"I think you’re stronger than all of this," Kyle continued. "And I know deep down you’ll make a very powerful Luna. That’s why I’m here."
Evelina’s stomach twisted.
She hated how much those words unsettled her.
Because, in so way, he wasn’t wrong.
She did know.
Kyle wasn’t here just for a political alliance. He wasn’t here simply to strengthen ties between OakenShaw and Arcadia.
He was here for her.
And despite the frustration clawing at her chest, despite the way she wanted to shove him off the balcony for all the trouble he had caused her—
She couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been watching her for much longer than she realized.
That this had been planned.
That she had always been part of his endga.
And that thought alone was enough to send a slow, unwelco shiver down her spine.
Kyle watched her carefully, as if waiting for her to process it all. Then, after a long pause, he exhaled softly. "Goodnight, Evelina."
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing on the balcony with too many questions and not nearly enough answers.
Evelina remained on the balcony long after Kyle had left, staring out at the vast, moonlit gardens. The cool night breeze did little to ease the storm inside her.
She hated this.
Hated that Kyle had co here expecting to claim her. Hated that Damian was on edge, that he had been forced to declare their bond in front of an entire court... though a part of her loved it.
And she also hated that she felt like a prize being fought over in a war she never agreed to be part of.
Relia’s voice humd in her mind, low and restless. "He’s not wrong, you know."
Evelina’s fingers tightened around the stone railing. "Not now, Relia."
But her wolf didn’t relent. "You are stronger than this. And whether you want to admit it or not... Kyle sees it... Damian too."
Evelina exhaled sharply, pushing the thought away. She didn’t need validation from Kyle—or anyone else for that matter.
She needed clarity. She needed to understand why the hell she was suddenly the centre of royal politics in not one but two powerful kingdoms.
And, more than anything, she needed—
She sensed a shift in the air behind her.
A presence.
One she should’ve sensed sooner.
Evelina turned sharply, her muscles tensing—only to et the piercing gaze of Zade.
She straightened, masking the flicker of surprise in her features. "Your Highness."
Zade smirked. "Evelina."
His voice was smooth, controlled—but there was an unmistakable hint of tension beneath it. A quiet storm was brewing behind those golden eyes.
Evelina frowned slightly. "I didn’t realize you were back."
Zade hadn’t been in the palace all day. She assud he was off on another mission, dealing with Arcadia’s border security or handling so clandestine affair that the royal family never spoke about.
Zade tilted his head, his gaze steady. "And I didn’t realize I’d return to this."
Evelina arched a brow. "This?"
His smirk faded. "A prince from nowhere coming to claim you."
There it was.
A flicker of sothing deeper in his tone.
Evelina inhaled carefully. "OakenShaw isn’t just ’nowhere.’ And Kyle—" She hesitated. "—Kyle is... persistent."
Zade let out a low chuckle, but there was no humour in it.
"Persistent." He took a slow step closer. "That’s a very polite way to put it."
Evelina t his gaze steadily. "What do you want to say?"
Zade didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he gazed into her eyes, sothing mysterious shining within them. When he eventually spoke, his voice was softer and more controlled.
"You know where I stand, Evelina."
Her breath caught for just a second.
She did.
Zade had made his intentions clear long before she ever beca Damian’s mate... even though those mories of Evelina were still hazy.
He had made it clear that he wanted her before she beca Evelina.
Before she and Damian clicked as mates.
Before they had even acknowledged their bond.
Before everything.
He had always been there—watching from the shadows, waiting.
And unlike Kyle, he had never rushed.
Never demanded.
He had been patient.
Even after returning from a near-impossible mission—one where he had risked his life to bring her sothing most people believed didn’t even exist.
The mythical dragon pearl.
He had never asked for anything in return.
Never pushed her.
But now?
Now, there was a sharpness to his presence that hadn’t been there before.
Zade stepped even closer, his voice dropping lower.
"I went to the ends of the world to bring you sothing no one else could, to prove my love for you," he murmured. "And I’d do it again."
Evelina’s heart pounded.
Relia stirred. "He ans it."
Evelina swallowed. "Zade—"
His eyes darkened. "But I won’t stand by and watch others try to take what should have been mine."
Evelina exhaled.
This was getting dangerous.
She had spent so much ti dealing with Damian, with the never-ending chaos that surrounded her, with Kyle, that she had almost forgotten—
Zade had never given up.
And now?
Now, she wasn’t sure if that was a comfort... Or a threat.
Evelina inhaled deeply, steadying herself. She had always known he harbored feelings for her—he had never hidden them. But hearing him say what should have been mine sent a sharp unease curling in her stomach.
She exhaled, carefully choosing her words. "Zade... I don’t—" She hesitated before finally asking, "What happens when your mate appears?"
Silence.
His expression didn’t change imdiately, but sothing flickered in his golden eyes—sothing unreadable.
Then, slowly, he smiled.
"A good question," he murmured. "And one I’ve already answered for myself."
Evelina frowned slightly. "And?"
Zade stepped even closer, so close that his warmth touched her skin. His gaze locked onto hers. "I don’t intend to have another."
Her breath caught.
Relia let out a low growl. "Evelina, we should leave."
Evelina forced herself to hold her ground. "That’s not how it works."
Zade chuckled. "You’d be surprised at how much can be rewritten, Evelina." His voice dropped to a whisper. "If one is willing to fight for it."
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