We were sitting in the office; I was beside my brother Jack, hugging him tightly and leaning against his chest comfortably.
I could feel Knight's burning gaze almost melting me from the opposite side.
I chuckled inwardly at his obvious jealousy, then said to Jack with longing:
"Jack, I've missed you so much. How is Mom? Is she okay? I really want to see her; I miss her dearly."
Jack smiled at me affectionately and said:
"I missed you too. Don't worry about her; she never stops mentioning you and praising you all the time to the pack members."
I looked at him in disbelief, then burst into loud, hysterical laughter until tears actually ran down my face.
I held my stomach from laughing so much, looked at Knight, and said through my laughter:
"My God, Knight, we've become famous!"
As I continued my laughing fit, Knight wrinkled his face in confusion, crossing his arms over his chest coldly, while Jack watched me with a wide, amused smile.
I finally stopped laughing and wiped my tears, saying to Jack calmly:
"Why did you come then? I know very well you didn't come just for your love for me."
I winked at him playfully. He said with slight confusion, glancing between me and the angry Knight:
"I came to take my mate, of course, if Knight allows her."
Knight replied quickly and sharply:
"And if I don't?"
Jack interrupted him with a firm tone:
"In that case, I will take her against your will, my brother-in-law."
He emphasized the last words with sternness and defiance.
"My God, the atmosphere will definitely ignite if this dialogue continues between them!"
I thought. I immediately tried to soften the mood:
"Oh, of course he won't refuse this, right, dear Knight?"
I gave him a fake innocent smile. Then I said to him through the telepathic link with an underlying threat:
"Don't you dare refuse, or I'll kill you!"
He raised an eyebrow at my contradiction and my fluctuating speech between threats and pleading, staring at me deeply.
He tapped his fingers on the desk for a few moments, then ordered one of the servants to call Julia to the office.
A few moments later, the maid returned to tell us that "Julia" refused to come, making the excuse that she wanted to be alone.
Jack's features wrinkled with deep concern, and he stood up quickly, saying to the maid in a sharp, decisive tone:
"Lead me to her room right now!"
He signaled with his dominant pheromones, reminding her that he is a powerful Alpha and his word is law.
The maid was trembling and looking at me in fear, so I nodded to her, reassuring her. She led him away quickly, and he closed the door behind him.
I stared at Knight and said to him:
"Why all this anger and annoyance?"
He rubbed his face hard and said wearily:
"She is my sister; I'm afraid something bad might happen to her."
I said, annoyed by his words which belittled my brother:
"Let me remind you, Mr. Knight, this is my brother. He is a powerful Alpha; I was personally under his protection. Besides, they are mates; he won't hesitate to protect her, I'm sure of it."
I went silent for a moment, staring at him, then my features softened and I added:
"Just like you do. So why the fear, Knight?"
He was staring at me intently, listening to every word coming out of my mouth. He sighed helplessly and said sincerely:
"Because she is the last member of my family, Sira."
I approached him and said with a reassuring smile:
"Don't worry, she will be fine."
Then I playfully messed up his hair with my hand, laughing at his look. He frowned angrily at my action, so I stood up eagerly as I remembered dinner, saying as I headed to the dining room:
"I'm hungry! Let's go eat instead of this stupid anger of yours."
I heard him shouting my name with a promise of retaliation before I closed the door behind me, giggling.
I love annoying and angering him so much; it makes me feel comfortable.
I sat in my usual place beside Knight at the dinner table, waiting for that "Violet" woman to show up.
As soon as she entered and saw the types of food on the table—which I had changed myself to be my favorite dishes—she frowned and looked at me with intense anger and hatred, realizing that I was the one behind it.
I smiled broadly at her provocatively, and her anger increased to the point that she stood up and left the place immediately, much to everyone's surprise—except mine, of course.
I stared at Knight, who was looking at the strange and new types of food with questioning eyes. I said to him:
"I'm the one who ordered these dishes; they are my favorites."
I started eating greedily and hungrily, and I saw signs of surprise on his handsome face as he watched me eat like that.
I was watching him stealthily from the corner of my eye.
He was staring at the dishes, which were strange to him compared to his usual palace menu, with scrutinizing and surprised looks.
He tasted each dish carefully, and signs of thinking and evaluation appeared on his face.
I noticed a slight change in his expressions with every bite, then he raised his eyes to me with a calm smile, as if sharing his silent evaluation of the food with me.
I felt some happiness seeing his acceptance of the matter.
Then I said in a commanding and playful tone:
"I know it's delicious, so eat now!"
As I quickly stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth with my hand before he could object.
At that moment, his eyes widened in genuine shock, and he froze for a second, the signs of great surprise clear on his handsome face.
He wasn't surprised by the food as much as he was surprised by my audacity in feeding him with my hand in front of everyone.
His silent reaction and astonishment were what made "Arin" laugh at us. I stole a glance at him; even I was shocked by my own action.
He quickly regained his composure, chewed the bite I had placed in his mouth, and gave me a slight side-smile, but his gaze carried many hidden meanings and wonder.
"My God, what did I just do?!"
was the screaming voice in my head.
I was trying hard to avoid looking at him at any cost.
My face was flushed with shame and embarrassment, while that devil wouldn't stop watching me with his sharp, amused gaze after that bold move.
"Damn! Stupid, stupid!"
I scolded myself internally for my recklessness.
The situation was embarrassing, and here I am adding more strange situations with my own hands.
All I could do was focus on my plate and ignore his presence completely, even though I could feel his mocking smile without seeing him.
I was still feeling extremely embarrassed, desperately trying to avoid Knight's sharp looks. I decided to change the subject at any cost.
I said to Arin in a relatively loud voice, intending to shift the attention away from me:
"Where is Lauren?"
He answered me with amusement, smiling, fully aware that I was trying to change the tense atmosphere at the table:
"In her room sleeping. You know, pregnancy is exhausting."
I nodded to him understandingly, relieved that I had succeeded in shifting the conversation away from my momentary foolishness.
After returning to the palace and eating, my thoughts were completely occupied by the strange incident that occurred at the lake.
The new power flowing through my veins was clear and tangible.
This power isn't ordinary; it's holy mana, something extremely rare and powerful.
I felt an urgent desire to tell Lauren about the incident; she must know something about it.
Lauren has far more experience and knowledge of the history of the supernatural and different worlds than I do.
She is the only person who can explain to me what this stone is and what it means for me to possess this power now.
Even Knight himself, who saved me and was a witness to what happened, I didn't tell him the details of what occurred with me at the lake.
After we returned to the palace, and during the moments following the incident, he repeatedly insisted on knowing the secret of the strong green light that shone from the lake right after I fell into it.
His concern and curiosity were clear in his tone.
But I didn't tell him anything.
I evaded his direct questions, making the excuse that I was extremely tired and exhausted after all those events, and that I didn't remember anything clearly.
That was a lie, of course, as I remembered everything.
I wanted to keep the matter to myself for a while, to understand it first with Lauren's help before sharing any details with Knight.
Darkness was the first scene. It wasn't ordinary darkness, but a pitch blackness that swallowed everything.
I saw "Knight," but not the Knight I know; instead, he was a raging beast who had completely lost control.
His eyes were burning with a demonic red, and pheromones of terror and dominance filled the air.
He began killing everyone around him indiscriminately; screams of panic filled the place.
I stepped toward him with a trembling heart, trying to calm him and bring him back to his senses. "Knight, stop! Look at me!"
I screamed at him.
But he paid me no attention. He turned to me with a gaze void of emotion, a purely demonic look.
Suddenly, a black mirage of thick smoke rushed toward me, stabbing me with infinite force that pierced my body.
The unknown force lifted me upward, and drops of hot blood began to flow onto his face, which showed no reaction or emotion.
I looked at him for the last time.
My crystalline eyes were completely void of any life—a lifeless corpse suspended in the air, just like everyone else around me.
I woke up from the nightmare suddenly, panting hard, my heart beating the drums of death in my chest.
The nightmare was terrifyingly realistic, so much so that the pain of the stab that pierced my body was still flowing through me as if it were real, reminding me of the horror I had seen.
I looked around the dark room; Knight's place was empty.
I placed my hand on the bed to feel it; it was cold. It seemed he hadn't come here at all tonight.
I sighed with distress and stood up to take a sip from the water glass, still feeling suffocated and short of breath because of that stupid nightmare.
I headed to the balcony intending to breathe fresh air and calm my nerves.
There, I saw something completely unexpected.
I saw one of the palace maids had wrapped herself in a black cloak that covered her entirely; I didn't see a single inch of her face or body.
She was heading toward the garden that was directly under my balcony.
I quickly hid behind the curtains, completely concealing my aura and scent while watching her.
She stopped suddenly in front of a giant tree, looking right and left to make sure no one was tracking her.
"Poor thing, she doesn't know I'm watching her as if I'm watching a movie and not reality in front of me!"
A huge man jumped from the tree; he was also masked.
"Damn them! Why don't they let me reveal their identity easily? Why do they have to make me burn my brain from overthinking and suspicion? Damn those fools!"
The two were talking through telepathy.
"Damn them again!"
I tried to smell something distinctive from them, and the very faint scent of pine and basil hit my nose; I barely sensed it.
It's the maid's scent; I'm sure of it.
But the other one was hiding his scent masterfully.
He gave the girl a bottle of some sort, which she quickly hid. Before he left, I caught a glimpse of a strange tattoo on his bare shoulder.
"I don't know where I've seen it before! My clumsy mind doesn't remember!"
"They are the spies!"
A wicked smile formed on my face:
"The game of cat and mouse is over now. Give me a moment to reveal your identity, you bastards!"
But the question that puzzled me:
What was that strange bottle he gave her?
I headed toward the office of that cursed wolf who never stops exhausting and wearing himself out.
I burst into his office with my usual rowdiness. He raised his eyes to me and spoke with clear surprise:
"Sira?"
He was surprised that I was awake at this late hour of the night. I approached him and sat in front of him, while he stared at me in wonder, waiting for me to say something to remove that surprise.
I hit my head with my hands as soon as I saw the papers and files piled all around him on the desk.
The idea occurred to me that I am "Aluna" and a Queen, and I have my duties too, just like him. I realized that he added my duties to his to avoid disturbing or exhausting me.
Regret squeezed my heart:
"Damn me, why did I forget something like this?"
I said to him with clear distress and annoyance in my tone:
"Don't tell me you're finishing both our duties together by yourself?"
He said nothing but gave me a stupid stare, but he didn't deny it. My analysis was correct then!
The fires of anger increased inside me.
I slammed my hands on the desk so hard that it left a mark on it:
"Why the hell didn't you tell me? Or do you not trust me to the point that you think I can't be trusted with your kingdom?!"
He knitted his eyebrows in anger and annoyance at my words and my rude way of saying that.
"It's not that, don't jump to conclusions yourself."
He went silent for a moment staring at me, then closed his eyes and continued wearily:
"I just didn't want to disturb you, and since you didn't ask for this yourself, I thought you weren't ready for it."
I blinked several times at his words, stepped back from him, and withdrew to my seat again:
"I am ready for this responsibility, trust me! And stop exhausting your poor self. If it could talk, it would beg for mercy!"
He chuckled while his eyes were still closed:
"Really?"
I answered stubbornly:
"Yes! Now come on, you must sleep and rest, because tomorrow you have to teach me my new job, and that head of yours will split from the headache that I will be the cause of!"
He opened his eyes and looked at me with a slight smile, then stood up, and suddenly, he carried me on his back! I was shocked by his action, and I started screaming and struggling on top of him, but he was like a wall, not moving.
He even slapped my butt hard:
"Shut up for a bit! I'll lose my hearing because of you!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs, cursing him for his bold action:
"You jerk! Aaaaaaa!"
He was enjoying teasing me very much; I could feel it clearly.
Knight pushed me gently onto the bed; it wasn't a violent push, but more like dropping a heavy load in a safe place.
Immediately, he lay down beside me and hugged me tightly, his arm wrapped around my waist firmly, and his legs intertwined with mine.
I stared at him with feigned sharpness at first, expecting more arguing or anger from him, but I was surprised by his facial features relaxing immediately and surrendering to deep sleep.
He was so exhausted and worn out that as soon as he lay down, he fell asleep instantly, as if being close to me was the key that locked away all his worries.
He looked so peaceful with his still and calm features. In these moments, away from the pressures of the kingdom and his usual anger, he was just a tired man.
I realized that this calm is temporary; as soon as he wakes up, he will surely return to the cold and arrogant Knight I know and constantly argue with.
I raised my hand slowly and cautiously, and ran it through his pitch-black hair; it had grown a bit long, reaching his ears, with his light beard adding a touch of masculine roughness.
The light stubble covering his chin gave him overwhelming handsomeness and masculinity; his calm features in sleep were irresistibly charming.
I didn't realize it as I buried my face in his hair, inhaling his captivating scent which was a mixture of coffee and dark chocolate.
"My God, my small heart can't handle this closeness!"
In that quiet moment, I heard the internal voice of my wolf, "Siran," suddenly rising with unexpected enthusiasm:
"Let's just sleep with him then!"
I chuckled lightly at her explicit naughtiness which was worsening over time and with Knight's closeness to us.
"Siran, what are these dirty thoughts?!"
She replied in a defensive tone full of instinctive logic:
"What? He is our mate, and this is our natural right!... I want to do so much to him."
She said it with enthusiasm and eagerness as if she were longing for that moment intensely.
I answered her with feigned annoyance, though I felt the truth of her words in my depths:
"Siran, did 'Dark' infect you with naughtiness?!"
She said with a confident internal laugh:
"No dear, I've been naughty since birth! And honestly, don't deny that you don't think about him in a different way too!"
"My God, here we go again with the discussion!"
I decided to end the communication with her.
I pushed her to the furthest point in my brain, strictly cutting off the connection with her to regain control over my thoughts.
I had to return to reality; I had to tell him about the spies I discovered in the garden, but not before fully uncovering their identity.
I stared at him for a long time, thinking deeply about her words and how attractive he is. I am truly attracted to him in a scary and confusing way.
I finally smiled with sincerity and affection, and kissed his forehead very gently, closing my eyes in an attempt to sleep again beside him, my dreams muddled between spies and the scent of coffee.