I think he felt it too.
He looked at me with his beautiful blue eyes so intensely that, for a moment, it felt as if he were standing right beside me—even though he was far away.
After the royal speech ended, he came straight toward me.
"Are you my mate?" he asked.
I froze.
It was impossible. I knew that. And yet… happiness bloomed inside my chest before I could stop it.
The hall was loud, and everyone was staring at us, so I leaned closer and whispered,
"Let's go to the yard. We can talk better there."
Once outside, surrounded by cold air and falling snow, I finally spoke.
"I'm not from the North," I said quickly. "And my mate is already dead. I don't understand what's happening."
He was silent for a moment, then said slowly,
"I think I know what this is. I once read about a rare case in the royal books—when an alpha can have two mates. One is the usual bond… and the other happens when two high-class alphas share an exceptionally strong connection. A bond so powerful that destiny ties them together."
"No," I said immediately. "That's impossible."
I refused to believe it.
And yet… a small spark of hope warmed my heart—hope I hadn't allowed myself to feel in a long time.
"I have strong feelings for you," he said softly. "And I don't care about your background or your past. I only ask that you give us a chance. Please."
"I don't even know your name," I said. "Why should I give you a chance?"
"My name is Sebastian," he replied. "As you know, I am the Crown Prince of the North. I understand why you don't trust me, but I hope you'll give me a chance to show you who I really am."
"This is all too much for me," I admitted. "I need time to think. If you want… we can talk again tomorrow."
"I'd like that," he said. "But where can I find you?"
"I work for Emily of the Frost family," I told him. "We can meet there."
"I will gladly come tomorrow," Sebastian said.
I was happy—far happier than I wanted to admit—but I forced myself to stay cold.
"I have to go," I said. "We'll talk tomorrow."
As soon as I returned to Emily, she grabbed my arm.
"What is going on?!" she whispered urgently. "I have so many questions! What were you talking about with the Crown Prince?"
"I'll tell you everything when we get home," I said quietly. "This isn't a safe place to talk."
"Fine," she nodded. "But you will tell me everything."
"I promise."
Not long after, the ball ended, and it was time to leave.
Before we did, Ian stopped me.
"What was that about?" he asked. "Why were you talking with the Crown Prince?"
"That's none of your business," I snapped. "Some things are private."
The rest of the journey home was filled with silence.
As soon as we arrived, Emily and I went straight to her room.
And that was when everything finally came out.