LOGINBelle's POV Belle sits beside Dorian at the royal dinner table, the grand hall still buzzing with the aftermath of the selection banquet. The air feels heavier tonight, thick with unspoken threats and lingering gossip. Candles flicker across crystal glasses and silver plates as servants move silently between guests. Her nerves remain on edge after what she overheard in the servants' corridor. The poisoned wine. The maid. The plot to remove her first.When the footman approaches their section of the high table with a fresh decanter of deep red wine, Belle's instincts blare an alarm. The same nervous maid from earlier lingers behind him, eyes darting too quickly. The wine poured into Dorian's goblet looks normal, but something about its scent feels wrong--bitter underneath the rich ancient wine. Dorian reaches for the goblet, distracted by conversation with a general on his left. Without thinking, Belle moves faster. She picks up the goblet first, pretending to examine the vinta
Belle's POV Belle stands at the edge of the grand ballroom, chest tightening with every breath. The announcement of the new selection ball had come only two days ago, delivered by Queen Skyler's royal messenger. A new set of eligible noblewomen from powerful werewolf houses would compete for the future Luna position. Despite Dorian's mark. Despite everything.The court's message is clear: the claiming bite changes nothing. Belle is still an outsider, a former maid who must be replaced for the good of Moonveil.She exhales loudly and smooths the deep crimson silk of her gown, fingers brushing the edge of the mark. Dorian had insisted she attend on his arm, but the whispers were still venomous. "They're parading these girls as if the prince isn't already bonded," one lady murmurs nearby."Queen Skyler's doing. She won't let some Revelle ruin centuries of tradition."Belle lifts her chin, refusing to show how deeply the words cut her. The bond with Dorian hums steadily, warm with h
Belle's POV Belle stands beside Dorian in the hall room of Moonveil Palace, the crystal chandeliers casting golden light across several nobles gathered for the royal meeting. The claiming mark on her neck feels like a beacon tonight, exposed by the elegant off-shoulder gown Dorian chose for her. Days have passed since their return, yet the court's hasn't reduced one bit. She can still feel every stare. Every whispered judgment.The air grows thick when the cluster of high-ranking nobles settle down. The nobles had called for this meeting, trying to get Dorian to reject the mating mark on Belle. But instead of hiding her away, Dorian arrived with Belle beside him, his hand firmly wrapped around hers--a silent warning to everyone present that he was not ashamed of his chosen mate.Knight Harlan, head of the eastern houses, speaks first, his voice carrying just loud enough for nearby ears."A maid turned mate," he sneers, eyes raking over Belle with open disdain. "The prince must be
Belle's POV Belle steps down from the carriage into the familiar courtyard of Moonveil Palace, her hand still tucked in Dorian's firm grip.The journey back from Nevros took several hours. His mark on her neck throbbed warmly, reminding her again and again who she belonged to.Now, as the afternoon sun bathes the stone walls, she feels the shift immediately. Eyes are everywhere.Servants freeze mid-task. Guards glance too long.A group of nobles gathered near the grand entrance falls into abrupt silence as she and Dorian approach.Belle lifts her chin, refusing to shrink under their judgemental gazes, though the claiming mark feels impossibly exposed despite the high collar of her travel cloak.Dorian's scent clings to her like a second skin, dark and possessive, announcing their new bond to anyone with a nose.Whispers erupt the moment they pass."A mere maid… marked as future Luna?""Prince Dorian has lost his mind. No royal approval, no alliances secured.""He didn't even wait fo
Belle's POV Belle walks through the grand halls of the Nevros palace with her head held high, though the fresh claiming mark on her neck burns under every curious stare. The bite is impossible to hide, even beneath the high collar of the deep emerald gown Dorian insisted she wear tonight. Two days have passed since he marked her, and the bond still hums warmly beneath her skin, a constant reminder of his possessiveness.Whispers follow her from every corner."Did you see the mark? Prince Dorian finally claimed the little maid.""Bold of him to mark an outsider so publicly.""She must have seduced him with those hybrid senses, they say."Belle's jaw tightens but she keeps walking, she doesn't need to let every little comment get to her anymore, because in the end, Dorian already chose her. The nobles of Nevros cluster in small groups near the banquet entrance, their jeweled gowns glittering under crystal chandeliers. Their gossip is vicious yet predictable-- something similar she ha
Dorian's POV Dorian wakes with Belle curled against his chest, his hand wrapped possessively around her bare waist. Her breathing is slow, her beautiful features illuminated by the light filtering through the chamber window. The events of yesterday replays in his mind--the garden, Nate's hand on her, the raw surge of territorial jealousy from his wolf that drove him to drag her here and claim her. His gaze drops to her neck, and a deep, primal satisfaction blooms in his chest.The mark is there, vivid against her skin, teeth marks standing out clearly on the junction of her neck and shoulder, red and permanent. A claiming bite. His claiming bite. The fresh bite glows with the faint bond that now hums between them, tying her scent irrevocably to his.Mine.The word pulses through him like a second heartbeat. Heat stirs low in his belly, his cock hardening as he traces the sensitive mark with his fingertips, careful not to wake her yet. But Belle stirs anyway, a soft sigh escapin
Belle's POV The silence that follows is deafening. The type that follows after a loud screeching of a car crash, or the type that echoes in your ears like a pulse as you feel your heart sink to the bottom of the ocean. You are not even my mate. You are not even my mate. You are not even m
Dorian's POV His half-hard cock instantly springs fully to life, pressing harder against her lips as she continues the sensual touch. Then she pulls back briefly, fumbling with his zip, eyes blazing with something that makes Dorian groan, out loud, his buttom lips finding their way between his
Dorian's POV Dorian swallows hard, his throat suddenly dry at the sight waiting for him on his bed like this. He should probably feel embarrassed that Princess Janet had walked in on something so intimate...like she had stepped into a moment meant for only the two of them. But he just can't
Belle's POV The air in Nevros seems to grow dense after the that. Like every breath makes her lungs burn, and every inhale feels like she's pulling in lead. It had been very obvious...not like Princess Janet had tried to hide her interest in the Prince. In short, anyone with a pair of working eye







