LAYLA'S POV
The words echoed down the dark hallway: "You don't belong here."
I spun around. My heart was pounding in my chest. For a moment, I felt scared. I thought I had gotten into trouble. I looked in the darkness for who said that until my eyes landed on a figure standing a few steps away.
He wasn't like the nobles I usually saw strutting around Silverfang Keep. No. He was different. He was tall and he gave out a commanding aura without even trying. He had auburn hair and when his piercing amber eyes met mine, I felt my breath catch. His aura was dark, dominant, and yet… magnetic.
For a heartbeat, I couldn't move. He looked like sin dressed as a man.
He was devilishly handsome. That was the only way I could describe him.
"W–who are you?" I whispered
The man's lips curved into a half-smile. He seemed smooth and dangerous all at once. "Lucian Stormvale," he said "I'm a noble from the outer territories."
I lowered my gaze and bowed my head, the way I was expected to when addressed by nobility. "My lord."
But instead of satisfaction, he chuckled.
"There is no need for that," he said "I'm not fond of empty courtesies."
Slowly, I lifted my head. His eyes were still fixed on me. he seemed like he was studying me intensely.
"And what is your name?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Layla," I said softly. My throat was dry. "Just… Layla."
"Ah, the infamous omega of Silverfang Keep. The one mated to the Alpha" He didn't say it with scorn like the others did. There was no disgust in his tone, no sneer. Just intrigue. And that unsettled me even more.
I swallowed, unsure how to respond. "Yes. That's me."
He smirked as if I had amused him. "Interesting." And with that single word, he turned and walked down the corridor, leaving me with my pulse still racing,
-
Over the next few days, I saw him everywhere.
Lucian Stormvale was not just a guest. He had inserted himself into court life effortlessly, as if he had always belonged here.
I carried trays into the courtroom with my head bowed, trying to keep invisible as always but my eyes couldn't help drifting toward him. He sat among the nobles with a confidence that demanded attention. Every move of his was smooth
The council members listened when he spoke. He cracked small jokes that made even the sternest advisors chuckle. He gave them clever insights that left them nodding in respect. He was dangerous with words. He looked like a wolf who knew exactly how to bare his teeth and when to hide them.
Every time I passed with a tray of wine goblets, his eyes would find mine.
His amber eyes locked onto me. and then….he winked at me.
Every time he did that, my heart would race. Heat rushed to my cheeks every time, and I hated that my body betrayed me so easily. I ducked my head quickly, praying no one else noticed but they did. I could hear the hushed giggles of the younger servant girls whenever he passed. They admired him. Every time they saw him smile at me, they would glare at me and make comments.
"Did you see that?"
"He smiled at her again."
"Why would he look at her?"
I tried to ignore it, but deep down, I couldn't ignore the twist in my stomach. It wasn't disgust I felt. It was something far more dangerous.
I had overheard nobles whispering too. They spoke of Lucian. They said he was Alpha in his own right, once heir to his territory, who chose not to claim the throne. He had that kind of power that carried weight and it was clear everyone felt it when he entered a room.
-
One afternoon, I was balancing a tray of fresh fruit in the banquet hall when it happened.
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and before I could move, Lucian was standing before me.
"Lady Layla," he said smoothly. My name sounded like silk on his tongue, though the 'lady' part made my chest squeeze. No one ever called me that.
"My—" I began, but stopped myself "I'm not a lady."
Lucian's lips curved into that infuriating, dangerous smile again. "You are to me."
And before I could retreat, he reached for my hand. Slowly, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it while staring at me eyes.
The hall seemed to still.
My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. His lips were warm and they lingered just long enough to make my pulse race, my skin burn. Around us, whispers started. Servants exchanged wide-eyed glances. A few nobles even frowned, as if they were candalized by the sight.
I snatched my hand back "You shouldn't. I-I" I stammered, unable to finish the thought.
Lucian just smiled. He didn't seem bothered at all.
"Why not?" he murmured
With that, he walked away like nothing had happened
But nothing was the same. Not anymore.
When I escaped to the kitchens, clutching the empty tray against my chest, Janet cornered me immediately. The grin on her face was wicked.
"Well, well, well," she teased, nudging me with her elbow. "Looks like you've caught the eye of a real gentleman this time."
I glared at her half-heartedly. My cheeks were still hot. "Stop it, Janet. He was just being polite."
Janet raised her brows dramatically. "Polite? That was not polite. That was… something else."
I shook my head furiously. "No, it's nothing. It means nothing."
But my heart betrayed me. It was beating so fast I thought it might tear right out of me. And even as I tried to push it away, I couldn't stop replaying the feel of his lips against my skin, the way his amber eyes had locked on mine as though I was the only one in the entire hall.
And that terrified me more than anything else.