ILYANA’S POV.
The alpha king froze the moment my lips met his, his stillness too obvious for me not to notice, even when he tried to recover from it. My face burned with embarrassment, and I quickly pulled away. His gaze darkened into something dangerous—something that sent chills down my spine.
“I…I’m sor—”
Before I could finish, Carius was suddenly beside us. I hadn’t even seen him approach.
“The council wants to talk to you.”
The alpha king blinked once, then twice, and just like that, his cold mask slid back into place. But something in his voice remained raw.
“I’ll be back,” he said, clearing his throat before walking away.
The moment he left, the room came alive again.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
“Did she just kiss the alpha king?”“Is she his mate?”“Did he accept her?”“Sh
