Chapter 52
Lila
The first hint of morning slipped through the curtains, casting pale gold across my face. I lay still beneath the silk sheets, the cool fabric a stark contrast. to the warmth lingering on my skin from the night before.
Too many feelings still tangled in my chest from last night. My lips still tingled. I pressed two fingers to them, half expecting to find Damon’s mouth still there.
The memory of Damon’s touch, his lips claiming mine with an urgency that spoke of hidden desires, sent a shiver down my spine. My fingers traced the outline of my lips, as if to etch the sensation into my very being.
I sat up slowly, letting the sheet fall away from my shoulders. The dress I’d worn last night was draped over the back of a chair, its fabric still holding the scent of night–blooming flower and Damon’s spice.
Last felt real. And real was dangerous.
A soft scratch at the door broke through my haze. I froze. A beat of silence followed, then the quiet slip of parchment against stone.
Another letter.
Heart pounding, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my bare feet meeting the cold floor. I padded across the room and opened the door just in time to see Emma bending over to pick up the parchment.
“You’ve got that look,” she said. “Like you saw the moon up close and it whispered secrets for your ears only.” She waggled her eyebrows at me.
I didn’t look at her. Couldn’t. My cheeks were still too warm, and I wasn’t ready to offer up what little magic I’d managed to steal last night.
“We had dinner,” I said simply, stepping aside to let her in my room.
Emma snorted and flopped onto the bed turning the sealed letter over in her hands. “Right. Just dinner. That’s why you came back looking like someone had kissed the starlight into you.”
I shot her a look. She was grinning too wide for her own good.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Oh, no? So, he didn’t sweep you off your feet and drink you like a man dying of thirst?”
I blinked at her.
She gasped, scandalized. “He did! Elena you absolute minx tell me everything.”
I covered my face with both hands. “Stop.”
Emma flopped back on the bed, kicking her feet. “I won’t. You deserve it. I’ve never seen you like this. Embarrassed. Hopeful.”
Hopeful. The word made my stomach twist.
I’d let Damon touch the vulnerable part of me that supposed to be hidden. And worse, I’d let myself believe he saw it. That he might actually want
“It was just one night,” I murmured. “It doesn’t change anything.”
“It could.”
I wasn’t ready to go there so instead I turned my attention to the parchment in Emma’s hands. “Are you a messenger now? Should I find a coin to tip you for delivery?”
1/3
Chapter 52
Ha. Ha., she deadpanned, trusting the paper at me. “It was at your door, and I’m dying to know what it says.
I hesitated, then with a deep breath, I broke the seal, the crisp snap echoing in the room.
The words blurred as moisture gathered in my eyes, the sincerity in his message cutting through the armor I’d constructed. My knees buckler, sexli san onto the edge of the bed, the letter trembling in my grasp.
I read it once. Twice. Then again.
All I could feel was the press of guilt sitting heavy in my lungs. Because I wasn’t Elena and Damon didn’t know that,
And yet, part of me wanted this. Wanted him. Not just for safety, but because of the way his voice had gone soft when he spoke in my ear. Because of how careful his hands were on my waist. Because of the quiet in him when he looked at me like I was the only thing in the room that he saw.
I folded the letter and pressed it against my chest.
He sees you now, Ruby whispered. Or he wants to.
But he sees the wrong girl, I replied softly.
He sees the wolf. The soul. The truth underneath the mask, she replied. That’s more than most have ever bothered to look for.
“The suspense is killing me, you know that, right?” Emma’s voice broke through my thoughts..
I blinked, slowly lowering the parchment. My fingers smoothed it out automatically, though the words were already carved into my memory.
“It’s nothing,” I said, too quickly.
Emma scoffed. “You’re glowing. That’s not a nothing–letter.”
I folded the parchment carefully and tucked it beneath the edge of my pillow. “It’s just… him being polite. Thanking me for dinner.”
Emma gave me a look so flat it could’ve ironed my dress. “Polite men don’t send thank–you notes at dawn.”
I forced a smile, trying to push down the rising tide in my chest. “It won’t change anything.”
She narrowed her eyes, unconvinced, but didn’t push. “Fine. Be mysterious. But you’re lucky I like you.”
I stood, brushing my hands along the seams of my nightdress and nodding toward the door. “Go eat something before the kitchen closes down. I’ll join you soon.”
Emma huffed, rolling her eyes, but made her way to the door. “Fine, fine. I’ll save you a roll. But if you don’t spill soon, I’m raiding your closet and holding your slippers hostage.”
She vanished into the hallway with a final, knowing grin.
As the door clicked shut, I exhaled, chest hollow with the letter still whispering between my ribs. I retrieved it from beneath the pillow, fingers trembling slightly as I read Damon’s words again:
Last night was a glimpse into something I hadn’t dared to believe possible. I won’t pretend to know everything about you–but I want to. Not as a King asking for loyalty. As a man offering a chance. For you. For us. For your father.
If he seeks a council seat, I will review it through proper channels. Not because you asked—but because you shouldn’t have to carry the weight of his ambition alone
-D.
Damon was opening a door I didn’t know was possible. And I didn’t know how to walk through it without the whole palace burning down. But I wanted
to try.
คา
14:06 Mon 2 Jun M GRO
Chapter 52
I spent the early morning slowly getting dressed for the day until I felt ready to face anyone.
I’d barely stepped into the corridor when Vanessa appeared beside me, smiling sharp as a dagger.
“Well, well,” she purred. “You look flushed. Did you enjoy your private dinner, Elena?”
I froze. Just for a second–but it was enough.
Her smile widened. “Don’t bother denying it. Everyone knows you were the one missing last night.”
I squared my shoulders, trying to still the panic rising in my throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She stepped closer, her voice dipping. “You’ve been stealing the spotlight since the first trial. But a private dinner after I told you to back off…” Her eyes glittered. “You forget how well I know the real Elena.”
I swallowed. “Maybe you’re bluffing.”
“And maybe you’re not as good at this as you think.” The words were a whisper, coiled and venomous. “But let’s not ruin the illusion just yet…
I kept my face blank, even as my heart pounded. Vanessa leaned in, breath warm against my ear. “This is your last chance – a final warning: Stay away from Damon. You don’t get to have power and secrets, sweetheart. Pick one. Or I’ll pick for you.”
I turned to face her, chin lifted. “He’s the King. If he wants to see me, he will.”
She laughed, soft and cruel. “That’s cute. But we know Damon doesn’t fall for cute. And you’ve just handed me the rope to hang you with. Be smart, Elena.” Then she was gone, heels clicking against the floor like a steady countdown. Each step a threat.
I stayed frozen a moment longer, breath tight in my chest. Vanessa was one scrap of attention from revealing it all. I felt like the lie was crumbling, and all I could do was brace for the fall.
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AD
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