All Chapters of The Prince's Plaything: Chapter 21 - Chapter 27

Chapter 21Joe’s POV.I slumped onto a leather ottoman in the far corner of the living room, the bass from the DJ booth rattling my chest.Empty red cups littered the coffee table in front of me, and the glow from string lights gave everything a half-dreamy haze. I took a slow sip of beer, one of many tonight, trying to dull the itch in my skull.I’d come to Kyle's party at the last minute, hoping a change of scene would settle my thoughts. But here I was, worse than before, dizzy with shame and longing. I scanned the crowd for Lily, but she was nowhere in sight. Every time I glanced across the room, my heart lurched, expecting to see her laughing in some corner… only to find strangers instead.Two of my teammates plopped down beside me, Kyle and Jamal, flanked by two giggling girls in crop tops and mini skirts. They fanned themselves with their hands, eyes glittering as they eyed me.“Joe, you good, man?” one of my teammates asked, clapping me on the shoulder.“Never better,” I mutte

Chapter 23Lily’s POV.I fought my way through the crowded living room, the thrum of music vibrating up through my heels. Wherever Sonia was, I needed to find her, but I felt too unmoored to care. My wolf snarled in my chest, furious at me for rejecting my true mate.“You need to calm the fuck down,” I whispered under my breath as I finally broke through the bodies and into the balcony’s cooler air. The silence is bliss, but my thoughts are anything but quiet.“You can’t keep pushing him away,” my wolf growls back.“You mean Joe,” I answer bitterly, my hands gripping the railing. “Mark is my mate.”I slipped out onto the balcony. The night air hit me coolly, and I pressed my forehead against the railing, trying to steady my racing heart. Stars flickered above the city skyline, but I felt anything but calm.A muffled stumble behind me made me turn. Mark, his face flushed, his shirt untucked, he leaned against the doorframe.“Hey baby!” he slurred, stepping forward. “There you are!” He

Chapter 25 Joe's POV I stared at them in disbelief, my mouth slightly open but no words coming out. The royal council had just told me I was to be crowned Alpha. Me. Now. "He's not dead," I finally blurted out, my voice thick. "He's not dead, and you're already talking like he won’t wake up." Ivan placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "And we pray he does. But the throne cannot remain empty, Joe. You’re the next in line. This is not a choice. It’s a duty." Lady Sienna, one of the elders leaned forward. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, an empty throne is an abomination for the Pack. The Council decreed it two centuries ago. Beyond that, your father’s condition is critical. He would want the Kingdom stable, under your effective command.” I looked around at the elders seated in the throne room, their faces impassive, expectant. This wasn’t a discussion. It was a decree. "The pressure... it's too much,i…I…" I murmured, running a hand through my hair. My chest felt like it wa

Chapter 27Lily's POVAs I stepped out of the room, I felt like a complete idiot. I didn’t know why I had even tried to talk to Joe. What was I expecting, that he’d suddenly open up, pour his soul out, and we’d magically fix whatever was broken between us?I scoffed to myself.Even though no one was saying it out loud, whispers of Joe’s father’s declining health had been floating all around the pack. The rumor mill had been working overtime. People were already treating Joe like the next Alpha. But I couldn’t bring myself to think of it that lightly.I didn’t want gossip. I wanted to talk to him. To see how he was holding up.The night before, I had barely slept. My thoughts kept circling back to him, I imagined the way his hands trembled, the strange look in his eyes. Something had been off. And today, I thought maybe…just maybe…I’d get the chance to check in. After class, I stayed back deliberately, when it was just the two of us in that room, I was about to take that chance.But of