49

The grand hall was filled with tension. Rows of warriors, ministers, and royal advisers stood in stunned silence as Alex walked to the center of the room. His presence was commanding, the air around him crackling with power, yet his face remained as cold and stoic as stone.


At his side, Aeryn walked quietly, her eyes wide and alert. She hadn’t expected this—this sudden, public display of authority, nor the accusation that was about to unfold. Alex had ordered her presence for a reason, though he hadn’t yet explained it. A part of her felt nervous, but she trusted him, even if her heart still fluttered with uncertainty.


The palace guards brought Arin forward, dragging her by the arms into the middle of the hall, her head hung low in defeat. She had been caught. There was no escape from the betrayal she had woven—no redemption for her actions.


Aeryn stood behind Alex, observing the scene with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She had never truly trusted Arin, but seeing her like this, exposed for her disloyalty, made Aeryn shiver. How had things come to this?


Alex raised a hand, and silence fell across the hall. His voice, deep and resonant, filled the space. “Today, we face a betrayal from within,” he began, his words sending a ripple of whispers through the crowd. “Arin, who once stood beside me as family, has conspired against the crown.”


Arin lifted her head, her eyes wild with desperation. “No! Alex, I was only trying to protect the kingdom! I never meant to—”


“You’ve done enough,” Alex cut her off, his voice sharp. “You lied, you deceived, and you tried to poison Aeryn. You thought you could weaken her—us—with your treachery.”


A gasp rippled through the crowd, and Aeryn’s hand flew to her mouth in shock. She had suspected Arin had ill intentions, but to hear the full extent of her betrayal was overwhelming.


Arin’s face twisted with fear as she turned to the onlookers. “I did it for the kingdom!” she shouted, her voice pleading. “Can’t you all see? Aeryn is a human—she’s weak! She’ll make Alex weak! Jack will destroy us if we allow this to continue!”


But no one in the hall stirred. The cold truth of her betrayal was too heavy, too undeniable.


Alex’s gaze hardened, his jaw clenched as he stared down at Arin. “You think you understand power, Arin, but you are blind. Aeryn is no weakness. She is my strength.”


Aeryn’s heart skipped at his words. She hadn’t expected Alex to defend her so fiercely, to proclaim her importance before his entire kingdom. It sent a strange warmth through her, though the gravity of the situation kept her from savoring the moment for long.


“Your actions have left me with no choice,” Alex continued, his tone now final, as though there was no room for negotiation. “For your betrayal, you will be stripped of your titles, your privileges, and you will be banished from this kingdom.”


Arin’s eyes widened with panic, and she shook her head vehemently, her hands reaching out as though she could stop the inevitable. “No, Alex! Please! I beg you, don’t do this!”


But Alex’s expression remained cold. “You will leave here today with nothing. The guards will ensure you are taken to the border, and if you ever return, the punishment will be death.”


“No!” Arin screamed, her voice cracking with despair as the guards grabbed her arms once more. “Please, Alex! You can’t do this!”


Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Alex turned away from her, signaling to the guards to proceed. They dragged Arin from the hall, her cries echoing behind them, but the decision was final. There would be no mercy for betrayal.


Aeryn stood in stunned silence, watching as Arin was taken away. She felt a mixture of emotions—relief, sadness, and shock. She had never wanted things to escalate this far, but she also knew that Arin’s actions had left Alex no choice.


When the doors finally closed behind Arin, sealing her fate, Alex turned to face the crowd once more. His voice was calm, but his words carried the weight of a king. “Let this be a reminder to all,” he said, his eyes scanning the faces of those gathered. “Loyalty to the crown is absolute. There is no room for treachery.”


The crowd bowed their heads in acknowledgment, and with a nod from Alex, the gathering began to disperse.


---


After the hall had emptied, Alex exhaled, the tension of the day’s events leaving him for a moment. He turned to Aeryn, his expression softening as their eyes met. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.”


Aeryn shook her head. “It’s not your fault. She… she was dangerous, Alex. I’m just… shocked.”


Alex reached out, gently cupping her cheek with his hand. “I know. But she can no longer harm us. The kingdom is safe, and so are you.”


Aeryn leaned into his touch, feeling the warmth of his palm against her skin. Despite the turmoil of the day, she found comfort in his presence, in his strength. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice soft.


Alex studied her for a moment, his gaze intense but filled with something else—desire. The weight of the day’s events had pushed him to his limits, but now, standing alone with Aeryn, he felt an entirely different pull. A need that had been growing since their marriage was consummated.


He pulled her closer, his eyes darkening as they trailed over her body, and for the first time, he noticed what she was wearing.


Aeryn had chosen a simple, human dress—a soft, flowing fabric that clung to her in all the right places. The material was thin, showing just enough of her skin to drive him wild, yet leaving enough to his imagination to ignite a fire inside him.


“You look… tempting,” he murmured, his voice low and husky.


Aeryn’s breath hitched at the sound of his voice, her heart pounding as she felt the heat of his gaze on her. “It’s just a dress,” she said, her voice faltering slightly.


“It’s more than that,” Alex countered, his hands moving to her waist, pulling her flush against him. “You have no idea what you do to me.”


His lips brushed against her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. Aeryn’s hands instinctively found their way to his chest, her fingers tracing the hard lines of his muscles beneath his shirt.


“Alex…” she whispered, her voice breathy.


He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his own filled with a hunger that made her pulse race. “You’re mine, Aeryn. Do you understand that?”


Aeryn nodded, her body pressed so close to his that she could feel the steady beat of his heart against her own.


“Say it,” Alex demanded, his voice a growl.


“I’m yours,” Aeryn breathed, her words barely above a whisper, but they were all Alex needed.


In an instant, his lips crashed down onto hers, the kiss fierce and demanding. His hands roamed her body, pulling at the fabric of her dress, as though the barrier between them was intolerable.


Aeryn responded with equal fervor, her fingers tangling in his hair as their kiss deepened. Every touch, every caress sent fire racing through her veins, and the tension between them, born from the day’s events, melted away in the heat of their passion.


The world outside no longer mattered. It was just the two of them, caught in a storm of desire, and neither of them wanted it to end.


But as Alex’s hands moved lower, pulling her even closer, Aeryn knew one thing for sure—she was exactly where she was meant to be.