Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Selene
The moment the doors close behind the last Council member, my knees buckle.
Strong arms catch me before I hit the ground. Seth’s scent—cedar and night air—wraps around me as he pulls me to his chest. My fingers clutch at his shirt, the fine fabric bunching in my fists.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs into my hair.
I can’t stop shaking. The adrenaline that kept me standing through that interrogation drains away, leaving me hollow and trembling. Seth’s hand spreads across my back, steadying me, and I hate how much I need his touch right now.
“That was quite a show.” Lucian’s voice penetrates the fog in my head. I force myself to look up at him. He’s watching me with something that might be admiration in those calculating eyes. “Impressive, really.”
“I had a feeling Zane would drag the Council into it.” My voice comes out rougher than usual. I clear my throat, trying to find my footing even as Seth keeps me anchored against him. “If his intention was to get to Astra, he’d need their backing. He’s too smart to move against her alone.”
Seth’s jaw tightens. “When did you figure it out?”
“When you made me move into your quarters.” I meet his gaze, and the heat there makes my breath catch. “I knew word would get out. And of course Zane would use it against us both.”
“You planned for this?” Lucian sounds genuinely surprised.
“Not planned. Just…prepared.” I pull away from Seth, immediately missing his warmth. My legs hold this time, barely. “But I—” The words stick in my throat. I look at Seth, really look at him, and my heart cracks open in my chest. “I just dragged my reputation through the mud. And yours with it.”
“Selene—”
“They think I’m sleeping my way to power.” The idea tastes bitter. “They think you’re stupid enough to be manipulated by a healer who—”
“Stop.” Seth’s command interrupts me mid-sentence. He steps so close to me that I have to tilt my head back to hold his gaze. “I don’t give a damn what they think.”
“Well, I do.” My voice cracks. “You’re the Commander of the King’s army. They need to respect you.”
“They will respect me.” His hand comes up to cup my jaw, thumb brushing across my cheekbone. The touch sends electricity racing down my spine. “And they’ll respect you, too, once Lucian and I are done.”
I want to lean into that touch, let him shoulder this burden I’ve created. But guilt gnaws at me, sharp and relentless.
“I’ll handle your reputation,” Lucian says, smiling confidently at me. “The Council members who matter saw right through Zane’s theatrics. The others will fall in line.”
“How—”
“Let me worry about how.” He exchanges a look with Seth that I can’t quite read. “In the meantime, you’ll stick to Astra’s side as her personal healer. Let’s keep you out of the public eye while things settle down.”
My stomach twists. “You’re hiding me.”
“We’re protecting you,” Seth corrects me, his hand still cradling my face. “There’s a difference.” His thumb traces my jaw now, and I have to fight to focus on his words instead of the warmth of his touch. “I’m also adding two guards to your detail,” he says. “One of them will be Daciana.”
Relief floods through me. “Daciana? Really?”
“You need someone you trust.” Seth’s voice softens slightly. “Someone who’ll have your back no matter what the gossip says.”
I almost laugh, but it comes out closer to a sob. Daciana. Thank the gods for Daciana. At least my friend will be with me through this mess.
“The healers’ compound is going to be brutal,” I whisper. The thought of facing it makes my chest constrict. “The rumors. The looks. The whispers. I don’t think—I can’t cope with all of that right now.”
“You don’t have to.” Seth’s other hand comes up to frame my face, forcing me to meet his eyes. “Not yet. Not until you’re ready.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready.”
“Then, we’ll deal with it together.”
That “we” steadies me. I lean into his touch, letting him hold me up when my own strength fails. This is real. We’re real. Even when everything else feels like it’s crumbling around us.
“I was terrified,” I admit quietly. “Standing there, knowing Zane could destroy everything with the right words. Knowing I was gambling with your position, with Astra’s safety, with—”
“But you didn’t break.” Seth’s eyes burn into mine. “You stood there and faced down the entire Council without flinching.”
“I was flinching on the inside.”
“I know.” His voice drops, intimate and hoarse. “I could feel it through our bond. But you didn’t let them see it. That’s what matters.”
Lucian clears his throat. “I’ll leave you two to…decompress. Seth, we’ll talk strategy tomorrow. Selene, get some rest. You look like you’re about to collapse.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I manage, though the words feel inadequate.
He nods once before heading for the door. “I’ll have food sent to Seth’s quarters. You need to eat something.”
Lucian leaves, and Seth and I are finally alone. His hands are still on my face, his body close enough that I can feel his heat. The room suddenly feels too small, the air too thick.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For not letting me fall.”
“I’ll always catch you.” His voice is fierce, possessive. “Always.”
And when he pulls me against his chest, I sink into him completely.
The next few days pass in a strange sort of peace.
Daciana reports to my door every morning now, her knock sharp and efficient. When I open it, she’s already in full guard mode—hand resting on her sword hilt, eyes scanning the corridor like threats might materialize from the shadows.
“Ready?” she asks, falling into step beside me.
I nod, adjusting the satchel of medical supplies on my shoulder. “Astra wants to work in the greenhouse today. Something about testing a new growth serum.”
“Of course she does.” Daciana grins. “She’s obsessed with those plants.”
The walk to Astra’s side of the palace has become routine. Daciana keeps up a steady stream of commentary—gossip from the guards, complaints about new recruits, stories that make me laugh despite myself. The additional guard Seth assigned to me trails behind us, silent and professional.
By the third morning, I realize what Seth is doing. He’s not just protecting me; he’s giving me back a piece of normalcy. These walks with Daciana, the hours spent in Astra’s greenhouse or lab, the quiet afternoons where we’re just three friends instead of queen, healer, and guard—it’s a gift.
“You’re smiling,” Daciana observes as we round the corner toward the royal wing.
“Am I?”
“Like someone who’s getting regularly—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” Heat floods my cheeks.
She laughs loudly, unrepentantly. “Fine. But you look happy. It’s nice.”
Happy. The word sits strangely in my chest. After weeks of nightmares and Zane’s manipulation and the Umbra Council, I’d forgotten what happiness felt like.
We find Astra exactly where she said she’d be—elbow-deep in soil, her hair tied back in a messy knot. Luna lounges on a nearby bench, tail flicking lazily.
“Finally,” Astra says without looking up. “I need your opinion on something.”
I move to her side and peer at the seedlings she’s examining. “What am I looking at?”
“Moonvine. Rare, finicky, and supposedly impossible to grow outside its native habitat.” She brushes dirt from her fingers. “But I think I’ve figured out the trick.”
Daciana takes a seat on the bench beside Luna, who immediately demands attention. “You two and your plants. I’ll never understand it.”
“That’s because you have no patience,” Astra shoots back, but there’s affection in her voice.
The morning unfolds like this—easy conversation, gentle teasing, the kind of companionship that soothes the rawness in my chest. No one mentions the Council meeting. No one brings up Zane or the gossip or the reputation I shredded in that chamber.
We’re just…us.
By evening, I’m back in Seth’s quarters, curled in the armchair with a book I’m not really reading. My mind keeps drifting to the nightmares that wake me most nights, to the red mist and Zane’s voice echoing through my dreams.
The door opens. Seth steps in, and I know immediately that something is weighing on him. His shoulders carry tension, and his jaw is tight.
“Why are you so busy lately?” The question slips out before I can stop it.
He looks at me, surprise flickering across his face. “Delegation coming to the capital. I’m handling security arrangements.”
I set the book aside, watching him move through the room. “What kind of delegation?”
“Snow Mountain Pack.” He pours himself a drink, the amber liquid shimmering in the lamplight. “Their new alpha is making a formal visit.”
“Snow Mountain?” I frown, searching my memory. “I’ve never heard of them. I thought there were only nine packs in the kingdom.”
“Ten, actually.” Glass in hand, Seth crosses to where I’m sitting. “But this particular pack doesn’t mingle with the others. They’re…unique.”
Something in his tone makes my wolf perk up with interest. “Unique how?”
He settles on the arm of my chair, and I can feel the warmth radiating off him. “They practice the ancient magic.”
My breath catches. “Ancient magic? But that’s—”
“Supposed to be lost. Forbidden. Dangerous.” His fingers find my hair, threading through the strands in a gesture that has become familiar. “They reside in the mountains. Keep to themselves mostly.”
“But practicing magic openly…” I trail off, understanding dawning.
“…will stir the waters with the Umbra Council,” he finishes for me. “The purist faction, especially. They’ll see it as a threat to everything they believe in.”
My mind is spinning with questions. Ancient magic. A whole pack that still practices the old ways. “I want to meet them.”
“You will.” His hand slides down to cup my jaw, tilting my face toward his. “But right now, I don’t want to talk about delegations.”
“Seth—”
His mouth cuts off my protest, lips claiming mine with an intensity that steals my breath. I melt into the kiss, my hands finding his shirt, pulling him closer.