The throne room was silent, save for the crackle of torches. Evelina stood before the Alpha King, her defiance hidden beneath a calm, steady gaze.
He circled her slowly, like a wolf measuring its prey. “You think I do not see it? The way you slip into shadows, the way your eyes burn with secrets.”
Her voice did not waver. “Not every secret belongs to you.”
He stopped, facing her, his jaw tight. “You are my queen. You are mine. And yet, I feel you slipping away every time you breathe.”
Her heart pounded, but she met his fury with steel. “You can chain my body, my tongue, even my name… but you will never own my soul.”
His eyes darkened. He reached out, gripping her chin, forcing her to meet the storm in his gaze. “Then hear me well, Evelina. Choose me—fully, without rebellion—or you will force me to break you.”
The words were a threat, but also a plea, trembling with a fear he would never admit.
She drew in a sharp breath, her lips trembling with unshed truths.
“You cannot break what was never yours to begin with,” she whispered.
And his silence cut sharper than any blade.
---
✨ End of chapter eighteen