"Lady Freya said you allowed her into my chambers. Is that true?" He asked confidently.

Adina stiffened, her gaze shifting to Freya for a second.

A single heartbeat passed.

"Yes," she said quietly. "It's true."

Thorne stared at her, his expression blank—so blank it was almost terrifying.

He blinked. Once.

"What?"

Adina let Freya in?

Freya nodded frantically. "See, it's the truth. I have no reason to lie. I wouldn't even th—"

"Get out." Thorne's voice dropped into a deadly growl.

Freya froze.

"M-my king?"

Thorne's gaze remained on Adina, unblinking. "I said get out."

Freya scurried off the floor like it burned and ran out of the room, sobbing loudly while dressed in that ridiculously short lingerie.

Thorne's gaze was fixed on Adina, his mind trying to comprehend what she just said—what he just heard.

He stepped forward to her and she instinctively stepped back, tensed and scared.

Thorne paused at the space she'd created between them. He shut his eyes, scoffing.

Thorne didn't say a word as he turned and walked across the room. His movements were too calm, too controlled. He didn't even look at Adina as he opened the cabinet, pulled out a dark bottle, and poured himself a glass of liquor.

He needed it, after all.

The burn didn't even register as he downed it.

He poured another and another…for the first time in years, he wished yet again he could get drunk from alcohol.

He couldn't…no matter how much he wanted to.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Adina shuffle awkwardly on her feet. The silence was probably suffocating for her. He could smell her nerves from where she stood. She was nervous—scared.

She was always so scared whenever she was with him.

'Maybe it's because you treat her like dirt,' his Lycan supplied, but he shut the beast out immediately.

He turned, his gaze landing on her, and she visibly stiffened. He watched as she swallowed hard, her fingers twitching with nerves.

After what seemed like an eternity, she quietly moved towards the bed and began fixing it. She took the discarded robe, fixed the pillows that were now off the bed, and changed the sheets of the bed.

As if this was just another mess to clean.

He watched her.

Watched her move around like none of this meant anything.

Watched her act like seeing Freya nearly naked on his bed didn't bother her.

Did it not?

Like letting that woman into his chambers meant nothing.

He hated it.

He poured a fourth or maybe it was his fifth glass, slower this time.

Adina moved to the burning candles, she wasn't paying attention to them. No—her mind was stuck on the man who only stared at her, not saying a word.

She was expecting something.

A growl?

Snarl?

Insults and letting her know just what he thought of her.

Adina had been expecting a lot of things but none of them was this.

This silence…this intense way he watched her.

It made her uncomfortable, her stomach twisted inexplicably, and she felt sweat trickled down her back. And what happened when she done cleaning up? She apologizes for allowing Freya in?

In the haze of her thoughts, she didn't pay attention to the candles she was clearing.

Her fingers grazed too close to the flame and then sizzled.

"Ah—!" she yelped, jerking back but before she could even look at the damage, he was there.

Hovering over her, he grabbed her hand gently but firmly, cradling her fingers in his own much larger ones. His brows furrowed deeply as he examined the burn, his thumb brushing carefully over the reddening skin.

Adina froze, her eyes widening with shock. What was happening? She should be scolded. Punished for what she did but this…

He's touching her. Holding her hand…

Her throat constricted of air and a lump rose to her throat. This was foreign. New. Scary.

She quickly snatched her hand back from his, looking away. "I'm sorry. I'll just—"

"What do you think you're doing?" Thorne's deep voice cut her off completely.

At this, Adina looked up at him, stunned and confused. "W-what do you mean?"

"This. You letting Freya in my room. You acting like this. Avoiding me." He said, the word leaving his lips clearer than the last.

Adina blinked. Avoiding him? He—He noticed.

"What do you hope to achieve with this? Is this your new plan of getting rid of our bond?" He snapped.

Adina's eyes went wider than it already was. 'Our bond' what was happening? Since when did Thorne think of her as a mate? As his mate?

"It would make sense, wouldn't it? You think doing these things will somehow get you out of this? Is that it?"

Adina took a deep breath then looked at Thorne. "I wouldn't do anything like that. You've made it clear where I stand, and I've long accepted it. There's no 'our bond' when you don't acknowledge one." She paused for a second.

"I allowed Lady Freya in because she's your concubine. I apologize if I did anything wrong." She bowed.

Thorne scoffed again, he hasn't felt this much in years and now…standing here and looking at Adina. He was feeling so many things all at once.

She was right.

She was wrong.

He knew nothing more than what he was currently feeling. And he was so tired…so, so tired.

Adina swallowed hard, "Please excuse me, Your Majesty." She said, turning to leave.

She didn't make it a step away when his hand closed around her wrist firmly, pulling her back to him.

Adina gasped, her body freezing, halfway turned. "Y-Your Majesty?"

Thorne didn't speak right away. Instead, he tugged her gently toward him. She stiffened, stumbling forward, her eyes wide, breath caught in her throat.

And then—

He hugged her.

He hugged her!

And for a moment…everything seemed to stop. Even the air seized.

Thorne had his arms wrapped around Adina, his eyes shut close. Because this one time, he was tired of feeling…so, so tired. And there she was…their bond. Soft, familiar, and aching.

It called out to him from the inside, and for the first time in a whole…Thorne didn't resist it.

Adina's heart pounded harder than ever. Her arms stayed by her sides, useless, paralyzed, and her face was bright red. "Y-your Majesty…"

"Wait…." his voice was low, rough, and deep. "Just a little."

She didn't move. Didn't even breathe.

Her heart pounded loudly enough for the both of them, but she didn't speak. She didn't pull away. She just… waited.

The bond flared between them, and it was the most beautiful thing Adina had ever felt. It was warm, sweet, and familiar.

A lump rose up to Adina's throat, and her eyes blurred with unshed tears. She was feeling it all, and she wondered if he felt it too.

Slowly, so slowly, Thorne's head dropped against her shoulder. His arms loosened, just enough to no longer grip but enough to hold.

She felt the exact moment he exhaled. The exact moment his body gave in to exhaustion and his breathing slowed.

He was asleep.

In her arms.

What the heck…

Adina didn't know what to do…How was this possible? That he would sleep, standing while embracing her?

That he didn't yell at her and scold her for letting Freya into his room?

She trembled internally yet she didn't care to move… she couldn't.

So she stood there.

Holding a man who had done nothing but hurt her.

Soon, her arms began to ache.

Still, she didn't move.

Not when this—whatever this was—was happening. Not when Thorne's breathing was even, steady, and warm against the crook of her neck.

His pheromones pumped out even more, his scent filling her nostrils, wrapping around her, and it was making her dizzy.

Was this real?

She wasn't sure. None of this made sense.

Thorne—the king— was asleep. On her. Hugging her like she was something precious.

What do I do?

Her arms stayed limp by her sides as she stared at the wall behind him, silently counting her heartbeats.

One. Two. Three—

The door creaked open. Adina's eyes snapped up in alarm just as Caelum stepped inside, holding a small tray with a steaming cup of herbal drink.

He had brought it for Thorne to get some sleep. His insomnia was worse than ever.

The second his gaze landed on them, he stopped mid-step. Shocked to his core.

He blinked once, slowly. His mouth parted slightly as he took in the sight, his king draped around the slave girl like she was the safest place in the world.

"What the heck?" He mouthed, clearly shocked.

He dropped the cup in his hands. "Are you okay?" He mouthed again to Adina who shook her head.

How could she be okay? She's standing with a 220-pound man in her arms. Who would be okay?

Adina looked down. Thorne's body had gotten heavier against her, his grip loosening, but not quite gone. His head still rested on her shoulder.

With Caelum's help, they gently eased Thorne onto the bed. He didn't stir. Just let out a soft breath, like he'd been holding it forever.

Adina straightened, awkwardly smoothing her dress. Her chest felt tight, like something important had happened—but she wasn't allowed to keep it.

"Thank you," she whispered, stepping away.

As she turned toward the door, Caelum reached out and touched her arm lightly. She paused, glancing at him.

"Adina ," Caelum began…hesitating slightly. "He just… needs time."

She nodded again, not trusting herself to speak.

___________

The second she stepped out of the warm, the air went cold again. Like what happened in there didn't happen. Adina exhaled slowly. She knew she wasn't going to get any sleep.

Not with all that's happened.

She didn't expect to feel so shaky once she made it back to her quarters. Her heart was still rattling in her chest. The ghost of his arms still lingered on her skin.

She reached for the door, opened it only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight that greeted her.

Lady Freya was sitting on her bed, still in her robe.

She clearly didn't leave the king's wing. No—she only came to stay in Adina's.

She smirked the moment she saw Adina, "Took you long enough. I almost thought you were getting punished but-"

She paused, leaning closer and sniffed the air like a dog.

A sly smile slowly made its way to her face. "You reek of the king. Even more than usual."

Adina stiffened, ignoring what the other said, she shut the door behind her. "Lady Freya. What are you—"

"— doing in your room?" Freya completed. "Nothing." She shrugged easily, "I just wanted to see where the ex Luna of the Crystal moon pack sleeps."

Adina tensed up, heart racing. She stepped forward. "Lady Freya, please you can't—"

Freya smiled. "Relax. Everyone important in Obsidian knows you were once a Luna." She paused, smirking. "What they don't know is that you…." She stood up, enjoying the way Adina's face paled… the way her body trembled.

Freya didn't really care about Adina…no but if this was her way to get closer to the king. She'd take it.

"What they don't know is that you….."

"Freya!"

Freya stopped, still smirking, her brows arched. "You did well today…very well." She stepped closer to Adina, her eyes glinting.

"All you have to do is help me. Help me with the king and no one would learn of your secret."

She then stepped back. "Have a good night, Adina." She winked then stepped out of the room.

The second Freya stepped out of the room, Adina crumbled to her knees, her chest heaving heavily.

No one…. Not a soul can learn of her secret.

If she'd know that Freya was the girl from that day…

Adina shook her head, no. She's hidden that part of herself. Buried it even. And she's worked so hard to keep it from who she was.

Somehow, even though she was far away from The Crystal moon pack. Far away from Roman and Catherine. She could never seem to get away from this one thing from Crystal moon.

No matter how much she tried.