Aria's POV
Three days passed.
Three days of silence between her and Kael.
Three days since that kiss.
Three days since her world shattered, reformed, and cracked again in new places.
He hadn't come to her.
She hadn't gone to him.
But every breath still echoed with the feel of his hands.
Every heartbeat still pulsed with the memory of his lips.
And now, as Aria stood before the tall arched doors of the Court Hall, her fingers trembling inside her gloves, she realized something terrifying.
She didn't hate him anymore.
She wanted to.
But hatred required certainty.
And Kael had burned all of hers to ash.
"Lady Aria?" one of the castle attendants called gently, her voice muffled by the heavy stone halls. "They're waiting."
Waiting.
For her.
The prisoner. The enemy's daughter. The Alpha's unwanted bond.
Or worse... his forbidden mate.
Aria straightened her spine and followed the attendant into the grand hall.
The Council of Elders sat in a crescent formation, draped in regal black and silver. The nobles lined the outer balconies like vultures. At the center, Kael stood alone at the throne platform, tall, proud, unreadable.
And beside him, like a thorn among roses, stood Lady Veyra.
The bitch was smiling.
---
Kael's POV
She walked in like she owned the stars.
Even dressed in a gown chosen by his attendants—delicate midnight blue, laced at the back, flowing like shadow and silk—Aria moved like she didn't belong to anyone.
Not even him.
And yet... the bond between them pulsed with heat as soon as she entered.
Kael's wolf stirred, possessive and hungry.
His heart—traitorous bastard—ached.
He hadn't touched her since that kiss.
Hadn't dared.
Because if he did, he might not stop.
And in this moment, with the whole court watching, every decision would echo across the realm.
Veyra leaned in slightly. "You should speak before she embarrasses you."
Kael ignored her.
Aria stepped forward, chin high, gaze defiant. She bowed—not deeply, but just enough to piss off every traditionalist in the room.
"Well," she said, addressing the council, not Kael, "if this is a trial, you forgot the chains."
The room gasped.
Mordric, the High Elder, cleared his throat. "Lady Aria, you are not on trial. This is a confirmation meeting. His Majesty has yet to confirm his choice of Luna."
Aria glanced at Kael. "So you called me here to see if he'll claim me?"
"No," Veyra purred. "To see if you deserve to be claimed at all."
Aria turned to her, lips curving in a slow, dangerous smile. "Oh, sweetheart. That ship sailed the moment he kissed me."
Gasps again.
Kael wanted to smile.
He didn't.
Mordric's gavel struck. "Enough! The kingdom is watching. This is no place for childish rivalry."
"Then maybe you shouldn't parade us like auctioned wives," Aria shot back.
The Elder stood slowly. "You are bold."
"And you are old."
Even Kael flinched.
Mordric's face darkened. "You disrespect this council. You shame the name of Luna."
"I didn't ask to be Luna," Aria said, voice trembling now. "I didn't ask to be his mate. I didn't ask for a war, or for my father to lie to me, or for the bond that ties me to a man I was raised to hate."
A beat of silence passed.
Kael stepped forward.
"She speaks the truth," he said, his voice low, echoing with authority. "None of this was her doing. I took her prisoner. I gave her no choice. And yet she stands here, facing you all, while most of you hide behind ancient laws."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"She is my mate," Kael continued. "Fated or not, she is mine. And I will not take another Luna—no matter what this council demands."
"Even if it causes war?" Mordric asked sharply.
Kael's voice dropped. "Then let it come."
---
Aria's POV
She hadn't expected him to say it.
Not out loud. Not here. Not in front of the wolves who wanted her dead.
But when he did, something deep inside her broke open—not from fear, but from the sheer, unbearable weight of being seen. Chosen. Defended.
Veyra looked like she'd swallowed poison.
Aria looked at Kael, her voice soft. "You'll burn everything for me?"
His eyes burned into hers. "I already have."
And the court shattered into chaos.
---
Later that night...
The moon was high when Kael found her again.
She was on the battlement wall, staring at the forest, the scent of her hair dancing in the wind.
"You shouldn't be alone," he said.
"I'm never alone anymore," she replied. "You're always in my head."
Kael stepped beside her.
Neither spoke for a long time.
Finally, she said, "You shouldn't have said it."
"Which part?"
"That I was yours."
He turned to her. "Do you want me to take it back?"
"No," she whispered. "That's the problem."