Elis
It had been two days since Lily told me she would be leaving for the woods. Two days since that night in my bed when she promised she'd come back to me. There were pressing matters in the kingdom. Douglas had been drumming in my ear about a rogue Lycan king terrorizing other territories, possibly heading toward Marlick. It should have had my full attention, but my thoughts kept wandering elsewhere. To her.
What was she doing now? Alone in that cabin she spoke of, surrounded by gods-know-what dangers. I imagined her sitting by some creaking old window, head bent over a book of spells, or maybe pacing the floor with that restless look she got when she was plotting something she wouldn't tell me.
Then I remembered her clone. The shell she swore would remain here, moving, speaking, even smiling like her. She'd been worried about its safety, and I had promised to protect it with everything I had.
I was halfway through my dinner when Eunice entered with a fresh plate of bread. I took the opportunity.
"Lily hasn't been here to see me in a few days," I said casually, as though it had only just occurred to me. "I hope she's alright?"
Eunice brightened. "She's fine. I saw her this morning, walking to the training grounds with Sera."
My fork froze halfway to my mouth. "Training grounds?" I repeated, the words slipping out louder than I intended.
"Yes," she said, giving me a curious look. "Why? Is there a problem?"
I forced my expression into something neutral. "No."
But inside, my thoughts were churning. Lily never lingered at the training grounds. She had no interest in sword drills or combat exercises, not the physical kind, anyway. So why would she be there now?
Relief and suspicion warred inside me. If Eunice had truly seen her, that meant the clone was functioning perfectly. But it also meant… the clone was doing things the real Lily would never do. And that unsettled me more than I cared to admit.
I didn't say another word to Eunice, but in my mind, I'd already decided. I was going to see her myself.
Night had settled over the palace, and the corridors were quiet, save for the distant hum of servants finishing their nightly duties. Eunice's warning echoed in my mind; that I should limit my visits to her quarters. Even Lily herself had insisted it was better if she came to me instead. But the urge to see her, even just her still form, gnawed at me. Before I could talk myself out of it, I found my feet carrying me toward her chambers.
The air grew heavier the closer I came. The guards stationed outside glanced at me but said nothing. I rapped on the door; once, lightly and then pushed it open without waiting for a reply.
And then… I froze.
What I saw inside struck me like a blow to the chest, knocking the breath clean out of me. My pulse roared in my ears, and for a moment, I wasn't sure if I was even still standing.
She was there.
Lily—sitting on the edge of the bed in a nightdress that clung to her in a way that made my breath hitch. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders, catching the glow from the nearby lamp. When she saw me, she rose smoothly, almost too smoothly, and bowed.
She bowed. "Alpha King," she said, voice sweet, eyes steady.
Something in me tightened. Lily never bowed to me, not since she entered the palace. I stepped inside slowly, my eyes drinking in the familiar curves, the tilt of her head, the way her lips curved in that half-smile that always made me want to close the distance between us. Every inch of her, down to the smallest detail, was Lily. And yet…
The air was wrong. That scent; lavender and wildflowers, that always clung to her skin and tangled in my senses was gone. In its place was… nothing. A hollow absence. And when I entered without warning, she didn't reach for a sheet, didn't blush, didn't try to hide the bare lines of her shoulders. Lily—my Lily—was always shy, no matter how many nights we'd shared.
"How may I help you tonight, my king?" she asked.
I stared hard, searching for something, anything, to tell me I wasn't losing my mind.
"How are you doing?" I asked at last.
"I'm good, my king."
Not Elis. My king. I nodded, keeping my face still. "I heard you went to the training ground today. Does it fascinate you?"
Her smile was perfectly pleasant. "Not really. I was just bored being indoors."
Lily never got bored with herself. Never. "The training ground isn't a place for a lady like you," I said carefully. "It's dangerous. The garden or the pool would be more fitting. Safer."
"Yes, my king." Her tone was compliant, almost docile. Another crack in the illusion.
I turned to leave, my mind spinning. I needed to think; needed to breathe…
"Do you want me to keep you entertained tonight, my king?"
The words stopped me cold. I turned back. There was a smirk on her lips, a slow, deliberate one that slid under my skin like a blade.
Flirtation. Lily's clone—if that's what this was—was flirting with me. Lily said her copy wouldn't do that. "I'll be fine," I said, my voice a little too quick, and I left before my confusion became something else.
As I made my way back to my quarters, I was torn between shock and fascination. Lily had truly outdone herself this time, crafting a replica so convincing that anyone who didn't know her as well as I did would be completely fooled. She was the perfect distraction. Yet one thing unsettled me; why did her copy radiate such overt seduction and flirtation?