Chapter 5

I took off running. Up the marble staircase.

Past the silver framed portraits of dead kings. Past the towering windows drenched in moonlight. My heartbeat pounded louder with every step.

The royal wing felt like a different world.

The moment I crossed the final staircase, the air itself changed.

Thick crimson carpets swallowed the sound of my footsteps.

Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, scattering golden light across polished black marble walls.

Carved wooden pillars twisted upward like ancient trees, their branches meeting above my head in a web of shadows and gold. Everything here whispered wealth.

Power.

Danger.

I had spent my entire life in the lower quarters, surrounded by smoke, sweat, and endless work. This place felt untouched by reality. Untouched by people like me.

Another cramp twisted through my stomach.

I pressed the stack of clothes tighter against my chest and hurried down the corridor.

The guards barely glanced at me.

The laundry in my arms was enough to make me invisible. Good. I needed to stay invisible.

I stopped in front of a pair of dark wooden doors engraved with silver wolves. The Alpha King's chambers.

My hands began to shake.

No one was here.

No one would know.

I quickly pulled out my gloves from my apron and put it on. I couldn't risk leaving my scent on anything I touched.

There would still be traces.

Faint ones.

But they would fade within minutes.

He wouldn't return before then. I was safe. At least that's what I told myself.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. And forgot how to breathe.

The room was enormous, yet it didn't feel empty. It felt alive.

Warm cedarwood and pine filled the air. The floor was dark polished oak instead of marble, and the walls were lined with shelves of books, maps, and carved wooden artifacts from distant territories. A massive stone fireplace burned low, filling the room with a steady amber glow.

One entire wall stood open to nature. Beyond the glass, a waterfall cascaded down the cliffside, silver beneath the full moon.

The sound of rushing water drifted into the room, soft and hypnotic, blending with the crackling fire. It felt less like a king's chamber and more like a forest that had learned how to wear a crown.

A universe completely different from mine.

For a moment, I simply stood there. Flabbergasted.

Then another wave of heat rolled through me, sharper this time.

Right. The clothes.

I forced myself forward and found the walk-in wardrobe. Even that was larger than my entire room. Everything was arranged with impossible precision.

Black shirts.

White shirts.

Dark tailored coats.

Silver cufflinks.

Watches displayed behind glass. Boots lined in perfect order.

Nothing was out of place. I placed the folded clothes inside and turned to leave. Then I stopped.

My eyes lingered on one of his shirts hanging closest to me.

A simple black shirt. Nothing special.

Yet my chest tightened as if it were something sacred.

What if I….. just once.

It will be a mistake. I knew it. But this was the closest I had been to him in six years.

My fingers trembled as I leaned in and inhaled.

Cedar. Smoke. Rain.

And something darker beneath it all, wild and unmistakably male.

The scent hit me like a blow. The knot in my abdomen snapped tight. My knees buckled. A broken sound almost escaped my throat.

"Shit—" I stumbled back, clutching the wardrobe door.

Moon Goddess, I knew better.

His scent only made the heat worse. Much worse. Damn it!

My vision blurred. Another wave crashed through me, stronger than the last.

I reached for something to steady myself, but my hand caught only air.

The world tilted.

The ceiling spun above me, gold and black and impossibly far away.

No. No, no, no. I couldn't faint here. I couldn't.

Something soft caught me.

Silk.

I blinked.

Silken sheets.

My stomach dropped. I was lying on his bed. On the Alpha King's bed. Curled into myself like a terrified animal.

Panic surged through me. "No..."

I pushed against the mattress, but another wave of heat slammed into me before I could sit up. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for it to pass.

Usually it lasted five minutes.

Five unbearable minutes.

I could survive five. This time it didn't stop.

I stared at the enormous gold clock mounted on the wall.

11:11 PM.

One minute.

Two.

Three.

By the seventh minute, tears were already burning in my eyes.

"Please..." By the eighth, the pressure finally began to ease.

Thank Moon Goddess.

Shaking, I forced myself upright and slid off the bed. I couldn't leave my scent here. I couldn't leave any trace of myself here any longer .

I staggered toward the door, breathing hard, every step unsteady.

The corridor outside was empty. Thank God.

I didn't walk. I ran.

Down the crimson hallway. Down the endless stairs. Past the silent guards. Past the portraits. Past the moonlit windows.

The only thought in my mind was hide.

And I knew exactly where to go.

The one place in this palace where no man ever came during a heat. The one place where my scent would disappear beneath hay, horses, and earth.

The barn.

I ran until my lungs burned. I ran until my legs shook. I ran until the palace lights were behind me and the familiar smell of hay wrapped around me like safety.

The moment I reached the stable, my body nearly gave out with relief.

"Rombo..."

My favorite horse lifted his head immediately. I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face against his warm coat.

He huffed softly and nudged me toward the pile of fresh hay beside him.

As if he already knew.

As if he understood.

I sank down beside him, trembling from exhaustion, heat, and fear.

For the first time that night, I let myself believe it.

I had escaped. I was safe. Thank Moon Goddess.

If only I had known….