Chapter 20 Stern Warning
MEIRA ASHFORD
I felt it before I saw him.
That strange pull, that tightening in my chest.
That invisible thread tugging at my soul like a whisper only I could hear, I turned slowly and nearly collided with a solid chest.
Mr Sherlock stood right behind me.
My breath hitched. For a moment, my mind went completely blank.
Only then did I realise I had been standing outside the library all this while, so lost in thought that I hadn’t even moved from the spot. I had meant to return to my quarters, yet my feet had forgotten their duty.
“Good day, my prince.”
Jacinthe’s voice snapped me back to myself.
She bowed deeply, her eyes wide in pure shock the instant she saw him. The greeting tumbled out of her mouth like she feared swallowing the words would be a crime. Meanwhile, I stood there completely frozen… lifeless, like a statue left behind by time itself.
My spine tingled, a shiver racing down my back like lightning. I immediately dropped into a bow as well, though my movements were stiff and delayed.
“Good day, my prince,” I whispered.
The air around him was… different now.
Only minutes earlier, he had been the man who spoke to me about old books; we discussed stories like they were sacred things. But now? He was not that man at all.
Now he was royalty. Now he was distant. Now he felt untouchable.
And goddess help me, the stiff elegance of his black coat and the authority in his posture only made him more unbearably handsome.
He nodded at us in acknowledgement; not a word followed.
His eyes… never once flicked toward Jacinthe.
They were on me, only me.
My pulse thundered violently in my ears.
‘The smell is back,’ Roxy whispered inside my head, her voice bubbling with excitement.
‘It’s back, Meira! The scent is back!’
I inhaled without meaning to and felt it again.
That same warm, stormy scent that made my insides twist in ways I did not understand.
I hated it.
And some terrible, traitorous part of me… loved it.
‘I don’t understand what you’re excited about,’ I muttered inside.
‘Nothing good ever comes from this feeling.’
His gaze pierced straight through me.
Those blue eyes weren’t just looking at me; they were searching me, studying me.
Too deeply, I couldn’t breathe.
“Excuse us.”
His voice was calm, controlled… and cold.
He spoke to Jacinthe, but his eyes remained fixed on me.
She nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Yes, my prince!”
She scurried off so quickly it was as if she feared being struck by lightning if she lingered. Within seconds, we were alone.
And the silence between us felt louder than any scream.
He cleared his throat.
“I think it is best you obey what the Alpha King has instructed.”
His voice no longer held gentleness; it was empty and detached.
I lifted my head slowly to look at him.
He repeated himself, as if he had read my confusion clear as day.
“It is best you stay away from me,” he said quietly.
“For your own good,” It wasn't just a command; it was a stern warning.
My heart cracked. It wasn’t just his words.
It was the way he said them. They were too cold, final and unmovable.
Like a blade slicing straight into my chest, he turned away before I could form a single word.
I stood there long after he left, staring at nothing.
When my feet finally obeyed me, they carried me back to my quarters.
Anger erupted inside my head as I remembered my conversation with Roxy earlier.
‘Why are you so happy about the scent being back?’ I snapped at Roxy.
‘What exactly is wrong with you?’
‘Because I like it,’ she replied stubbornly.
‘It feels right. It feels… familiar.’
‘It feels dangerous,’ I argued.
‘I just want it gone. I pray to the Moon Goddess to make it stop every night. What use is this pull if I can never be with the person it’s trying to drag me toward?’
Roxy hesitated.
Then quietly said, ‘Then tell him, Meira. Tell him you feel it too. Let him reject you properly.’
My chest tightened.
“No,” I whispered aloud.
‘The royal packhouse is big enough. If I stay far away from him, I won’t feel it anymore.’
‘And what if he’s searching for his mate?’ she pressed.
The fear gripped me like claws.
‘Then he’ll be more disappointed than ever if he finds out it’s me,” I said softly.
‘And if the Alpha King discovers it… I might disappear into a dungeon. Or worse.’
The words tasted bitter.
By the time I reached the quarters, Jacinthe was there, hurriedly pulling on warm sweaters like the walls themselves had whispered urgency to her.
“Thank goodness!” she exclaimed when she saw me.
“I thought you were about to be summoned to execution or something!”
I blinked.
“That dramatic?”
“Yes!” She clutched her chest like someone in a play.
“The way the prince looked earlier—oh goddess, he looked furious!”
“He wasn’t,” I lied quickly.
“He only corrected a mistake I made.”
She studied my face for a moment.
Then she seemed to accept my answer, even if she wasn’t convinced.
“Well, we’ve been transferred to the kitchens,” she announced.
“Emily herself sent word. We’re needed for work.”
“Then let’s go before she comes and act irrational,” I said immediately, anxious to escape further questions.
We walked in silence for a few moments.
Then Jacinthe suddenly gasped like she had remembered something terribly wonderful.
“Oh! I almost forgot!” she whispered enthusiastically.
“I heard there’s going to be another mate ceremony.”
I frowned.
“Another one?”
She nodded eagerly.
“Yes! Not officially announced yet, but the palace whispers never lie.”
“You sound way too happy about it,” I pointed out.
“Of course I am!” she said dramatically.
“I scrub floors all day. My only entertainment is dust and soup. At least a ceremony has music and dresses and people pretending to be impressive.”
I smiled faintly.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“What?” She laughed.
“Let me enjoy my little sparks of happiness.”
Then she glanced at me sideways.
“You probably won’t be allowed to attend.”
The words stung more than I expected.
“Oh,” I murmured.
“I don’t mean to be rude,” she added quickly.
“But servants like us usually serve, but I’m not certain you would be allowed."
“It’s okay,” I said like it didn't ache. “I just hope the prince finds a mate this time,” I said dryly.