“Don’t suffocate her with your protectiveness. Your mate is stronger than you think. Stop treating her like she’s made of glass.”
With that, he strides toward the door, Luna trotting after him like a devoted servant. I watch them go, irritation and grudging acknowledgment warring in my chest.
My father is spot on, damn him. Astra is strong—strong enough to stand up to me, to survive everything that brought her to this palace. She deserves better than to be kept in a gilded cage, no matter how beautiful I’ve made it.
But the thought of letting her navigate the court’s treachery without me there to intervene makes my protective instincts roar in protest. Still, she needs more than protection. She needs purpose, respect, the tools to carve out her own place in the kingdom. And I need to sw
