<i>Zephyrine </i>


    I stirred in my sleep and gradually drifted awake when I couldn’t feel him beside me. Lycannar. My eyes fluttered open, and I paused there for a while.


    It was like he hadn’t slept in the chamber at all. A wave of loneliness suddenly washed over me, and I sat up groggily, determined to look for him.


    “Lycan?” I called, but no response came. Only the echo of my own voice greeted me. It almost felt like Chantel wasn’t even home.


    Restless now, I walked out of the living room and wandered toward the bath chamber, but he wasn’t there. A shaky sigh escaped me.


    Was he still mad at me for what happenedst night?


    “Lycan?” I called again, heading toward the end of the hall only for his voice to sound behind <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    “I’m here.”


    I stiffened at the sound of it. Slowly, I turned to see him standing at the entrance where the stairs led down to the dining hall.


    He was fully dressed, as though he had just returned from somewhere, and judging by the darkest hour, I wondered where he had been. But that thought fled when his presence overwhelmed me with a warmth I hadn’t expected.


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    Quietly, I walked into his arms, and he held me close, his palm stroking through my


    “You okay?” he asked softly.


    hair.


    “I can’t sleep without you,” I murmured against his chest, and he pressed a kiss to my hair.


    “Come on. Let’s get you back to bed.”


    He carried me with ease andid me down gently in the bedchamber. His thumb caressed my cheek before he stood to pull off his boots, cloak, and shirt. Then he slid beneath the nket, gathering me into his arms.


    I sighed, melting against his solid presence. His strength always made me feel safe, but my eyes drifted down to his ankles.


    “Lycan?” I asked quietly, sitting up to study the new scars etched there. “What happened to you? Those weren’t there before. You had no scars at all… until now.”


    He didn’t answer at first. Instead, he stared at me like I had just spoken in riddles. My fingers reached toward the mark, but at thest moment, he pulled his leg away.


    “Don’t touch it,” he said softly.


    I swallowed hard. To my ears, it sounded like rejection.


    “I thought you said your problem is mine,” I whispered. “You don’t want to share this with


    me?<b>” </b>


    Silence stretched between us. Finally, he shook his head.


    “I camete that night. Before I could return, the midnight bell had struck, meaning I have spent two nights outside.”


    I froze.


    “What happened when you broke the… warning?”


    “I shifted,” he admitted quietly. “The anklets were forged to restrain me from losing control. When my beasts tried toe out, they glowed red–hot. They burned me.”


    I went still again, stunned. Why did it always have to be this way?


    “I should have let you go sooner that day,” I whispered, guilt choking me. “It’s my fault.”


    His arm came around me, pulling me down into his embrace.


    “It’s no one’s fault but mine. I should have heeded the warning more carefully.” He sighed, eyes drifting up toward the sketch of me on the ceiling. His hand brushed over me tenderly. “How is your brother?”


    At the mention, I blinked. Varyn.


    “I left him in good hands. I am his sister, but… I still believe Dessyn should look after him. She loves him too much. He’s recovering.”


    Lycannar caressed me more gently, his voice low and steady.


    “You don’t need to feel guilty for what happened to your brother, Zephyrine. I know You’re running from it because of that guilt.”


    $52


    17:35 <b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>19 </b>B


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    He pierced me with the truth, and I felt myself shrink in his arms. Lycannar knew me far too well now.


    “I came here seeking peace, Lycan. My pack is nothing but torment for me. I didn’t know how to face Varyn’s condition. I was angry with myself, too, for wasting five years when I could have gone to ckwater to save him.”


    “You didn’t know he was in ckwater,” he said, pulling back to meet my eyes. “And the moment you found out, you rode straight there. You saved him.”


    “All because of you,” I whispered. “You make it all look so easy. The burden, the battle, the rescue. You stood behind me like a solid rock. You wiped my tears and never demanded that I be strong


    all the time. You told me it was okay to cry before you. And Lycan… I don’t know how to repay you. I don’t know at all.”


    He said nothing, just cupped my cheek and gave me a small, almost sad smile. It made my heart ache that I had nothing to give him in return.


    “You know… I came here for more than one reason.” I lowered my gaze, my voice soft. “Aside from rejecting your proposal.”


    He didn’t speak, only watched me with patient eyes.


    “I came because I felt your sorrow through the amulet. I came because something in me felt uneasy and here in your arms alone will I find peace. I came because I love you. I came because… I love you again, and again, and again.”


    He silenced me with a kiss, pulling back just enough to search my eyes.


    “I argued with my uncle Dareth earlier today,” he confessed. <fn508e> Readplete version only at Find_Novel(.</fn508e>


    I arched a brow.


    “You’re the easiest–going man I’ve ever known.”


    “Well, he hates me enough to look past that,” Lycannar said, bitterness sharp in his voice. “Baron, my beta, wants the crown. They used to hide it, but now they’ve made it in and I gave it to him.”


    “What?” <b>I </b>gasped. “Lycan, he’s a Blood, and you gave him the crown, he’ll rule…‘


    <b>“</b>9


    “No,” he cut in, shaking his head. His gaze was heavy with sorrow. “He can’t be king. No one can. Not in my reign.”


    I stared at him.


    <b>3/4 </b>


    “Why?”


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    <b>151 </b>


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    “Because it’s my curse,” he revealed. His throat worked as he swallowed. “The crown is my burden. The throne is my doom. The royal seal is my bitterness. My people are my responsibility. I must carry it all.”


    My heart shattered at the weight of his words. The meaning in them was more than pain. It was destiny.


    He gave me a small, broken smile.


    “The coronation was the first andst time I ever wore the crown, Zephyrine.”


    I nodded, remembering. He hadn’t touched it since.


    “That’s because when I put it on, I hear voices of the dead. The past kings whisper in my head. It’s… terrifying.” He lowered his voice to a whisper, his eyes softening as they lingered on me. “Very terrifying, Zephyrine. I never want you to know how that feels. Because you are the woman I want to protect, provide for, support, and die for.”