Thornak knew exactly what game she was playing.
His mother knew he could not present Lara, a mysterious girl with no royal blood, mate or not, as his queen. By bringing this up now, Maravelle was trying to corner him and force his hand to choose Selene.
Beside the Queen, Selene sat up a little straighter, her eyes bright with sudden hope.
Thornak slowly set his cup down on the table. He did not look at Selene. His gaze stayed locked on his mother.
"I will decide on a queen when the time is right. Not before."
Maravelle simply shrugged.
"As you wish."
The meal went on quietly after that.
After breakfast, Thornak made his way through the palace corridors, with Kael walking beside him.
"Brother," Kael said with a grin, "you could've warned me before saying things like that."
Thornak glanced at him. "Saying what?"
Kael chuckled.
"You still talk enough for both of us." He shook his head, still amused. "I nearly choked."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Thornak's mouth.
"You'll survive."
"Poor Selene. I almost felt sorry for her."
"She should just go home."
Kael looked at him for a moment.
"You know she's always been obsessed with you, right?"
"That isn't my problem."
"Try telling Mother that."
Thornak let out a quiet sigh. "I have. Repeatedly. She just doesn't seem to understand."
"The way I see it, she's planning to let you keep your mate, while putting Selene on the throne as queen."
"So that if I ever want a recognized heir, I'll have to have a child with Selene. Well I'm not going to let that happen."
Kael opened his mouth to reply, but his attention suddenly shifted down the corridor. A young palace servant was hurrying past with a basket in her arms.
His face lit up.
"I'll see you later, Brother."
Before Thornak could say anything, Kael turned and hurried after the young girl.
Thornak watched him go and shook his head with quiet amusement. Then he continued down the corridor.
A few moments later, he stopped outside Lara's room.
The guard quickly announced his arrival.
"His Majesty, King Thornak."
Mira hurried to the door and opened it. She immediately lowered her head and stepped aside.
As Thornak entered the room, she quietly slipped outside and closed the door behind her.
Lara was already on her feet. She lowered herself into a graceful curtsy.
"Your Majesty."
Thornak studied her for a moment.
"Lara."
Beneath Thornak's calm, kingly facade, his wolf clawed relentlessly beneath the surface.
Being this close to her was pure torture.
Her sweet scent filled his senses, and threatened to unravel every ounce of self-control he possessed.
Every instinct urged him to close the distance between them, to pull her into his arms and bury his face against her neck.
Mine.
The word echoed through his mind, raw and possessive.
His golden eyes flickered, his pupils widening for the briefest moment as he fought to keep the beast within him under control.
He was king before he was a lycan.
And the last thing he wanted was to frighten the woman fate had chosen for him.
"Do you ride?" he asked instead.
Lara nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
A faint smirk touched his lips.
"Meet me at the stables tonight."
Oh no...
Her heart sank. She had spent the entire night trying to gather the courage to tell him she wanted to leave the castle and find work in town.
And now... he was inviting her to ride with him. How was she supposed to tell him now that she was leaving?
"As you wish, Your Majesty," she heard herself say.
Thornak gave a slight nod. "Until tonight."
Then he turned and left, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Lara closed the door behind him and leaned against it. She let out a slow breath, pressing a hand to her chest.
Her heart was racing in a way she didn't quite understand. She had promised herself she would leave the castle.
So why did the thought of spending just a little more time with him excite her?
That evening, Lara made her way to the royal stables.
The stable was quiet, filled with the soft sounds of horses shifting in their stalls.
She approached a beautiful black horse and gently ran a brush through its glossy coat while she waited.
Every few moments, she glanced toward the entrance. But no one came.
The minutes stretched into an hour.
The stable hands finished their work and left, leaving only the lanterns flickering in the growing darkness.
Thornak never arrived.
Perhaps he had forgotten. Or perhaps something more important had come up.
She set the brush down gently and turned toward the palace, unable to hide the small ache of disappointment in her chest.
But as she stepped out of the stables, she came face to face with Selene, who stood a few paces away, her hands folded neatly in front of her.
She wore a composed smile.
Lara quickly lowered herself into a curtsy. "My Lady."
Selene took a slow step forward.
"You foolish girl. Were you waiting for the king?"
Lara remained quiet.
Selene glanced around the empty stable before looking back at Lara.
"It seems something more important demanded his attention. Surely you didn't believe the King would spend his evening with a lowlife nobody like you."
Lara lowered her eyes, saying nothing.
In an instant, Selene's smile vanished.
She stepped forward and seized a fistful of Lara's hair, yanking her head back.
Lara gasped in pain.
"Wretched girl," Selene hissed. "Didn't the queen warn you to stay away from my mate?"
Tears sprang to Lara's eyes as she struggled against Selene's grip.
"I-I'm not trying to..."
"Silence! You foolish girl!"
Selene tightened her grip.
She leaned in until her lips were inches from Lara's ear.