The throne hall of the Eastern Palace was colder than I remembered.
Or maybe it was just him.
I stood at the entrance, dressed in deep violet instead of white this time. No ceremonial innocence. No trembling bride.
Just Lady Selene.
Just a ghost in another woman's skin.
At the far end of the hall stood Alpha Kael Ravaryn.
Five years had carved him into something sharper.
Broader shoulders. Darker expression. Power radiated from him like a living thing. The court kept its distance, as if even breathing too close might provoke him.
He had always been feared.
Now he looked untouchable.
"Lady Selene of the East," the announcer declared.
His eyes lifted.
And the world stopped.
The moment our gazes locked, the air shifted.
It was subtle.
A flicker.
A ripple beneath the surface.
I felt it first — that low, burning pull in my chest. The mate bond, wounded but alive, tightening like a thread pulled too hard.
His jaw clenched.
There.
He felt it.
Only for a fraction of a second, but I saw it.
Confusion.
Then control.
His expression went cold again, perfectly composed.
He did not bow.
He did not smile.
He studied me the way a predator studies something that should not exist.
I walked forward slowly, forcing each step to remain steady. Every instinct screamed at me to run.
Or to demand answers.
Or to claw at him for what he had done.
Instead, I curtsied.
"Alpha Ravaryn. The East welcomes you."
My voice did not shake.
Good.
His gaze lingered on my face longer than courtesy allowed. Searching. Measuring.
"You are Lady Selene," he said evenly.
Not a question.
"Yes, Alpha."
Silence stretched.
The court shifted uncomfortably.
I could almost hear his thoughts.
This is not possible.
The bond pulsed again — faint but undeniable.
His fingers flexed once at his side.
Then he spoke, voice smooth as steel.
"I was informed Lady Selene was… ill in previous years."
A test.
I met his eyes calmly. "I recovered."
Something dark moved behind his gaze.
Recovered.
From death?
He stepped closer.
Too close.
The scent of him hit me — cedar, smoke, winter air.
Memories threatened to surface.
The blade.
The whisper in my ear.
You were never meant to live past tonight.
"Interesting," he murmured.
His wolf was restless. I could feel it, brushing against the edge of mine.
Recognition.
Denial.
Violence restrained by will.
"Alpha," another voice interrupted smoothly.
A tall man stepped forward from the side of the throne. His hair was silver-blond, his expression calm but calculating.
Alpha Cassian of the South.
I recognized him immediately.
Ambitious. Politically sharp. Dangerous in a different way than Kael.
"The Eastern Council has requested discussion regarding the border treaty," Cassian continued. "Perhaps we should begin."
Kael did not look away from me.
"Later," he said flatly.
Cassian's eyes flicked between us.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
I straightened slowly. "If the Alpha wishes to inspect the palace first, I would be honored to guide him."
A calculated risk.
The court inhaled quietly.
Kael's gaze darkened.
"You would guide me personally?"
"Yes."
Challenge met challenge.
For a heartbeat, something almost like anger flashed across his face.
Not rage.
Possessiveness.
Then it vanished.
"Very well," he said.
We walked side by side through the palace corridors, the guards trailing at a respectful distance.
The silence between us was heavy.
Five years ago, he had watched me bleed.
Now we walked as strangers.
"Where were you five years ago?" he asked suddenly.
Straight to it.
"In the East," I replied calmly.
"That is not what I meant."
I stopped walking.
So did he.
The corridor was empty now.
Private.
His eyes burned into mine.
"The bond," he said quietly. "Explain it."
There it was.
No denial now.
Only demand.
I tilted my head slightly. "What bond, Alpha?"
His control cracked for the first time.
The air around us tightened.
"Do not play games with me."
His voice dropped lower.
Dangerous.
I stepped closer instead of retreating.
"You're mistaken," I said softly. "I have never met you before today."
A lie.
A perfect one.
His hand moved suddenly — not to hurt me, but to grip my wrist.
The contact sent fire through my veins.
The mate bond roared.
His pupils dilated.
There.
Recognition.
Raw. Violent. Unavoidable.
But instead of relief…
His expression hardened.
"No," he muttered, more to himself than to me.
He released me as if burned.
"This is impossible."
I lowered my hand slowly, hiding my trembling fingers.
You killed me.
And yet you still feel me.
Good.
Let it haunt you.
Footsteps approached — Cassian again.
"Everything alright?" he asked, studying us carefully.
I turned toward him with a small, composed smile.
"Perfectly."
Cassian's gaze lingered on my wrist, then on Kael's rigid posture.
Interest sparked in his eyes.
He saw opportunity.
And in that moment, I made a decision.
If Kael wished to deny what he felt…
I would give him a reason to regret it.
I stepped closer to Cassian instead.
"Alpha Cassian," I said gently, "perhaps you would allow me to show you the eastern gardens later? They are said to bloom even under winter frost."
Cassian's lips curved slightly. "I would be honored."
Kael went completely still.
The mate bond pulsed once more.
Not warm this time.
Not confused.
Jealous.
Good.
Let him feel it.
He buried me once.
Now I would bury his peace