Page 8 of Her Fated Alpha Prince
The older man—Elder Varos, she thought she’d heard someone call him—gave her a slight nod. “You’ll be given quarters in the east wing. Until further notice, your presence here is to remain discreet. For your safety.”
Discreet.That word curled like smoke in her mind. She didn’t like how easily it rolled off his tongue.
As if this happened often.
Kael hadn’t moved from her side. He radiated heat and authority, towering and still, like a weapon waiting to be unsheathed.
When he finally turned to her, his voice dropped low, too quiet for the others to hear. “You’ll be safe. Trust me.”
She didn’t respond. Couldn’t. Because despite the chaos in her brain, part of herdidtrust him. And that made no sense at all.
A soft voice cut through the room, honeyed and sharp.
“Well, she’s certainly… different.”
Ariana turned to see a woman step forward from the crowd. Tall, poised, and dressed in flowing crimson robes that clung like liquid fire. Her skin was flawless; her dark hair braided with fine silver cords that shimmered with every step.
But it was the eyes that gave her away—cold, calculating, and trained on Ariana like she was something under a microscope.
Lady Seryna.
The name echoed quietly as someone whispered it behind her.
Kael’s shoulders stiffened.
Seryna’s gaze drifted lazily down Ariana’s body and back up again. “Kael, darling. I wasn’t aware you’d taken to collecting strays.”
The smile on her lips was all sugar. The venom was in the tone.
Ariana said nothing. She didn’t flinch. She let the silence stretch, meeting Seryna’s stare with steady eyes.
Kael stepped between them.
“She’s under royal protection,” he said, voice like stone. “That should be enough.”
Seryna’s smile faltered for just a breath before recovering. “Of course,” she purred. “Anything for you, my prince.”
Then she turned and glided away, the room parting for her like waves for a queen.
Ariana exhaled slowly. Her jaw ached—she hadn’t realized she’d been clenching it.
“What was that?” she asked quietly.
Kael didn’t look at her. “Politics.”
Ariana studied his profile. Sharp. Stoic. Tense in a way that suggested the calm was a performance.
And yet, when he finally turned back to her, the storm in his eyes had softened. Just a little.
“She won’t touch you,” he said. “I won’t allow it.”
The words should’ve felt like a command.
They didn’t.
They felt like a vow.
The meeting dissolved in murmurs. Kael gave Elder Varos a single nod, then guided Ariana out with a hand on the small of her back. His touch was barely there, but it grounded her more than she wanted to admit.
