Chapter 36
Nyssa pov
“My king,” my father bowed, his voice laced with respect as we all turned our attention to Darius, who stood at the top of the staircase. His gaze was fixed on me, a sharp intensity in his eyes that left me both breathless and irritated.
Breathless because his stare seemed to ignite a heat deep within me, making my body react involuntarily to his presence. Irritated because he had interrupted me just as I was about to speak, and not only that- he had shoved Kieran against the wall earlier today and failed to finish what he started.
Oh, how could I have forgotten? He was about to be the reason for my death too.
My gaze shifted to Cassian, a frown forming on my face as I noticed his smug grin. A nagging feeling crept in, telling me that Cassian had overheard our conversation and had gone straight to tell Darius.
“Your Majesty, is there something you need? Or have we disturbed your rest? If so, I deeply apologize,” my father said, and for the first time since Darius arrived, the king turned his attention to him.
Without changing his expression, Darius simply gestured toward me with a casual tilt of his head.
“I would like to speak with her.”
The moment the words left his mouth, everyone’s eyes snapped to me. I could feel the surprise radiating from their gazes, and truthfully, I was just as surprised. The king, who had always treated me as if I were invisible, now wanted to speak with me?
It was a strange shift- he almost seemed… relaxed?
I watched as Cassian glanced at Darius, confusion flickering across his face, before his eyes widened as if a realization finally hit him. Under his breath, I heard him mutter,
“Holy shit, he’s had a lot to drink.”
Before I could even process his words, my father, who had been standing behind me, suddenly beamed with excitement, clapping his hands together.
“My goddess, of course, your majesty! You can definitely spend time with your mate- I mean, my daughter!” he blurted out, causing me to freeze and slowly turn toward him, my eyes wide in disbelief. His delighted grin had replaced the anger that had been there moments ago. What the hell?
“Father! Why would you-”
But my father didn’t even spare me a glance as he turned toward Caleb and Benjamin, his demeanor completely changed.
“Let’s give the king some privacy with his mate- oh, I mean my daughter.” He laughed, shaking his head, as he walked away with Caleb and Benjamin.
I stood there, still in shock, my mouth opening in disbelief. Weren’t we just discussing something important? Hadn’t he been angry just a moment ago? How could he switch so suddenly? And most of all, how could he leave me alone with the Lycan King when he wanted to reject me?
My frown deepened as I watched my father walk off without sparing a second glance at me. With a frustrated scoff, I turned to face Darius, but the sight of him caught me off guard. He was lazily resting his chin on his hand, leaning against the railing, his eyes locked on me with an unreadable expression. But that wasn’t what startled me the most. Behind him, Cassian was shaking his head at me, gesturing with his hand for me to leave, his lips mouthing the word,
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“Leave.”
I raised an eyebrow in confusion, watching as Darius turned around, his gaze locking onto Cassian. Cassian immediately stiffened, forcing a smile before lowering his head.
“I will leave now, Your Majesty,” he said, his tone respectful but nervous. He began o walk away slowly, glancing back to check if Darius was still watching him. The moment their eyes met again, Cassian flinched, quickening his pace. But just before he fully disappeared, I caught the faintest trace of his voice in my head- a mindlink.
“Miss, the king is drunk and can’t handle his liquor. He tends to…”
The message trailed off as Cassian away, leaving me in a sudden silence.
I blinked, trying to process his words. The king was drunk?
But I couldn’t afford to dwell on that thought. Because in the blink of an eye, Darius was right in front of me, standing only inches away. I inhaled sharply, my body instinctively taking a step back from him.
Fuck.
He was fast― way too fast. He hadn’t jumped from the stairs; no, he had sprinted toward me, his figure blurring in the air as he closed the distance between us.
My lips parted, breath coming out ragged as I stared at him, unable to tear my gaze away. I wasn’t sure if it was the discomfort or the fact that we were so close–there was barely any space between us.
Despite myself, my eyes couldn’t help but trace his flawless features in awe. He was gorgeous- perfect. He looked like something carved from a painting. White hair, silver eyes, and…
Before I could stop myself, my gaze flickered to his lips, and instinctively, I swallowed, running my tongue along my bottom lip. The moment I did, I saw him shift his focus from my eyes to my lips, and I swear I saw something flash in his gaze— something dangerously close to lust but it was gone as quickly as it had come.
Before I could react, a breathless gasp escaped me as Darius grabbed me by the shoulders, and with a speed that left me dizzy, he slammed me against the wall behind him. My eyes widened, but instead of the pain I expected from the impact, my back hit his arm that was wrapped around my shoulders, closing the space between us until there was barely an inch separating us. I could feel his hot breath fanning my face, and I shut my eyes, my body trembling with fear, my heart hammering painfully in my chest.
Oh, my goddess…
“Mate?” he murmured under his breath, a low chuckle escaping him as if the word itself were some sort of cruel joke.
“You’re my mate?” he repeated, the question sounding more like he was speaking to himself than to me.
I froze as his hand reached out, brushing my hair to the side, exposing the vulnerable curve of my neck.
Then he leaned in, and instinctively, my eyes squeezed shut as I raised my hands to push him away.
“W–What do you think you’re doing?” I stammered, my voice trembling with uncertainty.
But Darius didn’t respond. Instead, I felt the brush of his nose against my skin, a shiver racing down my spine as he inhaled deeply.
In a low, almost dangerous voice, he murmured,
“What am I doing? I’m checking if you’re truly my mate. If the goddess is so cruel to make you my mate
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