CHAPTER FOUR

The silence stretched between us after those words — Then you'll be eaten — but his touch stayed right there, a featherlight brush against my skin. It felt dangerous. Not because it hurt, but because it didn't. Because it made me want to close the distance between us, when I knew better.

Kaelen watched me like he was waiting for something — maybe for me to pull away. Maybe for me to lean in. I did neither.

Instead, I asked, "Is that a warning?"

"It's a fact." His voice was low, almost soft. "This court will tear you apart the moment they smell fear."

"I'm not afraid."

His lips tilted just slightly, but there was no humor in it. "Liar."

He wasn't wrong. I was afraid — of him, of this place, of the feeling I got whenever his eyes were on me. But fear wasn't always a weakness. Sometimes it kept you alive.

I took a step back, breaking his touch. "Maybe you should've married someone easier to control."

Kaelen's gaze darkened, but he didn't move toward me. "And bore myself to death? No, thank you."

I hated the way my pulse jumped at that.

Before I could answer, a new voice cut through the courtyard. "Your Highness."

One of his guards approached, bowing low. "The council is waiting."

Kaelen's expression shifted — that cool mask slipping back into place. "Of course they are." He turned to me, eyes unreadable. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

"I'll do my best."

He held my gaze a second longer, then left without another word. The air felt colder the moment he was gone.

I should've gone back to my room. Should've stayed where it was safe. But I was never very good at playing it safe.

So I wandered.

The castle was a maze of dark stone and endless corridors, but eventually, I found myself in a massive library. The shelves stretched impossibly high, packed with books bound in worn leather and strange symbols. It was quiet here, and for the first time since my arrival, I felt like I could breathe.

I reached for a book at random when a voice spoke behind me.

"You're braver than I expected."

I turned slowly to find Darius leaning against one of the shelves, his arms crossed and that same smirk playing on his lips.

"You really should work on your sneaking skills," I said dryly. "You're terrible at it."

He laughed — a low, pleasant sound. "I see why Kaelen likes you."

"Is that what this is? Like?"

Darius tilted his head. "You tell me. Has he shown you his true nature yet?"

I frowned. "You keep saying that. What does it mean?"

He stepped closer, and though I held my ground, something about him put me on edge. "It means the prince of Umbra is far more dangerous than you realize."

I forced a calm I didn't quite feel. "And yet you're the one trying to intimidate me."

Darius's eyes flashed with something unreadable. "Intimidate? No. I'm trying to help you. You're a pawn in a game you don't understand — and Kaelen? He doesn't lose."

"Neither do I," I said quietly.

That seemed to surprise him. For a second, we just stared at each other — and then the door behind us slammed open.

Kaelen stood in the doorway, and the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.

"Darius." His voice was like a blade. "You're very interested in my husband."

Darius smiled, but it was strained. "Just welcoming him properly."

Kaelen didn't blink. "Leave."

For a moment, I thought Darius might argue — but then he bowed with forced politeness and slipped out of the room. The silence that followed felt heavier than before.

Kaelen didn't move, didn't speak. But when his eyes met mine, I saw something dark simmering just beneath the surface.

"You shouldn't be alone with him."

"Why? Because he hates you?" I asked.

"Because if he can't take my throne, he'll settle for taking you."

My breath caught. "Is that what I am? A prize to be won?"

Kaelen's jaw tightened. "No. You're my husband."

There was no softness in those words — just a quiet, undeniable possession. And God help me, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to run from it… or lean into it.