Chapter 7
Louis' POV
My steps echoed down the corridor as I headed to my quarters. Lina, that woman was driving me insane.
My fist was still clenched so tight my nails bit into my palm.
She said she didn't remember, or she did, and chose to look at me like last night had never happened.
The thought made my jaw tighten painfully. I replayed her expression over and over again. The way her eyes hadn't flickered. The way she'd looked genuinely confused. Cold. Distant, completely different from last night. Almost like it wasn't the same person.
Did it really mean nothing to her?
Or was I the fool who had let himself believe it meant something?
My chest felt tight as the memory forced its way back in.
---
Last night
The door had opened quietly.
I remember turning, half-dressed, irritation already forming because someone had walked into my room without knocking. until I saw her.
Lina.
She stood there unsteady, her hair loose around her shoulders, her blue dress slightly wrinkled like she'd been pacing for a while.
Her eyes were glazed, but not empty. And she looked...drunk? What was she doing drinking so late?
She blinked at me. "Oh," she murmured. "I was looking for Kain."
My jaw tightened at the mention of my brother's name.
"This is my room," I said flatly.
She frowned, swaying slightly. "Is it?" she pause, then gave a careless shrug. "Sorry." She added quickly. "I didn't know."
Was she serious right now? My room was steps away from Kain's. Why would she make such a mistake. Was she really tht drunk?
She turned to leave, her fingers curling around the door handle.
Relief barely settled over me before she froze.
Her hand stayed on the door. Her shoulders stiffened.
Slowly, she turned back to face me. Her teeth caught her bottom lip, not shy, almost... seductive. Her eyes lifted to mine, her gaze traveling down my naked torso.
"How come," she whispered, her voice low and uneven, "I never realized you've always been more good-looking than your brother?"
My throat went dry instantly. I hadn't expected that. Not from her. Not ever.
"Ms. Lina," I warned, forcing my voice to stay calm even though I was already starting to lose it, "don't you dare."
But as she approached me, my body betrayed me anyway, heat coiling tight in my gut as she stepped closer. Too close.
This woman, this woman who had been destined for my brother, the woman I had loved quietly for years, was looking at me like that. How in the world was I supposed to keep my sanity?
"What?" she chuckled softly, the sound thick with teasing. "I don't bite." She whispered.
Her gaze dropped, tracing my body, my chest, abs. Slowly and deliberately.
Fuck!
She lifted her hand, reaching to touch my chest, but i caught her wrist before her fingers could touch me.
"Stop," I said firmly. "You have no idea what you're doing. You're drunk. My brother isn't here. Please, leave."
My expression stayed cold, controlled. Inside, I was barely holding myself together. My C*CK was already hard as hell, just from seeing her like this, unfiltered... flushed.
She smiled at me, soft, almost sad.
That was when I snapped....i grabbed her waist, spun her around, and pinned her back against the wall in one sharp motion.
Her breath left her in a quiet gasp, and the sound sent a jolt through me..
"What are you doing?" I hissed, leaning close. "Why now? Tomorrow is the mating ceremony. Tomorrow, you officially become my brother's Luna. So why?"
Her throat moved as she swallowed.
Tears welled up in her eyes, making my chest tighten. Had something happened that I wasn't aware of? She looked...hurt.
"I'm planning to reject him anyway," she whispered.
My grip loosened immediately.
"What?" I breathed, shock cutting through everything else. "What are you saying?"
Everyone knew. Everyone. Lina had loved Kain openly, stubbornly, for years.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice dropping despite myself. "Why would you suddenly say that?"
She didn't answer, she just looked at me. Her gaze held a kind of determination and desperation. Like she had already burned every bridge behind her.
"I don't care about him anymore, Louis," she whispered. "I just want you."
Those words were enough to make me lose it. My body reacted before my mind could catch up. Heat surged low, making me unable to stop myself from what happened next.
"Fuck," I muttered.
And then I kissed her, deep...hard. Like I'd been holding myself back for far too long. Fuck yeah I had.
She kissed me back without hesitation, her fingers gripping my clothes, breath uneven against my mouth. And it was that moment that all hell was let lose.
---
"Your Highness."
The voice cut through the memory, breaking off my thoughts. I turned around. Alric stood behind me, his head bowed. I had been so distracted that I hadn't even sense his presence.
"What is it?" I asked sharply, masking my previous expression with nonchalance.
"His Majesty has summoned you. There's been a development."
"What kind?"
"The Banewolf Pack," he said carefully. "They've responded. They've accepted the peace treaty."
My attention sharpened instantly. The Banewolf pack and ours have been in conflict for a long time now, but sides have suffered great losses from the conflict. Until my dad finally decided to propose a threaty. We knew they'll accept, but I expected they must have a condition.
"But?" I asked.
"But the condition is that..." Alric continued. "You are to wed their Alpha's daughter. Princess Alice.
My body went rigid.
Marriage?
Now?
I said nothing and turned toward the palace, I needed to speak with father.
Halfway there, I ran into Kain.We stopped briefly, tension thick between us, but neither of us said anything. We rarely ever did.
I moved to pass him, but to my surprise...he spoke.
"So what happens now?" he asked, his voice calm but edged. "You've been betrothed to the Banewolf princess. You might become the next Alpha, brother."