“Control was the first thing I lost the moment she looked at me.”
Kael
Dinner was meant to be simple.
Just showing up and acting like the leader I had been for so long that it no longer took effort.
That was what I told myself as I walked down the corridor toward where she would be waiting.
Still, there was a faint sense of anticipation I couldn’t quite ignore.
I dismissed it immediately.
My mind drifted briefly to the boundary, the moment our eyes met, and the way she had looked at me without hesitation before blurting…
“You’re not old.”
A quiet trace of amusement surfaced but I suppressed it.
What exactly had she expected?
An older man with a horn?
The thought almost pulled a reaction out of me.
Then I remembered when she collided with me earlier.
That brief contact, the light impact of her head against my back.
It should have been nothing.
But it didn’t.
The sensation had lingered longer than it should have, a faint warmth I refused to examine.
I told myself that was the bond and nothing more.
That explanation held until I turned the corner and saw her.
She didn’t notice me at first.
She was busy adjusting the top of her dress with both hands, focused as if she were dealing with a small problem on her own.
Her head was slightly lowered, and her dark hair falling forward.
The dress was deep blue and caught the light from the torches in a soft, simple way.
I halted instantly and watched her.
I became sharply aware of how close she was.
It felt warm, unwanted, and impossible to ignore.
Her hands moved to the neckline, adjusting the fabric without thinking, a small human sign of unease.
Something stirred inside me, but I didn’t stop to think about it.
Then she looked up.
Our eyes met.
I met her dark eyes, and my gaze briefly followed the movement of her hands.
She was strikingly beautiful, and I felt an immediate, instinctive reaction to it.
She remained still, her attention shifting as she noticed where I was looking.
She realised where I was looking and quickly lowered her hands.
I turned my gaze away at once, focusing on the walls as if they had suddenly become very interesting.
My jaw tightened.
Control, I muttered to myself.
She began to walk toward me.
With each step, the distance between us grew smaller, and I could feel it through the bond, like a quiet change in the air.
When she stopped, her voice sounded steadier than her face looked.
“Your Majesty. I apologise for keeping you waiting.”
I looked at her properly then.
Her dress was the colour of a midnight sky just before it turned completely dark.
It suited her well, fitting her shape in a way that was both simple and striking.
She was herself, wearing something that fit her naturally.
I was drawn to her more than I expected, and I didn’t notice the words came out before I could stop or think.
“You look beautiful in that dress.”
I felt the flare of surprise on her face the second I said that.
I noticed the slip immediately, but I set it aside in my mind.
Then I held out my arm.
It was simply part of the custom—offering support so she could move properly within the setting.
Nothing more than that.
I told myself it was normal.
She hesitated at first, then slid her hand through the crook of my elbow.
Even through the fabric, the bond moved through me like something finding its level.
I felt the same feeling I felt when she hit her hand on my back earlier.
Why am I affected by her so much?
The dining hall doors opened, and sound spilt out.
I felt her hand tighten on my arm.
I glanced at her, and I knew she was bracing herself.
I gave her a small nod as I watched the room receive her.
It wasn’t loud, but I saw the recalibration, eyes moving from me to her, calculating her value.
I could see the council members staring in shock as they looked our way.
They should have been.
A king no one ever dared approach was now standing here, with a small human walking beside him, holding onto his arm.
My mom was there, smiling brightly.
She was the only one who had expected all of this and had clearly enjoyed every part of it.
We walked into the dining hall, and everyone bowed as I passed.
I went ahead and pulled out the chair beside mine for her.
I felt the reaction move through the room at once, a clear shift in attention and surprise, even without looking directly at their faces.
It was unnecessary.
A king does not serve.
I was fully aware that I was breaking protocol.
Still, I did it anyway, because she was standing in a room full of people who had already decided what she wasn’t.
Pulling out a chair cost me nothing.
I kept on reassuring myself.
I spent the evening watching her handle a situation that would have overwhelmed most people.
Kira and Seraphina both spoke to her, and from her expression, I could tell she wasn’t comfortable with Seraphina’s compliment.
She kept her head down while she ate.
Very smart.
She assessed the room and chose to draw less attention to herself.
Then Lord Eryndal pushed too far.
“Given the circumstances, the council would appreciate clarity on the timeline. Given the circumstances, it would be wise to begin formal proceedings regarding the human’s stay sooner rather than…. ”
“Soon,” I cut it off
“Of course, but there are concerns regarding….”
“This is dinner.”
I didn’t raise my voice.
I felt my wolf press against the surface, that cold, absolute authority older than the throne itself.
The room went very still.
Eryndal lowered his head.
“We eat,” I said.
“Council matters belong in the council chamber and not at my table.”
I felt her eyes on me then.
I don’t think she was just afraid.
I felt like she was studying me, trying to understand me.
She was the first person in decades to look at my authority and try to make sense of it, rather than submit to it.
After dinner, I watched her leave the room with my mother.
Then I turned and walked toward my chambers.
That was when I saw Seraphina standing there.
Your Majesty,” she said.
“Seraphina.”
She fell into step beside me without invitation.
I kept walking.
“There is something you need to know,” she said.
Her voice had shifted to the voice she used when she had something real to offer.
I listened.
“A faction is forming,” she said.
“Below the council level. Three families… are already making their moves. I have the names of those who have been in communication with parties outside Erevon.”
Something sharpened in me, and I turned to her.
“The hunters,” she said.
“They made contact recently. Since news of her arrival began to circulate through the court.”
I knew something like this would happen, but I didn’t expect it so soon.
She hasn’t even been here a full day, and already the threats have started.
Hunters contacting internal families was not new.
They had tried it before during my father’s reign and once in the early years of mine, until I made the consequences clear.
But doing it now, right after her arrival, was unacceptable.
I would deal with it.
“Names,” I said.
She gave them.
I recognised two immediately.
The third I will fill for Riven.
“How did you come by this?” I asked.
“Lord Varen’s daughter spoke too freely at dinner,” she said.
“She assumed I shared their concerns.”
“And do you?”
Then there was a small pause.
“I am loyal to Erevon,” she said.
“And to you.”
I looked at her.
She held my gaze in an open and composed manner, the version of herself she wore when she wanted to be believed.
She was useful.
She had always been useful.
“I’ll have Riven look into it,” I said.
“Of course.”
We walked.
The torches threw long shadows across the stone.
The corridor curved slightly to the left ahead.
Then she laughed.
I said nothing.
Seraphina stayed close, slightly closer than necessary, using her familiarity as a language.
I watched as her gaze moved to the corridor in front of us.
I followed her gaze and met her.
Lena.
She was completely still.
Her eyes moved from me to Seraphina, then to the distance between us.
I saw the confusion in her eyes.
Seraphina saw her, too.
She adjusted her position, moving marginally closer to me.
It was intentional.
Every move Seraphina made was a chess piece.
Then, suddenly, I felt a sharp sting to my chest, precise like a blade.
In that moment, I could feel all of her emotions as if they were my own.
She had been in this world for twelve hours, and she was standing in a corridor feeling something about me that the bond carried directly into my heart.
I met her eyes.
Her face looked calm again, but I had already felt what was beneath it.
I could sense the hunters’ alliance in the shadows and Seraphina’s calculated closeness, but this… this was harder to control.
“Goodnight, Your Majesty,” Seraphina said, stepping back with a satisfied expression.
She walked away.
Lena was still there.
We looked at each other across the quiet corridor, the torches burning between us.
I had always chosen distance.
It was the foundation of my rule.
And yet, I was looking at a girl who stepped toward me in the dark when every instinct should have made her run.
Looking at her, I realised one thing clearly.
This was never going to stay under control.
Writing Kael’s POV is my biggest challenge.
I want him to be this powerful King, but I also want you all to see the man underneath the crown who is clearly panicking.
It’s hard making an Alpha relatable when he’s busy pretending he’s in control!
Hope you enjoyed seeing him finally crack a little.