Rian's POV
I didn't mean to fall asleep in his chamber.
It wasn't part of the plan. There was no plan, really. Only a storm inside me I didn't know how to quiet, and a voice I hadn't heard in years whispering truths I couldn't ignore. I was confused. Torn between wanting to run and this unbearable pull toward him—toward Darius.
But sleep crept in slowly, curling its fingers around me like a warm fog, and before I knew it, the tension in my chest loosened. The book lay closed on the table beside the bed. My wolf—the voice I thought I'd lost forever—was silent now, but present. I could feel her curled somewhere deep inside me like an ember, pulsing faintly with warmth.
I'd fallen asleep wrapped in that feeling.
And wrapped in him.
His arm was heavy across my waist, his body a wall of heat behind me. The sound of his breathing was steady, calming, like the world had stopped spinning for just a moment. But as my eyes fluttered open and the pale morning light filtered in through the high windows, the heaviness of reality returned.
What was I doing?
Carefully, I shifted out from under his arm, my breath hitching as he stirred. I froze, waiting to see if he'd wake—but he only sighed and turned onto his back, his hand falling onto the empty space I'd left behind.
I didn't wait to see anything more.
I slipped out of bed and quietly gathered my robe, clutching the book tight against my chest. The moment I stepped into the hallway, the spell of the night broke entirely. Everything came rushing back—his offer for me to stay, the softness in his eyes, the way he'd touched my cheek like I was something precious.
And the way I hadn't said no.
I made my way back to my room, the cool stone beneath my feet grounding me. I needed to get my head straight. This—whatever this was between me and the king—it couldn't distract me from the truth. From the strange dream. From the growing magic humming beneath my skin.
But of course, the moment I stepped inside, Mira was waiting.
Her eyes widened like she'd just seen a ghost—then she lit up like a thousand suns.
"Oh. My. Goddess," she gasped, practically leaping from her seat near the window. "Rian?!"
I tried to wave her off and move toward the closet, but she was faster.
"You didn't come back last night," she accused, hands on her hips now, grinning like a madwoman. "Don't even try to pretend you were in the library all night."
"Mira—"
"You spent the night in his room, didn't you?" Her voice was hushed now, scandalized. "You and the king—"
"I'm not talking about it," I said flatly, pushing past her and dropping the book on the desk.
"Oh, come on! After all the attitude and cold shoulders, you just—what—fell into his arms like some damsel?" she teased.
I turned to face her, tired and raw. "It wasn't like that."
That silenced her a bit. She studied me for a moment, her playful smirk faltering.
"What happened?" she asked more softly this time.
I sighed, leaning against the edge of the bed. "I… I had a vision. My wolf talked to me. There was a forest and a woman cloaked in midnight. She said things I don't understand yet. About a forgotten bloodline. About me."
Mira's eyes widened. "Your wolf… spoke to you?"
I nodded slowly, the weight of it still settling in my chest.
"She said I was never alone. That I wasn't nothing. And for the first time in forever, we actually talked."
Mira stepped closer, gently resting a hand on my arm. "That's incredible, Ri. Truly."
I gave her a small smile, then pulled away. "Let's just… not talk about Darius, okay? I don't know what last night meant, and I don't need more confusion."
She nodded with surprising understanding and didn't press the issue further.
But it didn't matter. Because confusion clung to me like a second skin.
Darius POV
I woke to the faint scent of her lingering on the pillow.
Rian was gone, the sheets cold where she once lay. But her book sat neatly on the table by the bed, and that told me everything I needed to know—she hadn't run. She'd simply needed space. That was fine. I could give her space.
I had to.
Last night hadn't been planned. I hadn't expected her to come to me. I certainly hadn't expected her to stay. But when she showed up, eyes wide and wild, clutching that book like a lifeline, I'd seen a side of her I rarely got to see—vulnerable, open, afraid.
And still, even in fear, she was fierce.
The moment she said she'd heard her wolf, something in me shifted. I didn't understand it all, but I felt the gravity of it. A vision, a voice, a forgotten bloodline… it was more than coincidence. It meant something.
I only wished I knew what.
I sat up slowly, rubbing a hand down my face. Sleep still clung to my limbs, but my mind was already moving—toward her, toward what I could do to help. Toward what I needed to make right.
Because the truth was, I'd messed up.
From the very beginning, I'd treated Rian like a problem to be solved—or worse, a distraction. But she wasn't. She was something far more complex. A mystery, yes. But also a light in the dark I hadn't realized I needed.
And now that I saw her clearly, I couldn't look away.
I dressed quickly and made my way toward her wing of the palace. I didn't expect her to welcome me with open arms. But I needed to see her. To talk. To try.
As I reached her door, I paused, hearing faint laughter from inside. Mira's voice. Rian's too—soft, muffled.
I hesitated.
Then turned and walked away.
Not yet, I thought. Let her have a moment of peace.
Instead, I went to the library—the only other place she might be drawn to now. I wanted to understand more about that book, about what had called to her. Maybe there were other clues hidden in these dusty volumes.
Hours passed.
I had nearly given up when Toran found me.
"She's back in her room," he said simply, nodding toward the corridor. "Thought you might want to know."
I stood slowly, heart heavier than it should've been for a man supposedly in control.
I made my way back to her room and knocked lightly. No answer.
Then I remembered—she didn't owe me anything.
So I turned the handle and stepped inside.
She was curled up on the bed, the book open beside her, her fingers trailing the pages as if they were sacred. She didn't look up as I approached.
"I didn't mean to scare you," I said quietly.
"You didn't," she replied without meeting my gaze. "I just needed to think."
"I understand," I said, though part of me wanted to ask what she was thinking. What last night meant. Why my chest ached when I remembered her curled beside me.
"I'm not here to push," I added after a beat. "I just wanted to say… thank you. For trusting me enough to come to me."
She glanced up then, her eyes unreadable. "I didn't come for you, Darius. I came for answers."
I nodded slowly. "Still. You came."
A silence stretched between us. Not cold—but cautious. Fragile.
"I don't know what's happening to me," she finally said. "But it's not just about being your mate. It's more than that."
"I know," I said.
She blinked in surprise. "You do?"
"I don't understand it all," I admitted. "But I believe you. And I want to help."
Her eyes searched mine, and I let her. Whatever she saw there made her expression soften just a little.
Guilt twisted in my chest. "I was wrong."
"Words," she said bitterly. "You all have so many of them."
I stepped forward then, just enough to close the distance between us. "Then let me prove it."
"How?" she asked, voice cracking.
"Let me show you," I said gently. "Let me stay. Let me fight for you this time."
She looked at me, truly looked—and after a moment, she whispered, "Okay."
And somehow, that single word meant everything.