"Maybe not."
As soon as Jasper ntioned that, Eve arched her brow, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced a him.
Scepticism was clear on Eve's face. "What do you an, maybe not?"
"You're looking at this from the wrong angle, my lady."
Eve frowned.
She was sure she knew what she was doing.
Seeing the doubt in her eyes, Jasper continued, "What if the poison ingredients were smuggled in?" Jasper suggested. "Hidden among other goods? Sothing not officially recorded? I an, who would be so stupid as to do that?"
Eve straightened as her mind began racing with thoughts. That would make perfect sense. If soone went through the trouble of procuring such rare and dangerous items, they wouldn't be brazen enough to declare them on a shipping ledger.
"So," Jasper continued, "those four rchants are still potential suspects."
Eve hesitated but nodded. "Alright, maybe you're onto sothing. Maybe it's not a dead end yet."
"Dead end?" a deep voice interrupted from behind them.
Eve turned to see Damian scrutinizing her with his silver eyes. His gaze shifted from her to the ledger on the counter, then back to her.
"So," Damian said, crossing his arms, "I left you all afternoon, and all you have to show is a dead end?"
Eve's irritation flared instantly. "Not all of us can wave a royal decree around to get what we want, Your Highness," she snapped.
Damian's lips twitched, though it was unclear whether he was suppressing a smirk or his temper. "Perhaps if you spent less ti making snide remarks, you'd actually get sowhere."
"And perhaps if you spent less ti breathing down my neck, I wouldn't be so distracted," Eve shot back.
Their voices rose, drawing the attention of nearby rchants.
"Careful, Evelina," Damian warned. "You're testing my patience."
"Good," Eve replied with a defiant smirk. "Maybe next ti, I'll test your self-control too."
Damian stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "You're impossible."
Eve tilted her head, her smirk widening. "And you're insufferable."
No one spoke for a few seconds.
"You really don't know when to stop, do you?" Damian finally said in a deceptively calm voice.
"Why should I?" Eve countered, a smirk tugging at her lips. "You're clearly not used to being challenged. Consider this... character-building."
Damian took another step closer, his silver eyes glowing faintly. "You've got quite the sharp mouth," he said in a low, warning tone. "If you're not careful, Evelina, I might just silence it for you—with a kiss."
Eve's eyes widened for half a second before her face twisted into an expression of mock horror. "Oh, please. I'd rather kiss a frog than you." Her voice dripped with disdain as she crossed her arms, staring him down.
Damian chuckled softly, a deep rumble that sent a shiver down her spine despite her annoyance. "Careful what you wish for," he replied with amusent. "I might just grant it. Or better. You might just find yourself wishing for that kiss soday."
"Not a chance," she shot back. "Phenonal douchebag," she muttered under her breath, turning to Jasper, who was attempting—and failing—to stifle his laughter. "Let's go. I've got more important things to do than entertain His Royal pain in the ass."
Ignoring his call, Eve walked past Damian and out of the rchant's shop. Jasper, unsure of what to do, stared between the prince and the retreating figure of Evelina. Taking a quick decision, he rushed out after Eve. "Lady Evelina... milady... you can't ignore the prince that way."
Eve paused only for a mont to retort, "I think I already did."
Relia's voice broke through her thoughts, teasing as always. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
"Thinking about how much I'd like to punch him? Sure," Eve retorted ntally.
Relia snickered. "That's not what I ant. You felt it, didn't you? The pull of the mate bond. The way your body reacted when he got close..."
Eve groaned internally. "Do you ever shut up?"
"Not when it cos to our mate, no," Relia replied smugly. "You can't run, Eve. You want that kiss as much as he and his wolf does. Take it."
Eve tried to focus on the busy market ahead, ignoring Relia, unsure of her destination, until a hand grabbed her wrist from behind. "Co with ," Damian said, his tone leaving no room for argunt.
"What are you doing?" Eve demanded, trying to wrench her hand free.
Damian didn't answer. Instead, he pulled her through the market, towards the palace.
"Hey! Let go of , you royal tyrant!" Eve shouted, earning a few curious glances from passersby.
"You talk too much," Damian muttered.
As they entered the grand hallways of the palace, Eve noticed they were heading toward his chambers.
Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Your room? Again? What's this about?"
Damian didn't answer. He pushed open the doors to his chambers with a force that made them creak.
Before Eve could protest, he spun her around and pinned her against the wall. His hands braced on either side of her head, caging her in.
The sudden proximity sent a jolt through her body, and the mate bond surged between them like a live wire. "Damian," her voice wavered slightly. "What are you doing?"
His silver eyes locked onto hers. "Now tell , where else do you have to run to, Evelina? Run away now if you can."
Eve's breath hitched as her back pressed against the cool wall. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest, with a mix of defiance and sothing she didn't want to na.
Relia's voice purred in her mind. "Oh, this is getting good."
"Not helping," Eve hissed internally.
Storm growled in Damian's mind, egging him on. "Perfect. Now claim her. Show her who she belongs to."
Damian leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. "You're so sure you wouldn't want to kiss you," he murmured in a low and teasing voice. "Care to test that theory whether you'd truly prefer a frog to ?"
Eve swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. She was acutely aware of every inch of him—the heat radiating from his body, the sharp planes of his face, the intensity of his gaze.
"I'm not afraid of you," she said, though her voice wavered slightly.
Damian's lips curled into a wolfish grin. "Then prove it."
Eve opened her mouth to retort, but her words faltered as he leaned in, the space between them shrinking. Her pulse raced, her body betraying her resolve as the mate bond pulled at her, urging her closer to him.
"You..." she began weakly, her mind scrambling for a coherent thought. "You wouldn't dare."
Damian's lips curved into a slow, predatory smirk. "Wouldn't I?"
Her body betrayed her, leaning ever so slightly closer. She wanted to push him away, to say sothing cutting, but her body refused to cooperate. The mate bond flared between them, electric and undeniable.
Damian raised a brow, his smirk deepening. "What's wrong, Evelina? You're quiet all of a sudden," he murmured. "Where's all that fire now?"
Her wolf howled in delight. "He's good, Eve. Just admit it—you're enjoying this."
Her lips parted, but before she could muster a response, the door swung open with a loud bang.
"Your Highness!" Jasper's voice rang out.
But before any of them could react to Jasper, the door smacked into the back of Damian's head, pushing him forward. The small distance between him and Eve vanished completely, their lips eting in an unplanned, electrifying kiss.
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