Chapter 25
“Max, I have to go to work,” I murmur, the words barely escaping my lips as I crouch down to his level.
“Work?” His voice is a small echo of disappointment, but he quickly brightens, the resilience of youth shining through. “Well, maybe you can come over and play at my place?” A strand of hair falls into his face, and he brushes it aside with an innocence that squeezes my heart.
I sigh. “Maybe another time, Max,” I say softly, offering a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. My chest tightens with guilt for the loneliness etched into his features.
“Sweetie, I need to go home and check on my grandma,” I murmur, the quiver in my voice betraying the turmoil beneath my calm exterior. Max’s bright eyes widen, a glimmer of understanding behind the innocence. Yet, he’s persistent, his next words tugging at the already frayed edges of my resolve.
“My daddy can drive you home! Then you can come home with us after you check Granny!” His eagerness is a punch to my gut; it stings. Isn’t there a friend, a playmate, for him somewhere?
“Max, I…” My voice trails off trying to come up with an excuse. It’s clear his father doesn’t want me around his son, and why would he? I am a stranger after all and trying to deceive the king. But Max’s hopeful gaze tugs at something deep within me, a maternal instinct I didn’t know existed, mingling with an undeniable pull towards his father that’s both reckless and irresistible.
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Chapter 25
288 Vouchers
“At least let me drive you home,” King Soren says, stepping closer, his presence enveloping me. His words, laced with genuine kindness, send a jolt through my veins. The scent of him–a mix of pine and power–fills my senses, and for a moment, I’m lost in the deep blue of his eyes.
The offer sends a tremor through my body, I’m supposed to maintain distance, keep the boundaries clear, but his proximity blurs every line I’ve drawn.
“Your Highness, I… that isn’t necessary,” I falter again, my pulse racing.
I should say no. I should turn away from his offer, from his son’s pleading eyes, from the allure of this man who is so much more than a simple man. But the wolf inside me howls in protest, craving his nearness, while the woman fears the inevitable fall into his orbit and the destruction he can cause if he figures out I am lying to him.
“Please, Brielle,” Max’s voice breaks through my reverie, a small hand reaching for mine. “It’ll be fun!”
“Sweetheart,” I start, my voice quivering, “it’s not that simple.” I look up at King Soren, seeking mercy in his gaze, pleading silently for him to tell his son no for me.
“I don’t mind,” the king adds, though I believe mainly because he is busy and wanting to leave.
I hesitate, caught in the crossfire of their expectant stares. The offer is kindness itself, but danger lurks beneath the surface. If I accept, I’ll be confined with him, alone with the questions I fear, the urges I must suppress, the secrets I desperately need to keep.
Chapter 25
288 Wouchers
“It’s fine, it’s not that far,” I stammer, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Let me drive you home,” King Soren insists again, his voice commanding yet laced with an unexpected kindness. “It’s the least I can do after you’ve looked after my son.”
Max beams up at me, his little hand reaching out as if he can pull me into their world with nothing but his will. “See, Brielle. Then you can check on Grandma and come to the castle. We can finally play!” His excitement is contagious, his innocence a balm to my frayed edges.
I sigh, the sound heavy with unspoken words. The thought of being alone with the king, confined within the steel walls of his car, sends a shiver down my spine.
But it isn’t just fear that stirs within me–it’s a longing, a yearning for something I cannot have, something as forbidden and alluring as the moon’s call to my wolfen soul.
“So?” King Soren’s deep voice pulls me from the tempest of my thoughts, and I find myself locking eyes with him–those piercing blue depths that unsettle me in ways I don’t want to admit.
