All Chapters of The Human Bound to The Alpha Prince : Chapter 41 - Chapter 46

"Crush?" The word hit Theo harder than it should have. He had never crushed on anyone. Not really. His life had been filled with battles, responsibilities, and the endless search for the person destined to be his mate. He might have admired people before. He might have even found a few enemies annoyingly attractive. But a crush? No. And yet hearing the word from Leo's mouth made him freeze. For a brief second, Theo actually considered it. His gaze remained fixed on Leo's silver eyes as an unfamiliar thought flickered through his mind. Could I...? The Alpha immediately pushed the thought away. Impossible. How could he have a crush on Leo when he was desperately waiting for his own mate? "Leo, you know I don't have a crush on you." His voice came out colder than intended. Leo swallowed. The sternness in Theo's tone made his chest ache, but what hurt even more were the words themselves. "If you don't have one, then why are you telling me to stay away from the princess?"

The throne room fell into a heavy silence. No one dared to speak. The only sound that echoed through the vast hall was Lucien's strained breathing. Unaware of her own actions, Elara gently brushed her thumb across Lucien's clenched knuckles. The small gesture did more than any words could. Lucien's fists slowly loosened as a quiet sigh escaped his lips. The storm raging inside him calmed instantly beneath her touch. More than anything, he wanted to pull his mate into his arms and hold her close, but he restrained himself. He knew Elara wasn't comfortable with such intimacy yet. The fact that she was holding his hand was already more than he could have hoped for. The entire court watched the silent interaction between the Alpha Prince and his mate. A faint smile tugged at Ragnar's lips. Seeing his son soften so completely for someone reminded him of himself. He, too, had once been feared by all, yet there was only one person capable of calming him with a single touch. Lunaria.

"Finally, I get to eat food!" Lyra practically skipped into the Ivory Bloom Chamber, her eyes immediately landing on the table where the food lay covered and untouched. After everything that had happened the entire day, her stomach felt like a bottomless pit. She barely took two steps toward the table before a familiar voice stopped her. "After eating everyone's brain, you're still hungry? You'll get fat, Piggy." Lyra froze. Slowly, she turned around to find Lucien entering the chamber with Elara beside him. "Why would you say that?" she whined dramatically, stomping her foot against the marble floor. Elara let out a soft laugh before walking toward her. "Lucien, stop it. Let her eat." Lucien merely shrugged. Lyra narrowed her eyes at him. "You also look like a giant monkey, but have I ever said that to you? No, right? Then why do you keep calling me Piggy, you monkey?" She pointed an accusing finger at him. Lucien raised an eyebrow. A dangerous one. Then he started wa