Peniel
My chest tightens, and my pulse races, thudding in my ears. It's as if my wolf stirs within, clawing at my insides, unsettled. I visualized Princess Celestria, the woman I just saved—the woman Prince Lucian loves—and my breath catches. A strange pressure builds behind my ribcage, twisting painfully.
I swallow hard. Why am I reacting like this? Why does the sight of her, standing so close to him, make my chest burn?
Cassian grips my hand, his fingers firm around mine, pulling me back to the present, but my mind feels distant, foggy. I stare down at our hands, unable to focus.
Lucian's hand suddenly clasps my other one. The warmth of his skin jolts through me, snapping my gaze to his. "Peniel, it's not what it looks like," he says, his voice low, almost pleading. "I didn't know."
