I exhaled slowly. “I’m not angry, I’m disappointed.”Ronan nodded once. “That’s worse.”We stood there in silence for a moment, the breeze pushing through the leaves below, rustling against the stone.“She’s clever,” he said. “But she doesn’t know how to use it without burning something down.”I gla
LilaEmma was still fiddling with my hair when the announcement came through the main hall: Lord Jackson himself had selected a group of high-ranking noble daughters for “formal introductions and private conversation with His Majesty.” It was phrased as a tradition, but it sounded a lot like handpic
Vanessa gasped, obvious to my ear it was too loud, and completely forced. “Oh no! Lady Elena, I’m so clumsy!”I looked down at the mess spreading across my bodice, breath caught in my throat. Someone nearby stifled a laugh. A servant hesitated, unsure whether to intervene.Emma stepped forward fast.
LilaVanessa recovered first, straightening and flipping her hair over one shoulder like we were just old friends caught mid-conversation.“Lord Asher,” she cooed, lips curling into what I’m sure the thought was meant to be inviting. “You’re just in time. We were admiring Elena’s… fashion statement.
LilaThe piano was already warm beneath Emma’s fingers when I stepped up beside her. My dress still smelled faintly of red wine as I folded and draped Asher’s jacket over a nearby chair, just out of reach.The ballroom hadn’t quieted – yet – but I could feel it starting. A ripple of confusion whispe
DamonThe private chamber was smaller than I remembered. I rarely used this room but the musicians said it had ‘excellent acoustics’.Why do I care about acoustics? I wasn’t even sure why I asked her here.That thought had repeated itself a dozen times since I gave the demand. I didn’t usually secon
LilaWhat the hell just happened there? Damon didn’t say anything, just walked out. I tried not to let it hurt, but even I could admit hat stung.I sat in the empty chair for what felt like hours but was only minutes before my hurt turned to anger and I stopped out the room.Asher fell into step bes
The door clicked shut behind me, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The room was quiet, dim, the only light coming the heart. I shrugged off Asher’s jacket and draped it over the nearest chair. The weight of it lingered on my shoulders even after it was gone. I guess I was
Henry tried to recover. “Still, appearances—”“Don’t concern me.” Damon’s voice was a blade now, smooth and sharp. “And if you ever try to leverage her again, for anything, I’ll remove every Ashford from the royal roster. Permanently.”Silence dropped like a stone. Henry stared at him, face twitchin
LilaThe summons arrived just after breakfast.A folded parchment sealed in black wax, delivered by a silent steward who refused to meet my eyes. I didn’t need to open it to know who it was from. The weight of it pressed into my hands like a stone.Henry never requested. He summoned. And when he did
Damon I hated these events.But tonight, I was expected to play the gracious host. So, I nodded. Smiled. Let my eyes move from one noble to the next.I greeted alpha pairs from the east and dignitaries from the coastal Pack lands, spoke in tones that made them feel important while Zane snarled quie
We stood in our assigned places like jewels on display—gowned, graceful, every hair pinned to perfection.I smoothed my skirt with one hand and forced myself to smile as the first of the Alphas entered the hall.There were so many. Too many to count without appearing distracted. Nobles from the sout
LilaBy the next morning, I wasn’t just recovering, I was reentering.Word had spread quickly through the palace that I would be returning to the selection. Not everyone said it out loud, but I saw it in the way people looked at me—like I was a ghost they hadn’t expected to see again.Some with resp
Moonlight spilled across the stone paths in silver sheets, turning hedges into shadows and marble into bone.I hadn’t planned on coming out here specifically, but something in me was restless, and I followed it down the hallways until the air turned cool and the world opened wide.Damon stood near t
LilaThe ache was dull today. Manageable.It nestled behind my ribs like something leftover from a bad dream—present, but fading. I sat propped against a stack of pillows, the sun filtering through the high infirmary windows in long gold slants.Outside, I could hear faint voices in the hall, the oc
LilaI woke to the sound of my heartbeat in my ears, too loud in the quiet room. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was.The ceiling above me blurred and shimmered, the beams twisting in and out of focus like they were underwater. My throat was dry. My skin too warm.I blinked slowly, once, twice,
Her voice was too even; in the way I’d seen soldiers get to make it through the worst of things.“My father couldn’t bear the scandal of pulling her out of this selection due to pregnancy. Or at least that’s what I assume. So I was his only option to not breaking the agreement. Send Lila, the bastar