BOUND BY ROYALTY

CHAPTER 24

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The castle was quiet, its vast halls hushed in the embrace of night. The flickering torches cast faint shadows along the stone, but my thoughts were far from the silence of the corridors.

Our chamber.

I had told myself I was merely checking in that it was my duty to ensure his well-being after the banquet, after the endless stares and whispered praises. But the truth was simpler, far more selfish. I missed him.

When I entered, I found him awake, sitting by the edge of the bed, his robe draped loosely across his shoulders. His head tilted slightly when he saw me, strands of dark hair falling over his temple. There was exhaustion in his eyes, but also that quiet fire that always drew me in, no matter how much I tried to resist.

"You should be asleep," I said softly, closing the door behind me.

His lips curved faintly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "So should you."

I moved closer, my chest tightening at the way his robe slipped lower, revealing the delicate slope of his collarbone. My restraint wavered. "And yet, here we are."

For a moment, I simply stood there, drinking him in, the shadows kissing his skin, the faint tremor in his fingers as though he fought off some unease he wouldn't name. His beauty was maddening, ethereal.

"You're so beautiful under the moonlight," I said before I could stop myself. The words slipped out too easily, and when his lips twitched in a half-smile, I knew he would use it against me.

"Oh? The crown prince resorting to flattery?" he teased, tilting his head, his robe falling just enough to bare more skin. "How improper."

Heat rose in my chest, though not from embarrassment. His scent sweet and dizzying, threaded with the faint trace of his omega pheromones, slid into my lungs like the finest wine. I swore I could taste it on my tongue, pulling me closer, closer, until distance itself became unbearable.

I crossed the space and knelt before him, my hands resting lightly on his knees. "Flattery?" I echoed, smirking. "You wound me, Lucian. That was nothing short of honesty."

He arched a brow, leaning down just slightly so his breath ghosted against my forehead. "And what will you do if I don't believe you?"

I couldn't help my grin. "Convince you."

Before he could retort, I pressed a lingering kiss to his knee through the robe's fabric. His sharp intake of breath told me I'd succeeded in shaking his composure.

"You're impossible," he murmured, though his fingers drifted into my hair, curling there with an affection that made my chest ache.

"Mm. And yet, you let me in. At this hour. In your robe." I glanced up, letting mischief flicker in my eyes. "One might think you were trying to tempt me."

His laugh was soft, reluctant, but genuine. The sound struck something deep in me. "Perhaps I am."

His scent thickened then, warm and heady, making my pulse pound. My body reacted instinctively, leaning into him, breathing him in like a man starved. The pheromones lured me closer, stripped away my discipline until I was left kneeling before him like a supplicant before an altar.

I nuzzled lightly against his thigh, teasing, savoring the way his fingers tightened in my hair. "Lucian," I whispered, voice low, "you intoxicate me."

"Good," he whispered back, though his lips curved in that familiar smirk. "Because you do the same to me."

"Lucian..." My voice was rougher than I intended.

His gaze lifted to mine, and something unspoken passed between us. A plea. A surrender.