MasukRaiden POVI had already dressed for the day, armor half-fastened, cloak hanging loose over my shoulders—not because I had decided to leave, but because I needed to feel ready in case I did.Readiness was easier than certainty.Lucian walked beside me as I stepped out of my chambers, my thoughts still tangled in strategy, borders, and the weight of a neighboring pack’s blood on my conscience. I was about to speak—about patrol rotations, about departure timing—when my steps stalled abruptly.She stood in the hallway.Aria.Barefoot, hair loose down her back, dressed simply, like she hadn’t come here to confront a king—but a man.My mate.I exhaled slowly, the breath leaving my chest heavier than it should have.Moon help me.Lucian noticed instantly. He followed my gaze, then looked back at me with quiet understanding.“I can give you both some privacy,” he offered gently.Before I could answer, Aria spoke.“No,” she said, calm but firm. “It’s not needed.”Her voice carried more confid
Raiden POVI finished up in the bathroom and stepped back into my room—only to stop short.Aria was sitting on the edge of the bed, fully awake.For a second, I simply stared.She looked calm on the surface, but her eyes—those knowing, relentless eyes—were fixed on me, steady and unblinking. As if she had been waiting. Not just for me to return, but for something more.“You’re up,” I said quietly.“And you too,” she replied.Her voice was soft, but it didn’t waver. She never looked away.Moon help me.I suddenly didn’t know where to put my hands. Or my eyes. Or my words.“Oh—yes. Yes,” I added, offering a small, awkward smile before turning away, letting my feet carry me in no particular direction. Anywhere but closer to her.“What happened last night, Raiden?”I froze mid-step.The question hit harder than I expected, lodging itself right between my ribs.I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.You really thought you’d escape that? Veyr drawled lazily in my head.I clicked my tongue und
Aria POVI remained seated beside Raiden, unmoving, as if the slightest shift might wake something fragile—or break something precious. My fingers traced slow, absent patterns along his arm, up to his shoulder, then higher until my hand rested against his cheek.He is strong.I know he is.Whatever is wrong with him… he will survive it.You’re lying to yourself, Kaida said quietly in my head. You’re saying that because you’re scared.I swallowed.She wasn’t wrong.Still, I refused to sit there and fall apart. Crying wouldn’t help him. Panicking wouldn’t either. So I inhaled slowly, forcing calm into my lungs, and leaned closer.Up close, Raiden looked unreal.His sharp jawline was relaxed in sleep, his lashes dark against his skin. His lips—gods, his lips—were slightly parted, soft despite the power I knew they held. Everything about his face was unfairly perfect, like the moon itself had taken its time sculpting him.My hand drifted into his hair, fingers sliding through the silk-dar
Aria POVI blinked rapidly, my mind lagging behind my body.For a few heartbeats, I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.Did… did Raiden just pass out on top of me?“R–Raiden?” My voice came out thin, unsure, like if I spoke too loudly I might shatter something fragile.Nothing.My heart skipped violently.“Raiden?” I tried again, louder this time, my hands coming up to tap his back. Once. Twice. Harder. “Raiden—!”No response.Cold fear slammed into my chest so fast it stole my breath.I shoved against him with all the strength panic could give me, rolling his heavy body off mine and onto the other side of the bed. He landed on his back, completely limp.Unconscious.“Oh my—oh my God.” I gasped, both hands flying to my mouth as I stared down at him.He wasn’t moving.My vision blurred instantly. Tears spilled before I could stop them, hot and useless, as my thoughts spiraled into chaos.What do I do? What do I do?Then Kaida’s voice cracked through my panic, sharp and furious in my head.Don
Aria POVI closed the door softly behind me and turned around—slowly, deliberately, like I wasn’t walking straight into temptation.Raiden sat in the middle of my bed.Relaxed. Broad shoulders loose. One arm braced behind him, the other resting on his thigh. His gaze was already on me, dark and unblinking, as if he’d been waiting the entire time just to watch me turn.My lips parted without my permission.Moon goddess… was I owing him something?“Are you planning to spend the night by the door?” he asked calmly, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade wrapped in silk.I swallowed and forced a small laugh, folding my arms loosely. “I doubt you’d allow that.”A corner of his mouth lifted.He stood.And suddenly the room felt smaller.“I don’t recall saying you couldn’t come closer,” he replied, taking a slow step toward me—unhurried, confident. His eyes never left mine.I shifted my weight, suddenly very aware of how thin my robe felt against my skin.“Is there… anything I ca
Raiden POVLucian finally left me alone with my thoughts.The discussion we’d had earlier still lingered—reports, patrol routes, supply movements, the usual weight of a kingdom that never truly slept. When he excused himself, I didn’t return to my desk. I needed air. Distance.So I stepped out onto the balcony.From here, the training grounds stretched wide beneath me, alive with movement and sound. Steel clashing lightly. Laughter. The dull thud of bodies hitting dirt. It was a familiar rhythm—one I’d grown up watching, commanding, bleeding for.And then there was her.Aria moved across the ground with a focus that made my chest tighten. Not stiff. Not reckless. Just… present. She listened with her whole body now. I could see it in the way she shifted her weight before striking, how she recovered faster from missteps, how she didn’t freeze when challenged.Pride settled deep in my bones.No one could tell me she didn’t belong here.She fit—not because she was my mate, not because fat







