And with that, Lucien withdrew the mist that had shrouded them, leaving Aries standing alone in the open. His gaze remained fixed on Lucien's retreating figure, watching as the distance between them slowly widened.
Then, without warning, Lucien dropped to his knees.
He faced the king directly, his posture rigid yet broken, and spoke in a voice stripped of all pretense.
"Your Majesty," Lucien said hoarsely, lowering his head, "it is just as my brother stated. I am truly insane—my senses clouded by what I believed to be love. I saw this tiger beast as my mate and dragged him into the wolf kingdom against his will. I also lay with him against his will."
His fingers curled, "I am despicable."
