KILLIAN'S POVThe moment I walk into the library and see him…Lucian, standing far too close to her, everything inside me snaps. His hand is caged above her head. His body is angled in a way that screams possession. And her, my Layla, stands there with tears in her eyes.
My blood runs hot. My wolf roars inside me. It is a growl, demanding dominance, demanding blood. Logic vanishes. I don't see a noble. I don't see a man protected by politics, crowns, or rules. I see a threat. I see a bastard that is too close to what is mine.
I walk to him and my hands grab his collar before he has the chance to move. I slam him into the bookshelf with a force that makes the entire wall quake. Wood splinters, shelves crack, and books fall down around us. Layla gasps, but I don't loosen my grip.
I want to tear him apart.
Lucian doesn't fight back. He doesn't look afraid. He just looks at me with a smirk, as if mocking me. He is silently daring me.
"You dare touch her," I growl.
Kaiden moves in beside me. His presence is just as dangerous as mine. I can feel the anger radiating from him and Kieran.
"You dare claim what isn't yours?" Kaiden growls.
The air gets thicker. The dominance from the three of us crashes together. The anger we radiate is so heavy that even the walls seem to tremble with it. My wolf claws at me, straining to break free, to end this with blood.
Lucian tilts his head. He is calm, too calm. "Isn't she?" he asks. "You've done nothing to accept her. And yet here you are, acting like jealous mates."
I tighten my grip on him. "Say that again," I snarl.
He doesn't resist. He leans into my grip, as though testing me. "What's wrong, wolf? Does the truth hurt?"
Behind us, Layla's breath hitches. Her presence, her scent, is filled with fear. She isn't just standing there anymore. No, she is the center of everything.
And damn me, my chest aches because of it.
Kieran, who has been silent until now, finally moves.
"Enough," he says.
Unlike Kaiden's anger, Kieran's tone is cold. The command in it makes even my wolf falter a bit. Lucian's smirk twitches. I can see his confidence falling a little. Kieran might be quiet but he is the one you don't want to mess with.
Kieran's eyes shift to Layla. "Do you want to leave?"
The room freezes.
My grip on Lucian slackens for a small second. Kaiden freezes beside me. Even Lucian tilts his head, interested.
All eyes turn to her.
Her chest rises and falls quickly. Her lips are parted. She should say yes. She should run. But she looks at us. Her eyes move from Kieran to Kaiden, and finally to me. There is something in her eyes.
She doesn't want to leave.
Lucian chuckles low. "See?" he says, tilting his head at us. "She hesitates. You treat her like a pawn, yet you expect her loyalty. No wonder she seeks me instead."
His words make me see red. My wolf snarls. I can feel him shaking against the thin walls of my control.
"Don't you dare speak her name," Kaiden snaps.
Lucian smiles. "Why not? You don't deserve her. You've let her suffer, made her crawl while you sit in your thrones pretending to be kings. And now, you're mad because someone sees her for what she is and wants to give her the love she deserves."
My vision blurs red. "Say another word, and I'll rip your throat out."
He leans closer. I can feel his breath on my ear even though my fist is still crushing his collar. "Do it. Show her just how much of a monster you are."
Kaiden growls, stepping closer. "You think you're clever, Lucian, but you forget whose territory you stand in. One more step out of line, and noble blood won't protect you."
Lucian's smirk only deepens. "Perhaps. But it seems I've already won. Look at her." He looks at Layla. "She's trembling. Not from you. From the thought of choosing."
I want to tear him apart. To shred that smugness from his face.
"Stop. Please…stop!" Layla says.
But our voices swallow hers, drown her out. My grip on his collar tightens until the fabric strains, until my knuckles burn.
The library vibrates with dominance, with fury, with the edge of something about to break—
And then the doors slam open.
A servant stumbles in. His face is as pale as snow. He is breathing heavily. His eyes are wide with terror as he gasps:
"There's been an attack," he chokes. "The palace is under siege!"