Alie took a slow step forward, her eyes locked on Valko’s majestic form. Carefully, she reached out, her hand trembling slightly, not from fear, but from the overwhelming feeling blooming in her chest.
As her palm gently t his face, Valko closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. It was a silent surrender for love that needed no words. She could feel the steady warmth radiating from him.
A soft smile spread across her lips full of wonder and affection. She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of his face, just below his eye.
"It feels dreamy, Valko," she whispered.
Valko let out a low, contented sound, his tail swaying slowly behind him.
’I wish I had a wolf too,’ she thought, hugging Valko this ti. The strong musk scent made her heart thunder more.
They remained like that for a while when Gabriel changed back into his human form, his arms wrapping around her waist, taking in Alie’s scent.
"You changed back," Alie murmured, pulling up her face to et his gaze.
Gabriel didn’t respond. Instead, he captured her mouth into a fierce kiss while tilting her head to one side. She had to tiptoe even though she was in her heels, reciprocating to his kiss.
She found herself landing on sothing soft and opened her eyes only to find they were in their room. Gabriel had teleported them. The bags in her hands lowered to the floor above the rug.
Alie withdrew from the kiss while panting. "Wait, I need to breathe," she murmured.
"Sorry," Gabriel caressed her hair and planted a soft kiss on the top of her head.
"Where are you going?" Alie questioned as soon as Gabriel stepped away.
"I need to order dinner for us," Gabriel replied.
"I thought–" Alie paused and bit her bottom lip.
"I need to make sure you don’t skip your als," Gabriel stated, grabbing the landline phone.
"I love you," Alie said to which Gabriel arched his eyebrow at her. The line connected and he ordered the als when Alie teased him by giving him a firm kiss on the cheek before running to the washroom.
Gabriel set down the phone and chuckled in joy. Suddenly, so much had changed in his life and he was happy about it. "I’m glad I chose you Alie. Despite everything, I am going to choose you in every situation of my life," he murmured with a smile.
~~~~~
Katelyn ended the call and slowly lowered her hand, her brows slightly furrowed. "I wonder what’s going on with my elder brother... Even Mom wouldn’t tell ," she murmured, her voice tinged with concern.
The cool night breeze swept gently across her face, tugging at the strands of her hair and tossing them to the side.
"Your Highness, what are you doing here alone in the garden?" Karn asked, approaching her with quiet steps.
"I was speaking with my mother," Katelyn replied softly. Her eyes drifted to the file in his hand. "You’re always working every ti I see you."
"Prince Gabriel hasn’t resud his duties yet. That’s why," Karn said with a small, understanding smile.
"Hmm," she murmured.
"I thought you’d return to the palace after the wedding was over," he remarked.
"I plan to stay here for a while," Katelyn said calmly.
"I hope Prince Gabriel will be alright with that," Karn replied after a pause. "He chose this place to distance himself from the royal family... I don’t an to say you should leave, Your Highness, but I felt it was important to ntion."
"I spoke to my brother. Alie put in a good word for , so I’ll be staying here for a while," Katelyn said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Oh," Karn replied, nodding slightly.
"I t your mother in the capital a few weeks ago," she continued. "Aren’t you planning to visit your family?"
"I’ve been caught up with work," he answered. "But I’ll visit them soon." His tone softened as he added, "You should head inside now. The nights in San Ravendale tend to get colder."
Katelyn humd in response, watching him as he turned to leave. But just as he took a step away, she called out.
"Karn, I wanted to ask you sothing."
He paused, turning back to face her. "What is it?"
"Umm..." She hesitated, then drew in a breath. "Would you like to date ?"
Katelyn had planned to keep her feelings hidden, but she could no longer to do. She felt she needed certainty.
Karn blinked, surprised. He had to make sure he heard her right. "Pardon ?"
Karn’s expression shifted subtly. "An alpha can’t date a beta," he said at last.
"Which rulebook says that?" Katelyn pouted, stepping closer to him. "I like you," she confessed then.
Karn’s eyes widened at her boldness. He parted his lips to respond, but the words didn’t co, at least, not the right ones.
"Your Highness, I will pretend I didn’t hear that," he finally said, bowing slightly before turning away.
"What? Why?" Katelyn blinked in disbelief, her heart sinking. She hadn’t expected him to accept her so easily, but an instant rejection? That hurt her.
"I don’t want to be with an alpha," Karn reasoned.
"What? How could you say that?" she demanded, rushing to block his path. "You’re stronger than . You’ve always been."
"That doesn’t change anything," he said, his voice growing firr. "You’re a princess, an Alpha Princess. I’m Prince Gabriel’s beta and a close friend. It’s not right."
His tone had sharpened, intentionally colder now. He believed it would be better this way, to extinguish her hopes completely before they grew deeper.
"I may be stronger, but I don’t wish to be romantically involved with you, Princess Katelyn. You aren’t my type," he said in the end.
Katelyn clenched her hands into fists. Her eyes brimd with tears. But instead of saying anything to Karn, Katelyn ran inside, straight to her room.
Shutting the door close, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "How could he say that I’m not his type? He sees as an undesirable woman," Katelyn mumbled.
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