POV: Francesca
The fire had burned down to embers by the time Wilhelm returned.
I sat on the edge of the bed, a shawl wrapped tightly around my shoulders, though the room itself was warm. The heat from the hearth barely registered. The cold lived somewhere deeper, settled behind my ribs, a familiar ache that never truly left.
When the door opened and closed behind him, the bond stirred instantly, a low hum of awareness that tightened my chest before I could brace myself.
Wilhelm stood near the door for a moment without speaking. I felt his gaze on me, heavy and searching, as if he were trying to decide how carefully he needed to tread. Five years had taught him caution where I was concerned, and that knowledge cut deeper than anger ever could.
“You didn’t come to supper,” he said at last.
I nodded faintly. “I wasn’t hungry.”
He crossed the room and stopped in front of me, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him. The firelight carved sharp lines across his face, emphasizing how much time and responsibility had changed him.
He was broader now, harder, carrying the weight of an army and a stolen crown on his shoulders.
“Francesca,” he said quietly, lowering himself so we were eye level, “tell me what’s eating you alive. Whatever it is, it won’t get smaller just because you refuse to name it.”
I swallowed, my fingers tightening in the fabric of my shawl. “You already have too much to worry about.”
“That’s not for you to decide,” he replied. “You’re part of my life. You’re part of this war whether you want to be or not.”
Outside the narrow window, horns echoed faintly from the training yard. Wolves drilled even after sunset now, their discipline tightening as the day of confrontation crept closer.
Packs from the north and west had begun to arrive in secret, pledging themselves to Wilhelm’s cause. The castle felt crowded with anticipation and fear.
“You’re close,” I said softly. “to overthrow Cassian. To take back the throne.”
Wilhelm’s eyes darkened. “Which is exactly why I can’t ignore what’s happening to you.”
I hesitated, then finally said the thing that had been clawing at me for months. “Kyle doesn’t want me here.”
The words felt dangerous the moment they left my mouth. Wilhelm didn’t deny it. He exhaled slowly, a controlled breath that told me this was not new to him. “I know.”
I looked down at my hands. “He watches me like I don’t belong. Like I’m a problem waiting to happen.”
Wilhelm’s voice dropped. “We’ve argued about you more times than you realize.”
My head snapped up. “Argued?”
His jaw flexed. “Kyle believes you complicate things and your presence puts the pack at risk.”
My chest tightened. “Does it?”
“I believe he’s afraid,” Wilhelm replied. “And fear makes people cruel.”
I hesitated, then asked the question that had haunted me. “He senses something in me, doesn’t he?”
Wilhelm didn’t look away. “He does. It’s your blood and power. Your bond to me.”
The word power made my stomach twist. “I don’t have power.”
“You do,” he said firmly. “You just never had the chance to use it.”
I shook my head. “All I’ve ever been is a burden.”
Wilhelm reached out then, his fingers warm as they cupped my cheek. “You have royal blood,” he said quietly. “Old blood. Kyle feels it, the same way other alphas would. And because you’re my mate, that power resonates even stronger.”
I stiffened. “Please don’t talk about me like I’m—”
“Like a queen?” he finished softly.
The word sent a chill through me. “I never wanted that.”
“Wanting has never stopped fate.”
My throat tightened painfully. I leaned into his touch despite myself, craving the comfort even as fear gnawed at me. His thumb brushed away a tear I hadn’t felt fall.
“Francesca,” he murmured, “you don’t have to be strong alone.”
The bond surged, heat coiling low in my stomach. He leaned closer, his breath warm against my skin, and for a moment the world narrowed dangerously. His lips brushed mine, tentative, testing, and my hands rose to grip his shirt as if instinct alone guided me.
The kiss deepened, slow and aching. Five years of restraint unraveled in a single breath. I felt his hands slide to my waist, felt my body respond with a longing I could barely contain.
Then he pulled away. The sudden distance left me dizzy.
Wilhelm stood abruptly, turning his back to me, his shoulders tense. “I can’t,” he said, his voice strained. “Not like this.”
“What?” I asked, the word breaking before I could stop it.
He turned his head slightly. “You’re still hiding something,” he said. “And if I cross that line while you’re holding back, I’ll only make things worse.”
My eyes burned. “I’m afraid.”
“I know,” he said more gently. “And when you’re ready to tell me why, I’ll listen. Truly. But I won’t take comfort from you while you’re bleeding inside.”
He walked to the door and paused. “I’m not leaving you,” he added quietly. “I’m giving you space to choose.”
Then he was gone. The silence he left behind felt unbearable.
I sat there shaking, my body aching with everything that hadn’t happened, my heart pounding with the truth I still hadn’t found the courage to speak aloud. I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my breathing.
That was when the air shifted.
I looked up sharply. Kyle stood just inside the doorway.
I hadn’t heard him enter. He was shorter than Wilhelm, lean and sharp-edged, with shoulder-length blond hair and eyes so dark they looked almost black in the firelight. He wore a white shirt and brown trousers, barefoot, as if the stone floors meant nothing to him.
“I came to tell you that I finally know everything,” he said calmly.
Cold flooded my veins. “What are you talking about?”
Kyle smiled faintly. “You have a son,” he said. “By King Cassian.”
The world tilted violently. My lungs refused to work. Kyle watched my face closely, his certainty sharpening with every second of my silence.
“Wilhelm doesn’t know,” he continued. “But he will. Your staying here is a risk.”
“I’ve done nothing but stay out of the way,” I whispered.
“You exist,” Kyle said flatly. “That’s enough.”
I forced myself to stand. “I’m Wilhelm’s mate.”
Kyle’s gaze hardened. “Exactly. Mates make kings weak, especially when they come with secrets big enough to shatter wars.”
My chest burned. “Don’t do this.”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “If you don’t leave,” he said, “I will tell Wilhelm everything.”
I stared at him, heart pounding, seeing only Wilhelm’s face when the truth finally destroyed whatever fragile balance we had left.
“Choose,” Kyle murmured. “Leave him… or lose him.”