Ares’s steel gaze met mine once more, I couldn’t even manage to force a smile.

The bond reacted instantly, and my wolf pressed against my thoughts like she wanted to jump out and pounce on him.

I reminded myself that we were in public, but my brain struggled to come up with a coherent greeting.

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, a jolt of pain shot through my leg. I gasped as I lost my balance, falling forward and landing directly on Ares’s chest.

On impulse, his arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me against him, and for a moment, he looked startled himself.

Heat burst in my cheeks, a shiver running up my spine from the warmth of his embrace, but that was the least of my worries.

The hall fell dead silent in shock.

Leon’s grin fell.

Nyra's lips parted in awe.

But the feeling that throbbed between my thighs terrified me the most. I knew what it was.

Lust.

Dear goddess…was I really thinking about having sex with my husband’s brother?