Chapter 34
Lily's POV
I woke up to the sound of a loud thud against my front door.
"Lily, get the door!" my mom's voice rang through the house, sharp and impatient.
"Okay, Mom," I groaned, dragging myself out of my sheets like a zombie on Monday morning.
My hair wild with my eyes barely open, I shuffled to the door, half-expecting it to be a delivery or one of the neighbors needing sugar.
Nope.
It was a scroll. A legit, sealed, wax-stamped scroll. Taped to the door like a medieval eviction notice. I blinked at it, confused, then ripped it open.
And when I read it? My jaw dropped.
"By royal decree, Lily Mittens and Mark Rowe are hereby prohibited from public interaction under any circumstance. This measure has been put in place due to reports that their relationship has caused disturbances within the school community. Violation will be met with palace-sanctioned reprimand.
Signed, His Majesty, King Joseph Wellington."
I stared at it for a full ten seconds, then let out a loud, "Are you kidding me?!"
"Disturbances within the school community"? That was the excuse? Bullshit. This was Joe, 100%. King Joe was having a royal temper tantrum and dragging the entire kingdom into it.
I balled the scroll in my fist.
A royal decree? Just to keep me away from Mark? Oh, he had really lost it this time.
But here's the thing: for half a second…just half…I felt… relieved.
No more acting. No more pretending I loved Mark's perfect hair and boring stories and how he kept calling me "babe" like it was a title. No more trying to be the version of Lily that Mark wanted,graceful, quiet, elegant.
The truth?
I was still drowning in thoughts of someone else.
But none of that mattered right now. Because if Joe thought he could control me with a scroll and a signature, he had another thing coming.
I got dressed like I was going to war.
Black jeans, black boots. My "I'm not in the mood" jacket, my hair in a high ponytail, my face fresh but fierce. I was ready.
School was buzzing when I got there. People were whispering, pointing, staring. Some looked amused, some jealous, some just nosy.
"Guess she really pissed him off."
"Did you see the scroll? She actually got banned!"
"What did she do to get that kind of attention?"
I walked straight down the hallway like I owned it. Eyes forward. Chin high.
I spotted Mark at his locker, grinning like he hadn't just been turned into public enemy number two.
"Hey baby," I said sweetly, and before he could even process it, I grabbed his collar and kissed him. Slow and Long. Right in the middle of the hallway.
If Joe was watching, I wanted him to choke.
And then, like magic, they appeared.
Two royal guards. Out of freaking nowhere.
"Miss Lily Mittens. Mr. Mark Rowe," one of them said firmly. "This is your official warning. Do not violate the King's orders again."
The hallway went silent.
"What? Are you fucking serious right now?" Mark sputtered.
I just stared at them, stunned. Was this really happening? Like, for real?
Mark turned to me. "You okay?"
"Nope." I snapped. "But I'm about to be."
And with that, I spun on my heel and stormed out of school. I didn't need this drama in my life. But I was going to end it. Today.
Luckily, my aunt worked at the palace, so getting in wasn't too hard. One of the guards nodded at me as I walked past, probably too shocked to stop me.
The marble floors echoed under my boots. I marched through the palace like I lived there.
"Where's Joseph?" I asked one of the maids, practically seething.
"Joseph?" she blinked.
I rolled my eyes. "I mean the King. Alpha Joe. Where is he?"
"Oh! Uh… he's in his room," she said, pointing nervously down the hall.
"Thanks," I muttered and headed straight there.
I didn't knock. I didn't pause, I kicked the door open and stepped in like a hurricane.
"JOSEPH!"
He turned sharply, his eyes wide. He was surrounded by papers and looking way too kingly for someone who had just ruined my entire morning.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, rising.
I didn't even answer. I walked straight to his desk and shoved everything off it. Papers flew everywhere. The royal seal rolled across the floor.
"How dare you!" I shouted. "A whole royal decree? Because your little ego got bruised?!"
"What the hell, Lily?"
"You don't get to dictate who I see, who I date, or who I kiss! You're not my father! You're not even my boyfriend!"
"I'm your king," he said,his voice sharp.
I laughed bitterly. "You mean your title is King. But in real life? You're just Joe. The guy who hurt me. The guy who lied. And now you're just… pulling power moves because you can't stand seeing me with someone else."
"Undo it," I snapped. "Take it back."
He stood there silently. Watching me.He was clearly amused by my ranting.
I stepped closer. "Undo it, or I'll make sure everyone sees you for what you really are. A control freak with a crown."
Still nothing.
Fine.
I leaned in, voice low. "Maybe your father isn't almost dead from the sickness. Maybe it is the stress of raising someone like you."
The second the words left my mouth, I knew I went too far.
Shit
His whole body shifted.
He was in front of me before I could blink. One hand against the wall behind me, the other gripping my wrist, not tight, not painful, but firm enough to stop me from moving.
His eyes… they weren't human anymore. Wolf and man combined, glowing with rage.
Dark vapor slipped from his lips.
"Joe," I whispered, heart racing. "I… I didn't mean…"
"Say it again," he growled. "I dare you."
I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.
"I…i". He kept coming closer, the same angry look in his eyes. I thought my time on this earth was over.
But
Then…he kissed me.
Not gently.
Not sweetly.
It was fire and fury. Desperate. Angry. Possessive. The kind of kiss that makes your knees go weak and your brain forgets how to think.
And the worst part?
I kissed him back.
Every part of me screamed don't, but my lips didn't listen. My body moved on its own. My hand slid into his hair. I pulled him closer.
And for just a second… it felt like coming home.