CHAPTER 52

**SOPHIA**

I’m sleeping, but suddenly my eyes open, startled.

Something gently touches my face.

I feel panic rising inside me, and a scream threatens to escape, but I hold it in my throat.

My heart is racing out of control.

For a brief moment, I think it's the prince.

Has he come back to bite me and finally drink my blood? My breathing quickens, but when I blink and my vision adjusts, I realize it’s not him.

It’s a woman, a figure wrapped in an aura of tranquility.

A healer.

My mind is still foggy, and it takes me a few seconds to react.

I sit up quickly in bed, my eyes scanning the room for answers.

The woman in front of me is calmly mixing herbs in a bowl.

I try to remember hearing the door open, but I can’t.

The recent events cloud my thoughts.

I glance toward the door, and my heart races even more when I see Adam standing there, on duty as a guard.

He remains silent, his posture firm, and his golden eyes fixed on me.

There is so much I want to say, but we can’t.

He cannot show anything.

What we feel for each other is secret and forbidden. And now, with the healer here, we are prisoners of silence.

“What is that?”, I ask, my voice coming out lower than I intended.

I’m watching the precise movements of the woman as she mixes the liquid with the herbs.

“It’s for the pain you’re feeling. The prince told me you hit your head very hard.”, she replies calmly.

I frown, confused.

The prince sent someone to take care of me? The same prince who claims not to care about me—the same one who plays with my life? None of this makes sense.

My heart is restless, and thoughts of the previous night crush me with suffocating weight.

The woman finishes applying the herbs to my wounds, but I can’t take my eyes off Adam.

There’s something in his eyes that speaks more than a thousand words. I know he’s here for me, always for me, but our hands are tied.

We can’t. Not now.

The tension between us grows, and for a brief moment, he locks his eyes on mine, conveying a restrained longing.

He wants to hold me and comfort me. I want to run to him too, but there are rules.

As soon as the healer finishes her work, I take a deep breath and whisper:

“Thank you...”

She nods and stands up.

Adam, always the perfect guard, opens the door for her to leave.

As soon as the door closes, the room feels tight and suffocating. My hands tremble.

The memories of the previous night haunt me—the terror, the horror of almost being destroyed.

Adam walks slowly toward me, and now that we’re alone, the worry in his eyes overflows.

He doesn’t need to say anything. Tears begin to well up in my eyes.

I try to fight them, but the memories of that man trying to violate me, in front of Adam, overwhelm me. Adam was there, powerless, unable to intervene.

“Sophia...”, he murmurs.

His voice is soft, filled with pain and guilt.

He lifts his hand and gently touches my face, and that’s all it takes for me to lose control. The tears fall, and I sob.

I can’t hold it in anymore. I run into his arms, clinging to him as if he’s the only thing keeping me standing.

“I’m so sorry... I’m so sorry. I would never let that happen to you, even if I had to turn into a wolf to save you...”, he repeats, holding me tightly.

I bury my face in his shoulder, seeking comfort.

“You couldn’t reveal your identity in here...”, I whisper, still trying to collect myself.

“For you, I would do anything. I was going to do it, Sophia, but he did it first.”, he replies, and I can feel the sincerity in his words.

My body stiffens when he mentions the prince. The confusion comes back in full force.

“You’re alive. I was so scared...”

“I had to make sure the captured humans were taken to prison.”, he says, pulling back a little to gently wipe away my tears.

His fingers are tender, but the pain in his eyes is palpable.

“I’m sorry for not keeping my promise...”

I shake my head, denying it. He did what he needed to do, even though it was painful.

“You did what was necessary.”

Adam watches me with soft eyes, relieved to hear my words.

“Do you still have the dagger?”, he asks, his voice turning serious again.

I nod, lifting the hem of my nightgown to show the special dagger strapped to my leg.

The cold metal against my skin reminds me of the responsibility I carry.

“The king and queen are dead. What happens now?”, I murmur.

Adam sighs, and I can see the weight of the situation on his shoulders.

“The throne and crown now belong to the prince. He’s the only heir. He’s to be crowned in a few days.”

Guilt tightens in my chest.

“I should have tried... I should have killed him...”

“You couldn’t, Sophia. You’re not ready for someone like him yet. But if you still want to learn to fight...”, Adam says it firmly.

He pauses, waiting for my response.

“I do.”, I answer without hesitation.

I need to be ready. For everything.

“Then our lessons start tonight. But now, I must go. The prince has been on alert since the attack.”, he states.

When Adam turns to leave, I instinctively grab his hand.

I can’t let him go like this.

I step closer, and before I can think, our lips meet.

The kiss is filled with all the emotions I’m feeling—fear, desperation, and desire. Adam returns it, holding my face with one hand and my waist with the other.

For a brief moment, the world outside ceases to exist.

But soon he pulls away, with one last soft kiss on my lips, like a promise.

“I’ll be back tonight.”, he murmurs.

I nod, watching as he leaves the room.