The palace guards recognized me. They stepped aside without a word as I walked through the stone archway. My hands shook as I made my way to the king's private study. Four years ago, I had stumbled into his life during one drunken mistake at a tavern near the border. Now our son Cody connected us forever, whether Jack Thornridge wanted it or not.
I pushed open the heavy oak door. He stood with his back to me, staring out the window at the kingdom below. The afternoon sun caught his dark hair and broad shoulders. He wore all black, no crown, no royal robes. Somehow that made him look more dangerous.
"I want my son back."
He kept staring out the window. His hands stayed in his pockets. I watched his spine go rigid, but he refused to turn around.
"You have no right to take Cody from me," I said. My voice got louder. "Give him back. Find yourself another heir and leave mine alone."
He said nothing.
"Turn around and face me."
He turned slowly. Those silver eyes locked onto mine with the same cold expression he always wore. I refused to look away. He studied me for a long moment. I wondered what he saw. The broken woman he destroyed four years ago, or someone stronger?
"Why are you doing this?" I stepped closer. "You took everything from me that night. My innocence. My pride. My dignity. You even blocked me from working anywhere in this kingdom. I let it go because meeting you was my own mistake. But now you take the one thing that gives my life meaning. I can lose everything except my son."
His jaw tightened. Still no words.
"I forced myself on you that night," I said. "I was drunk and stupid. But I paid you for your services, no matter how small the amount. So why are you punishing me by taking Cody?"
A cruel smile twisted his lips. "You think that pathetic silver coin you left was payment? You walked into my chambers and treated me like some common wolf for hire."
"That is what you were to me. I needed someone to take away my pain, and you did. I paid you fairly."
"Do you know who you are talking to?" His voice dropped dangerously low. He moved closer.
"I know exactly who you are. I am not afraid anymore."
He closed the distance between us in three long strides. I forced myself to stay still as he loomed over me. His scent hit me hard. Pine and smoke and something wild. He leaned down. His breath was warm against my ear.
"You should be afraid. I could make you vanish from this kingdom forever."
My eyes closed. I expected him to hurt me, but he only whispered that threat before walking away. He dropped into his chair behind the massive desk and propped his boots on the polished wood. Every inch the arrogant king.
"You cannot do anything worse to me than what you have already done," I said. "I will tell everyone what kind of man their king really is. How you prey on drunken women in taverns. How you steal their children years later without remorse. How many others are there, Jack? How many women did you ruin? How many children do you have scattered across this kingdom?"
"Get out of my study."
"Give me my son."
"I said get out."
"My son, Jack. I want my son back."
He reached for the bell on his desk. Four royal guards rushed through the door within seconds.
"From this moment forward, I am issuing a royal decree against this woman," Jack said. His voice was ice. "If any of you allow her onto palace grounds again, you will lose more than your positions. You will face the dungeons."
The guards went pale. Everyone knew the Alpha King never made empty threats. One guard grabbed my wrist gently.
"No." I tried to pull away. "You cannot do this. I have rights to my own child."
But they were already dragging me toward the door. I twisted back to look at Jack one last time. He sat there like a statue. Cold. Unmoved by my tears.
"You will regret this."
He rang the bell again. His secretary appeared instantly.
"Send word to Counselor Dalton," Jack ordered. He did not look at me. "Tell him to meet me at two o'clock. It is urgent."
The guards escorted me through the palace halls and out the main gates. People stopped and stared as I was removed like a common criminal. When we reached the outer courtyard, one guard spoke quietly.
"Miss, if we see you near the palace again, we will have no choice but to arrest you. Please, for your own safety, stay away."
I nodded. I could not speak past the lump in my throat. They released me and I stumbled into the crowded street. Tears streamed down my face. Once again, Jack Thornridge had won simply because he held all the power in this kingdom.
I walked away from the palace. My feet carried me through the market district without thinking. Vendors called out their wares. Children laughed and played. The world kept spinning while mine fell apart.
At exactly two o'clock, Counselor Dalton would enter the king's study. They would sit together and plot against me.
"I need a royal decree," Jack would say. "Keep this woman away from me and my son."
"What are the terms, Your Majesty?"
"Twenty years. I never want to see her face again."
No judge would question the Alpha King. No court would hear my plea. I had challenged him. Insulted him. Now I would pay the price.
Twenty years without Cody. Twenty years of watching my son grow up from a distance, if I was lucky enough to catch glimpses of him at all.
The decree would be official by morning. My fate sealed with a signature and the royal seal pressed into red wax.
I stopped walking. The street blurred through my tears. A woman bumped into me and muttered an apology. I barely heard her.
How could I survive twenty years without my son?
The answer came swift and clear. I could not.