A Crown of Ashes

upon which Virelia's fate now precariously balanced. I hated the suffocating scrutiny, the way every breath I took, every glance I cast, was dissected and analyzed, imbued with

." He still brought me wildflowers from the hidden alcoves of the palace gardens, a nostalgic echo of our childhood a

cas was dif

rised no one. The court rejoiced. The match was ideal: two noble houses entwined, childhood affection bl

t beat. It recoiled from the very idea,

lted on its axis. The very air crackled with an unse

ophecy wasn't a metaphor, a veiled suggestion of a possible future. It was a

n the volatile s

-

borne the crushing weight of the Lycan crown. But none of it had prepared me

ual, offering her a life of uncomplicated normalcy I could never provide. Still, a venomous jealousy coiled

veness, the natural instinct of a guardian

knew th

nnection were woven deep, an intricate tapestry of shared glanc

y confirmed what our

her face with an ethereal glow – I nearly shattered the carefully constructed walls around my control.

I should have buried the

ed to the spot, watc

-

aw

nsity that belied the facade of avuncular concern. The subtle clench of his jaw when I

ius was her uncle, her protector.

hina's gaze darted nervously between us,

joy when I touched her. She didn't flinch when D

Darius's with an unsettling m

t wasn't the look of a guardian. It w

nothing. That it *c

d with a potent energy, a shift

terri

h her. And I knew, with a chillin

-

self in my duties, in the endless parade of suitors vying for my hand

often fall asleep in his arms amidst piles of ancient texts, the scent of old

ath the stained-glass dome, moonlight painting his dark hair wi

mine, and the air in the room thicke

red, the words barely audible abov

ands snapped shut

I lied, the words tasting

e I di

nted

oser, his gaze un

is fingers brushing against my cheek, sending a jolt of electricity t

en

pen, shattering

de with hurt, anger, and dawning compre

tight with barely controlled fury. "I d

eaving the shattered remnants of a

-

I knew it. A dangero

before Lucas entered, whe

eaned int

t of unspoken connection, I knew