Todays song will be "dangerouse hands" by Austin Giorgio
ENJOY
Not sure how long we'll be at this place, but one thing's clear: this has to be one of the most awkward situations I've ever been in.
"So… um, Alex—about this party. Is there anything I should know?" I ask, trying to spark a conversation, even if it might burst into flames.
He looks at me, totally confused.
"What do you mean?"
Is he dumb or just pretending?
"Well, it's no secret your kingdom and mine don't exactly send each other love letters. So if someone asks me where I'm from or—I don't know—anything, what am I supposed to say?"
"No one's going to ask you that," he says smoothly. "You'll be with me the entire time."
Mkay.
Bossy
"Right ,so what will we do about you know my energy?"
"About that" Alex pulls a tiny, black, shiny box from his pocket and opens it. Inside lies a silver necklace with a stunning blue zircon that seems to glow. "With this, you won't have to worry about your energy snitching on you," he explains. "I was planning to give it to you back at the castle but… well, plans changed."
"Yeah…" I mutter awkwardly.
Alex gestures for me to turn around so he can put it on.
"Ah—yeah, sure," I say, turning slowly, cheeks heating up.
No reason to feel this way.
None.
He's just putting a necklace on me, not dragging me to bed.
Oh but still… his fingers graze the back of my neck and shivers. Literal goosebumps.
I gather my hair to give him space, and of course, his breath brushes my skin.
Stop it, Lilith. He's just putting on a necklace.
Stop being so hormonal for god's sake
"There we go," he says.
I turn to face him, fingers adjusting the pendant—
"Thanks—"
BUMP.
The carriage jolts, and I nearly fall. In one chaotic second, Alex catches me, but not before my leg twists painfully.
"Oh, fuck that hu—" I stop mid-sentence, realizing I'm now way too close to—
To his pants.
His.
Freaking.
Pants.
Kill me. Second time today.
"Lilith, you shoul—" he starts, just as the carriage door opens.
"Young Master Alex, welco—" an old man says, opening the door… just in time to see something that looked very much not innocent.
Son of a—
I launch myself upright, accidentally punching Alex right in his royal jewels.
He groans in pain.
"My bad," I say, trying to pretend I'm not absolutely mortified.
The old man tries to play dumb. As if he didn't just see me face-planting into his master's crotch. Smooth.
I step out first, face hotter than hellfire, and Alex follows, limping slightly.
"Alright, princess," he murmurs, slipping an arm over my shoulder and tugging me close.
"Don't get away from me."
His breath against my ear sends another shiver down my spine. Seriously, body, can we chill for two seconds?
He takes my hand and leads me toward the entrance.
Now I can finally see where we are.
A long, silent pool stretches to the castle doors, reflecting lanterns flickering in the twilight. The whole place feels ancient, haunted, and way too pretty to be safe.
Figures.
This is exactly the kind of place made for monsters in silk.
Inside, it's like falling into a fever dream—
The grand hall glitters with gold and candlelight. Gowns rustle, voices hum with secrets. Crystal chandeliers drip frozen fire.
Everything moves like it's been rehearsed for centuries. Women float by in corsets and whispers. Men sip wine like blood and bow with eyes that hold too much.
And here I am. Following Alex.
"Remember, Lilith—stay—"
"With you. All the time. Got it." I give him a tiny smile.
Two guards shadow us, close enough to make breathing feel like a crime.
I don't belong here.
I belong in my bed, prepping for my spell exam—not in some gala with the crown prince of the enemy kingdom.
Alex pulls out a chair for me and gestures for me to sit. I obey.
Before he can sit next to me, an old man whispers something in his ear. Alex glances at me. Not good.
"I'll be back," he says.
"Wait—what? Alex, where are you going?"
"Don't move. Do you hear me?" His tone darkens, eyes locking onto mine like a threat.
I nod, swallowing a thousand swear words as he walks away.
Unbelievable. He tells me not to leave his side, then he leaves.
I sit in silence, trying not to spiral into rage or panic.
"Well, well… what's a gorgeous lady like you doing all alone?"
I turn—and oh sweet chaos—Louise.
His green suit hugs him in all the right ways, and every step he takes is smooth and slow, like a cat who knows he's hot. The golden vines embroidered on his coat catch the candlelight with every move. His eyes lock onto mine with that lazy smile that says he knows.
He stops just short of the guards.
"Well, at least the asshole prince made sure you were well protected," he smirks.
I chuckle. "It's okay. He's a friend," I tell the guards, flashing a harmless smile.
They glance at each other, then step aside.
"Can't believe I need permission just to talk to the little petal," he teases, grinning as he walks over.
"Jesus, thank god you're here," I sigh dramatically.
"Aww, missed me that much?"
"As if."
"I heard the young king brought a mystery woman. That's never happened before. Obviously, I had to come see for myself."
"He's never brought anyone?"
"Never. And now that you're here, glowing like a forbidden gemstone."
I smile at Louise flirts which i know it's just the start
"By the way i see he took care of the energy cent"
"Yeah"
"What a way for claiming you" he smirks
"What do you mean?"
"You're reeking of his scent."
My what?
"Lilith, that necklace—he marked you. Your energy, your aura—everything says 'claimed.' Everyone in this room knows you're his."
WHAT.
THE.
FUCK.
"No way," I whisper.
"Mhm yeah way darling." Louise sips champagne, too amused.
"Wait—so people think we've—"
"Fucked?" he says too loud. "Yeah definitely"
My face is pure horror and embarrassment
"Everyone fucks, petal. No shame in it."
"I—JESUS, whisper it at least"
Louise just smirks. "Relax. No one can sense it unless they get really close. But still… he basically branded you."
I sit back, stunned.
Louise leans in. "Drink something. You look like you just learned your finals were moved up."
I try to calm down. Louise chats like nothing happened. Honestly, I've missed this—laughing, teasing. Victor would love him.
Until I remember one tiny, burning detail.
"Now that I remember—" I stomp on his foot.
"Ow! What the hell?!"
"Why didn't I know you were the mayor's son?"
"Jeez… it was an unimportant detail," he says, swirling his drink.
"Mhm. Sure."
"Violent woman," he throws
For a while, Louise and I just laugh and joke around.
Honestly? I missed this. It's weird to admit, but Louise feels like a piece of home. Victor would love him—they're both sarcastic, theatrical, and lowkey drama queens.
But the thing I like most about Louise? He's nice because he wants to be. Not because he's forced to, not because he's pretending. He's just… Louise. And that's kind of rare around here.
"Well, from what I see, your mate's not coming back anytime soon," Louise says with that mischievous glint in his eye.
"He said it was something important," I reply, already annoyed.
"Nothing should be more important than the beautiful woman he arrived with," he scoffs. "He needs a serious lesson in priorities."
Then he smirks. Uh-oh.
"Well, I shall take his place."
My face goes: ❓❗❓
"Darling, you're the topic of the night. You can't just sit here like some wallflower."
"And what do you expect me to do? Alex told me to stay put."
"Well, the asshole isn't here, is he?" Louise says, standing and offering his hand. "How about a dance?"
"I don't think—"
"Don't think, darling. Just dance. That dress deserves to be shown off. Mhm let me guess… Lady Adele's pick?"
"How did you—?"
He smirks like a cat that knows every secret in the room.
"Vintage '24, Midnight Collection. We both have exceptional taste."
My face probably looks like I just saw a unicorn.
"What? I have a personal interest in fashion," he says proudly.
Forget it—i just found victors soulmate
I smile and take his hand.
"Alright, but before we hit the floor, there's someone you have to meet," he says, excitement bubbling.
The guards are still watching, but at some point, we slip past them. Oops.
A few minutes and a lot of graceful maneuvering later, we stop in the middle of a crowd. Louise still holds my hand, like it's nothing. Like he owns the space. And suddenly—
She turns around.
Red wine hair. Hazel eyes. Pale, porcelain skin.
She looks like a painting come to life. Tall, ethereal, and in a dress that whispers things I'm too innocent to understand.
A deep obsidian black dress clings to her body with liquid grace. A slit up her thigh. A neckline that dips like it's daring someone to look too long. Glitter threads shimmer across the fabric like stars caught in silk.
She doesn't wear the dress—the dress wears her.
Her name? Obviously iconic.
"Alena, darling," Louise says, voice smooth as velvet.
She smiles with recognition. "Oh, look who it is. If it isn't Louise Sillinoire Valtore."
"One and only," he bows.
She bows too, and then her eyes land on me.
"And who's the damsel?"
"Lilith, ma'am," I say, giving her a polite bow.
"Ma'am?" she repeats, arching a brow.
"Jeez, how old do I look?"
My soul leaves my body. "Oh no—I didn't mean—"
"Relax, girl. I'm messing with you. I'm Alena—with an A."
She grins and offers her hand. I take it.
"Lilith," I say.
"Pleasure, Lilith."she smiles
Just like that, we click. No tension, no weird court politics.
"Well, now that the intros are done, this girl needs a drink," Louise says.
"Rough night?" she asks me with a wink.
"Her mate ditched her," Louise says way too fast.
"LOUISE—he's not my—"
"So who's the dickhead?"
"The one and only Alexander Winslow. King of Cerberus," Louise answers.
Alena's smile drops.
"You're fucking with me," she whispers.
I shake my head.
Louise shrugs. "Nope. The king is the dickhead."
"Well damn that really is surprising"
"I thought I told you to stay in one place, Lilith."
My blood turns to ice.
Dead. I'm so dead.
Louise and I turn around in slow, cinematic horror.
Alex is standing right there. Arms crossed. Eyes cold. Guards behind him.
Expression: absolutely, 100%, gonna-murder-someone levels of annoyed.
Shit.