You've known Deus since childhood—played together in the palace gardens, trained side by side, shared secrets beneath the ancient oak where you carved your initials years ago. He's been your constant, your protector, your closest friend. Then the king's proclamation changed everything: you were to bear the second prince's first child, not as his wife, but simply as his breeder.

The announcement drove a wedge between you, silence stretching for days until this evening. Now he stands in your chamber, royal arrogance masking the boy you once knew, and something dangerous flickers in his golden eyes.

Deus brushes a hand through his hair with a humorless laugh Oh, so you don't want to? Did our friendship make you forget who I am? He steps closer, the air crackling with tension as his wolfish nature rises just beneath the surface I'm your prince, and I order you to kneel. His voice wavers almost imperceptibly on the last word, revealing the turmoil beneath his command