I was beginning to think I'd made a very dangerous mistake.
The morning after that tense dinner, I woke up to an empty room again. It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. I couldn't figure him out. This man I'd married, this prince of shadows and fire. He was distant, then possessive. Cold, then… something else.
And I hated the way he got under my skin.
When I dressed and stepped into the hallway, the guards outside the door barely glanced at me. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing. But as I walked through the stone corridors of this dark, imposing castle, one thing became painfully clear: I didn't belong here.
The stares were more obvious today. The whispers louder. I kept my back straight and my face calm, but inside, every nerve was on edge. I'd been raised in a court of manipulation and quiet cruelty but this was something else.
Here, I felt like prey.
"Prince Adrien."
I stopped at the sound of my name and turned to see a man approaching tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in the colors of Umbra's royal house. His hair was cropped short, his face sharp and handsome, but there was something calculating in his eyes.
"Lord Darius," he introduced himself with a slight bow. "It's an honor to finally meet the prince who captured our Kaelen's… interest."
I didn't miss the hesitation on that last word.
"I wasn't aware his interest was in question," I said politely.
Darius smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, nothing is ever certain with Kaelen. But you must know that already." He tilted his head, studying me. "Tell me… has he shown you his true face yet?"
Something cold brushed the back of my neck. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."
Darius leaned in slightly. "You will."
Before I could answer, his gaze flicked over my shoulder and just like that, his expression changed. Whatever game he'd been playing, it ended the second Kaelen entered the hall.
My husband didn't speak as he approached. He didn't have to. The tension in the air shifted instantly, and every person nearby fell silent. Darius stepped back with a bow, his smirk vanishing.
Kaelen's eyes were on me. "You wandered off."
"I wasn't aware I needed permission to take a walk," I replied coolly.
His mouth curved, but there was no humor in it. "You don't. But you should be careful whose company you keep." He glanced at Darius without a word, and the other man bowed again before retreating. Fast.
I crossed my arms as Kaelen turned back to me. "You seem to have a lot of enemies."
"Not enemies," he said quietly. "Rivals."
"And which one am I?"
For a second, I thought he might actually smile. "You're my husband." He offered his hand. "Walk with me."
I didn't take it. But I walked beside him.
The castle was different with Kaelen at my side. No one stared too long, no one whispered within earshot. His presence was like a shield or maybe a warning. And yet, he didn't speak until we reached a courtyard of black stone and twisting, thorned vines.
"You shouldn't trust anyone here," he said finally.
"Not even you?" I asked.
He looked at me then really looked at me and something dangerous flickered in his golden eyes. "Especially not me."
I should have been afraid. I was afraid. But I was also… curious.
"Why did you choose me?" I asked softly.
He was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn't answer. But when he did, his voice was almost gentle. "Because you know how to survive among wolves."
"And if I don't want to be a wolf?"
He reached out then, brushing his fingers against my jaw. A touch so soft it stole my breath.
"Then you'll be eaten."