BOUND BY ROYALTY

CHAPTER 18

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I walked through the halls on instinct, my mind still lingering in that office, replaying Aleron's words, his gaze, the way his fingers had brushed against my hair.

"Because I like looking at you."

I exhaled sharply, pressing a hand against my chest as if that would steady the erratic rhythm of my heart.

What was I supposed to do with that?

Aleron had never been hesitant in his words or actions, but this was different. This wasn't the careful respect he had shown me since our marriage, nor was it the practiced charm he used in court. This was undeniably real.

I reached my chambers, stepping inside and closing the door behind me before leaning against it. My legs felt weaker than they should have, my body still warm from the weight of his gaze.

I should be used to this by now. I should not feel this way.

But my stomach was still twisting, my lips still tingling as if I had been kissed when I hadn't been.

I made my way to the vanity, unfastening the button of my silk shirt with steady hands. The moment it slipped from my shoulders, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and froze.

My skin normally pale, was flushed. Not just my face, but my neck, my collarbones, even the tips of my ears.

It was ridiculous. I was ridiculous.

I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a deep breath. Get yourself together, Lucian.

And yet, when I closed my eyes, I could still see him standing before me. Could still feel the ghost of his touch against my temple, his warmth so close I could almost sink into it.

Aleron was dangerous.

Not in the way Kastiel had been. Not in a way that would shatter me or leave me breathless with fear.

But in a way that made me think maybe, just maybe, falling wouldn't be such a terrible thing after all.

The days passed, but the feeling did not.

No matter how much I willed myself to forget, no matter how many hours I buried myself in lessons on royal affairs or took long walks through the gardens to clear my thoughts, it remained.

Aleron's voice.
His gaze.
The warmth that curled low in my stomach whenever I remembered the way he had looked at me.

It haunted me in quiet moments, when I lay awake at night, staring at the ceiling; when I caught my reflection in the mirror and saw the way my lips parted, remembering the way he had traced his fingers so close to them.

I wasn't used to this.

I wasn't used to being wanted like this.

Not as something to possess.
Not as something to control.
But as something to be cherished.

And I didn't know what to do with it.

And it didn't help that we shared the same chamber and I get to see him every night.

Ben had noticed.

He was always observant, but these past few days, his eyes lingered longer, his words softer, as if waiting for me to speak.

I never did.

Because how could I?

How could I say that my heart stuttered whenever Aleron entered a room? That I felt a strange warmth when he walked beside me, a quiet comfort I didn't know I had been missing?