Celine struggled, twisting hard against the grip—until a voice, low and urgent, whispered in her ear.
“It’s me. Don’t scream.”
Her body went still.
The pressure eased, and she spun in his arms, eyes wide.
Luke stood before her, breathing hard, his face half-shadowed beneath the garden arch. He wasn’t in any uniform, no sigils of Midnight Crest or royal insignia—just simple, nondescript clothes that made him blend into the night.
“What the hell are you doing?” Celine hissed, pushing him back a step.
“I had to see you,” Luke said quickly. “I didn’t have time to send a message. They’re watching everything now.”
Her heart was still pounding. “So your brilliant idea was to grab me from behind?”
“I didn’t want anyone to hear your name. Or mine.”
His eyes met hers, and for the first time in a long time, she saw the Luke she remembered—worried, tired, and just a little too earnest.
“I think something’s coming,” he said, voice low. “Something worse than before.”
Celine’s pulse jumped. “Worse how?”
“It’s Lilith. She’s been seen in the Capital with your parents. Not formally. She’s hiding it—but she’s been meeting with your enemies.”
Celine’s breath caught. “What kind of enemies?”
“Royal ones.” He stepped closer. “Celine, she’s aligning with people who want you gone. Not just displaced—erased. This isn’t just sisterly resentment anymore. It’s bigger. She seeks the favour of the King.”
Celine swallowed hard, heart thudding. “Why are you telling me this?”
Luke looked pained. “Because I couldn’t protect you then… but I can now.”
And in that moment, his eyes said what his mouth didn’t—what they always said. He still cared. Too much.
And just behind one of the high stone arches, Leon saw everything.
He hadn’t meant to spy. He’d been searching for Celine—came to leave her the key from their guest chamber—but when he turned the corner and saw her standing with Luke, whispering, close...
It hit like a blow to the chest, sharp and breath-stealing. Leon didn’t move. He didn’t speak. He just stood there, watching from the shadows, the weight of what he saw anchoring him to the spot.
Luke’s eyes were on her—on Celine—and not in the way a soldier looked at a comrade. Not with formality. Not with restraint. It was the way he used to look at her. The way he still looked at her.
And this wasn’t the first time. Leon remembered the other glances. The other quiet conversations that stopped just a little too fast. He had told himself to walk away. To give Celine space. To trust.
But Luke wasn’t speaking out of duty. He wasn’t protecting Celine. He was circling her.
And Leon felt the shift deep in his gut.
He was an Alpha. He had seen that look before. Not in battle—but in challenge.
This time, he didn’t walk away.
Celine turned first. Her eyes widened, caught between alarm and something closer to panic. “Leon—” she began, but her voice trailed off when she saw his face.
He wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were locked on Luke. Cold. Steady. Stripped of any trace of patience.
“You want my mate?” Leon asked. His voice was low, but the threat beneath it was unmistakable.
Luke didn’t answer. His body went still.
Leon took another step forward, his tone dropping into something colder. Something final.
“Then come take her from me.”