Chapter 156

The alcohol coursed through my veins, yet it failed to cloud my mind. My regeneration dulled its effects, reducing it to nothing more than a mild sedative—just enough to steady my frayed emotions. I was exhausted, not physically but emotionally, and the choice I was making now was one I never thought I would. I wasn’t in love with Kenzo. In truth, I wasn’t sure if I had the capacity to open my heart to anyone anymore. My feelings for Hadrian still burned within me, a painful reminder of what I had lost.

But I had to bury them. I had to rebuild myself, reassemble the pieces of my life into something that made sense.

Had Kenzo’s words tempted me? Perhaps, in some small way. Did I crave the crown? No—it was never about power. I only longed to bring justice to my mother’s people, to find a place where I truly belonged. Was my fate to stand beside Kenzo as his queen? I couldn’t say. But if the universe had set this path for me, then I would surrender to its will and hope that one day, I would understand why the heavens had written this story for me.

His mouth was warm and insistent, his tongue teasing, igniting a heat I didn’t want to resist. I let myself sink into the pleasure he offered, into the way his hands explored me with a confidence that left no room for hesitation. He deepened the kiss, his fingers slipping beneath the hem of my top, trailing up my skin like fire licking through dry leaves. One hand cradled the back of my head as he eased me down onto the couch, his touch both possessive and reverent.

The thin lace of my bra did little to shield me from his touch as his fingers found the sensitive peak of my breast, teasing until a shiver cascaded through me. A breathless moan escaped my lips as he broke the kiss, only to pull back and peel his shirt away. I bit my lip as my gaze roamed over him, taking in the sculpted lines of his body, the raw desire in his eyes.

"You're beautiful, Thalassa," he murmured, his voice thick with hunger.

Before I could respond, he gathered me into his arms, and in the next heartbeat, I was in his bed, his weight pressing me into the mattress as he prowled over me like a predator savoring his prey. Instinctively, I moved back until my shoulders nearly touched the headboard. He chuckled, his amusement laced with dark promise.

"Undress," he commanded, his gaze devouring me whole.

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling as I peeled away my top, my bra following soon after. He growled low in his throat, watching my every movement with unrestrained hunger. I hesitated, my fingers resting against the delicate straps of my bra, but he had no patience for modesty. In one swift motion, he pulled me against him, stealing the garment from my grasp before I even realized what had happened.

My breath hitched as his lips trailed fire down my skin, mapping a path from my throat to my stomach. My fingers tangled in his thick hair, my body responding to every growl, every touch. Soon, clothing became nothing more than a forgotten barrier between us, and as his hands roamed, stroking and teasing, I felt myself unravel.

He spread my thighs, his fingers exploring, igniting a need so fierce it left me trembling. When he finally thrust inside me, a sharp gasp tore from my lips, my body arching to meet his. The pleasure was overwhelming, his pace unrelenting, his whispers against my skin sending shivers through me.

"You're mine," he rasped against my neck, his teeth scraping over the delicate skin as he drove me closer to the edge.

His fingers worked in perfect tandem with his lips, teasing and claiming until my release shattered through me in a rush of heat and pleasure. He watched me, his gaze dark with satisfaction as he pulled back just enough to drink in the sight of my trembling body beneath him.

My breath came in ragged gasps as he knelt between my parted thighs, his gaze wicked as it roamed over my exposed skin. A sudden wave of self-consciousness washed over me, and without thinking, my hands moved to shield myself. He was quicker, catching my wrists in a firm grip and pinning them beside my head.

"Don’t hide from me," he murmured, his lips curving into a sinful smile. "I want to see all of you."

I barely had time to process his words before he was inside me again, moving with a slow, deliberate rhythm that had me clutching at the sheets. Each thrust pushed me further into bliss, the intensity of his touch leaving me breathless. His name tumbled from my lips in a broken moan as he drove deeper, our bodies slick with sweat, our gasps filling the heated air.

"Mine!" he growled, his release crashing over him in a powerful wave as he claimed me one last time.

He collapsed beside me, his body tangled with mine, an arm tightening around my waist as if afraid I would slip away. I gazed at him, tracing my fingers over the damp skin of his forehead, his cheek, memorizing the way he looked in the dim light.

My heart still pounded, my legs weak from exhaustion, my skin still tingling from the remnants of pleasure. And yet, as I lay in his arms, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, I couldn’t ignore the emptiness settling within me.

Kenzo held me as if he had marked me, but I knew the truth.

He had only claimed the shell of the woman I used to be.

I didn’t regret my choice, but disappointment lingered in my chest like an ache I hadn’t anticipated. Maybe, foolishly, I had expected something more—fireworks igniting in the sky, a fluttering rush in my heart every time Kenzo’s gaze met mine. But with each passing second, I felt more and more like an imposter, trapped in a role I couldn’t quite embody.

I couldn’t fault Kenzo’s skills in bed—he knew how to unravel me, how to pull me under waves of pleasure so intoxicating it left me breathless. But still, I wanted more. Was that selfish of me? Did I expect too much? I wondered if it had been different for him—had something in him unraveled, expanded, ignited the moment he claimed me? Or was he, too, merely going through the motions, unable to summon feelings that weren’t truly there? I had no way of knowing what love was supposed to feel like between a werewolf and a human.

The warmth of his arms around me, once comforting, now felt stifling. When his breathing slowed in sleep, I carefully slipped from his grasp and retreated to the bathroom, needing distance, needing space to breathe. Numbness settled over me as I turned on the shower, lathering my skin with soap, as if scrubbing away the lingering doubts clawing at the edges of my thoughts. Would this hollowness ever leave me? Or was I destined to carry it, masked behind forced smiles and feigned contentment?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear Kenzo enter until the glass door of the shower eased open.

"May I join you?" His voice was teasing, but there was a quiet authority beneath it as he stepped inside.

His arms slid around me from behind, his lips pressing softly against the crown of my head. His touch was slow, deliberate, tracing along the soapy curves of my body with an unmistakable hunger. But as his hands roamed, a wave of fear crashed into me. The alcohol had long since faded from my system, leaving my anxieties raw and impossible to ignore. I turned in his embrace, forcing myself to meet his eyes.

"Kenzo…" I hesitated, swallowing against the knot forming in my throat. "I don’t think I’m ready to be your Luna. I don’t think I feel—"

"You will," he interrupted, his hands cradling my face as he silenced me with a kiss. "You are more than ready. You are mine."

There was something triumphant in his tone, something that sent a chill curling down my spine. I held his gaze, searching desperately for a flicker of genuine affection, but the depths of his eyes remained unreadable. Something was off.

Oberon had once told me that the mate bond was undeniable—that it pulled two souls together with an intensity impossible to ignore. And yet, despite Kenzo’s claim, he was too composed, too controlled… too calculated. But was I any better? I had buried my own emotions beneath a carefully crafted mask, a warm, reassuring smile designed to deceive not only him but also myself. Even now, as we lay tangled in his bed, that mask remained firmly in place.

But as dawn crept through the windows, the unease gnawing at me grew unbearable. It wasn’t about Kenzo. It was something else—something deeper, something wrong.

A sudden realization jolted through me, my breath catching in my throat.

"My phone."

I sat up abruptly, my heartbeat pounding so violently it felt like it might shatter my ribs. A sinking dread coiled in my stomach as I struggled to steady my breath. The sudden movement stirred Kenzo, his arm tightening around me.

"Did you have a bad dream, my Luna?" he murmured sleepily against my ear.

"No…" I forced my voice to stay even. "I just need to check something in my room."

He yawned, loosening his hold. "Fine. Just don’t be long."

I plastered a soft smile onto my face as I met his drowsy gaze. "It’ll only take a minute."

Slipping out of bed, I hurriedly gathered my clothes, dressing in a rush before slipping out the door.

The moment I entered my room, I dashed toward my phone, my fingers trembling as I grabbed it.

Seven missed calls from Freya.

My chest tightened. She had been trying to reach me for the last hour. Something was wrong—terribly wrong.

I swallowed hard and called her back.

"Thalassa!" Freya’s voice cracked with relief the moment she answered. "Thank the gods you finally called!"

"It’s not even six yet," I said, forcing a nervous laugh. "I was asleep." Now was hardly the time to mention Kenzo.

"You don’t understand," she gasped. "Selene just declared herself the new ruler!"

My stomach dropped. "What?"

"The Royal Army—" she choked out, barely able to string the words together. "They were split up. King Hadrian led one of the groups, but… they were ambushed. No one’s been able to reach them all day. Then, two hours ago… a message came from the palace."

A pause. A sharp inhale.

"The King is dead."