Chapter 238 I'm Not Afraid Of Anything

Chapter 238 I'm Not Afraid Of Anything
Apollo's POV

I watched Victoria's sleeping face in the dim light of dawn, my heart still racing with the memory of last night. Her hair spread across my pillow like a halo, her lashes casting delicate shadows on her cheeks.

I can't help but feel a sense of unreality. Victoria is sleeping right beside me, even though we didn't do anything last night.

Sometimes I find myself reaching out just to make sure she's actually there, that this happiness isn't just another dream I'll wake up from.

I got it!

My mind drifted back to the cliff edge, to the moment I'd finally gathered my courage. The look on Victoria's face when I first presented the necklace – that flash of momentary disappointment quickly masked with a smile – would forever be etched in my memory.

When I dropped to one knee and pulled out the diamond ring, her eyes had widened in shock, tears instantly welling up.

"I thought you'd never ask," she had sobbed, her voice breaking with emotion. "I'm so happy!"

I smiled, but something cold and calculated stirred beneath my expression.

Victoria was Tyler's sister, and Nathan clearly favored Tyler. With Victoria as my mate, my path to power would be clear.

I'd watched her for months – so trusting, so naive. Sometimes her innocence irritated me. How could someone be so blind to the political maneuvering around them?

Last night, after she'd fallen asleep, I'd stepped outside, needing space to think.

That's when it happened.

A collision – someone running straight into me in the darkness.

"Watch where you're going," I snapped. "Are you blind? Can't you see someone's standing here?"

"I'm so sorry," came a breathless female voice. "I didn't see you there."

I turned, ready to dismiss whoever had interrupted my thoughts, but froze instead. The moonlight illuminated her perfectly – an oval face with striking features, ice-blue eyes that seemed to pierce through me, full lips forming a perfect M-shape, and skin like porcelain.

But what truly caught my attention was her figure – particularly the curves that her running clothes did little to conceal.

Fat ass.

I felt an immediate, primal response that shocked me with its intensity.

"It's... fine," I managed, my voice suddenly hoarse. "What's your name?"

"Thalia," she replied, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm seventeen."

"Seventeen," I repeated, studying her. "What are you doing running around at this hour, Thalia?"

"Training," she explained, still slightly out of breath. "I'm trying to build my endurance. I'm really sorry for bumping into you."

"It's nothing," I said, my tone softening. "What do you do here at the castle?"

"I'm an apprentice healer under Emma," she answered, her posture straightening with pride. "I started last month."

"A healer," I said, my eyes lingering on her longer than appropriate. "Interesting. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again, Thalia."

She looked confused by my tone, her head tilting slightly. "I suppose so. Goodnight, then."

As she jogged away, I watched her go, feeling something I hadn't felt in a long time – genuine, unplanned desire.

Sunlight gradually strengthened now, streaming through the curtains. Victoria stirred in my arms, her eyes fluttering open. Her gaze immediately went to the ring on her finger, her expression one of wonder.

"Morning, my fiancée," I whispered, forcefully pushing thoughts of Thalia from my mind, perfecting my expression into one of adoration.

A shy smile spread across Victoria's face, her cheeks coloring with a delicate blush. Her eyes, still heavy with sleep, sparkled with newfound joy. So easy to please, so predictable in her responses.

"Say that again," she requested softly, her fingers tracing patterns on my chest.

"My fiancée," I repeated, pulling her closer until I could feel her heartbeat against mine, noting how it quickened at my touch. "Soon to be my Luna."

Victoria laughed softly, burying her face against my chest. "I still can't believe it," she confessed. "Should we have our own celebration dinner or just ride Nathan and Rachel's coattails?"

"I say we deserve our own party," I said, pressing a calculated kiss to her forehead, mentally reviewing the political advantages of a grand celebration. "This is our moment, our beginning. But first," I added, gently tilting her chin up to meet my gaze, studying her face for any sign of suspicion, "we need to break the news to everyone."

"Gina's going to flip," Victoria giggled.

"She absolutely will," I agreed, my thumb caressing her cheek in the way I'd learned made her melt. "And I can't wait to see it." The public announcement would cement my position in Nathan's inner circle—exactly where I needed to be.

An hour later, we walked hand-in-hand into the castle dining room. Nathan and Rachel were already there, Rachel excitedly showing off her engagement ring to one of the staff.

The sunlight streaming through the tall windows caught Victoria's ring, sending tiny rainbows dancing across the wall. I'd chosen that particular cut of diamond precisely for this effect. Gina, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed immediately.

"Wait, what is that?" Her eyes widened as she stared at Victoria's hand. "Victoria, is that...?"

Victoria nodded shyly, and Gina let out an ear-piercing squeal, rushing over to throw her arms around us both. I endured the embrace, maintaining my smile with practiced ease.

"Two engagements in one night?!" She pulled back to examine the ring. "Apollo, you sneaky bastard! You never said a word!"

Tyler and the others crowded around, offering congratulations and examining Victoria's ring. Through the commotion, I caught Nathan's eye. He raised an eyebrow at me, a knowing smile playing on his lips. I returned it with perfect humility.

After breakfast, Nathan pulled me aside into the garden. "So, you also chose last night?" he asked, amusement evident in his tone.

"I've been carrying that ring for weeks," I admitted, injecting just the right amount of nervousness into my voice. "Seeing you finally propose to Rachel gave me the last push of courage I needed."

Nathan clapped me on the shoulder, his grip firm and warm. "I'm glad Victoria found you. She deserves the best."

I met his gaze seriously, my expression a masterpiece of sincerity. "I'll spend my life proving I'm worthy of her." The words tasted hollow, but my delivery was flawless.

"I know you will." Nathan's expression softened. "Double wedding?"

I laughed, the sound carefully calibrated. "I'll have to ask Victoria, but I think she'd like that."

Later that afternoon, I found myself in the castle's training yard, leaning against a stone column as I watched Victoria instructing a group of young wolves.

Her movements were fluid and precise, her voice firm but patient as she corrected a young woman's stance. At least she was useful in this capacity.

One of the new recruits, a young man barely out of his teens, approached me hesitantly.

"Commander Apollo," he said with a respectful nod. "May I ask you something?"

I nodded, my eyes still on Victoria, mentally rehearsing my response before he even asked.

"Why her?" he asked bluntly. "I mean, there are many female wolves who would want to be your Luna. Why did you choose Victoria?"

I could have taken offense, but his question seemed born of genuine curiosity rather than disrespect. More importantly, it was an opportunity to reinforce my public narrative.

"Because she makes me better," I said simply, the lie flowing smoothly. "Her light illuminates every dark corner of my life." I watched as Victoria demonstrated a defensive move, her body moving with graceful strength. "She's the bravest person I know. Not just in battle, but in how she loves – completely, without reservation."

Victoria caught my eye across the yard and smiled. I returned it instantly, as if pulled by an invisible thread.

"She sees me – really sees me," I continued, almost amused at how far from the truth this was. "Not just as a commander or a warrior, but as a man with fears and dreams. And when she looks at me like that—" I nodded toward her smile "—I feel like I could move mountains."

That night, under a sky filled with stars, Victoria and I sat on a stone bench in the royal garden. Her head rested against my shoulder, her fingers intertwined with mine.

"Are you afraid?" she asked softly. "Of what's to come? The responsibilities?"

I squeezed her hand. "With you by my side, I'm not afraid of anything."

"Such confidence," she teased.

"Falling in love with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me," I told her.

Yet even as I spoke, unbidden, an image of ice-blue eyes flashed through my mind—the only genuine reaction I'd felt in months.