A few more steps down the aisle, and everyone would see. They would see behind the thick white veil hiding Jade’s face, and her appearance would finally be exposed—not just to the kingdom, but to her fiancé, the Alpha King. A few more steps, Jade thought, and there would be no more hiding what she looked like anymore. Her heart sank.
The cathedral was packed, and the whispers started before she reached the third row. “Is that her? ” a woman said. “Is that really her?
”
Nobody had ever seen the Princess of Cantar. Six hundred people had come a long way for a peace ceremony, and Jade knew perfectly well that was not what they had come for. They had come to see her face. And now each one of them was craning their neck toward the entrance to catch a glimpse of the Alpha King’s bride, who was trying very hard to stop her hands from shaking.
She and Lyndon had been betrothed since she was six years old. An attempt at peace between two kingdoms that had bled each other dry for a generation. In all that time they had exchanged many letters, but they had never met face to face. Now she saw him properly for the first time, waiting for her at the altar, and her stomach dropped through the floor.
She had hoped he might be plain. It would have been easier if he were. What was a man like that going to say looking upon a woman like her? “Please,” she thought, “let him be kind about it.
”
She was so focused on him that she took a false step and slipped. She felt her ankle roll, the heel of her shoe snap, the world tilt. But instantly, someone caught her. A hand at her elbow, another flat against her back, holding her entire weight in its palm.
Jade looked up into eyes so blue they reminded her of the sky—and they belonged to a man older, taller, built like an oak. A short, dark beard, an old scar through one eyebrow. “Steady,” he said in a deep baritone. “Thank you.
”
He glanced down at the broken heel. “Let’s continue slowly,” he said, levering her up effortlessly and offering his arm. By the time they reached the altar, Jade realized she was still shaking. “Thank you, Uncle,” said Lyndon to the man escorting her.
Uncle? So, this was the late king’s brother. Jade turned to thank him, but he’d already stepped back into the shadow of the pillars. Jade took her place at Lyndon’s side.
“I can hardly wait,” he announced, “to marry my beautiful fiancée. ”
Jade laughed nervously. “Oh, dear,” she thought. “It’s even worse than I thought.
He’s expecting beautiful, and he’s not even getting plain. ”
The priest began. She barely heard him. All she could hear was her own pulse thundering in her ears.
The marriage was finally here. But would he want her once he removed the veil and found out the truth? In her mind, she repeated her mother’s last instruction that morning: “Whatever happens, keep your chin up. ”
The priest’s voice droned on, and Jade found she was counting down.
First would come the blessing of the two houses. Then the joining of the hands. Then the naming. And then the veil.
She’d been counting down the past twenty-one years to this moment. And now only four beats remained. The priest raised his palms over them and spoke of the peace between Arath and Cantar. Three.
Please, she thought, squeezing her hands together. Please, let him be fine with it. Two. She could feel Lyndon’s gaze on her.
Could he tell that she was nervous? Her hopes leapt. Would he accept her as she was? One.
Lyndon reached over and lifted her veil. For one instant, the world stood still. For one instant, Jade thought that he would not react, that his beautiful smile would remain on his beautiful face. And then he recoiled.
He took a full step back, one hand rising between them, and six hundred people inhaled at once. A woman in the third row gasped. A child asked its father what was wrong with the bride, loudly, and was hushed too late. “No,” Lyndon said.
“No. Absolutely not. ”
Minutes after Lyndon’s outburst, six people went to a room at the back of the cathedral. Jade, her mother and father, the king and queen of Cantar, Lyndon, and the blue-eyed man by the window who had caught her in the aisle.
“Your Majesty has to marry her,” Jade’s mother was saying. “This marriage has practically been arranged since your birth. ”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lyndon snapped. “If I’d known she looked like this, I would have broken the arrangement years ago.
”
Jade flinched. She turned away and saw herself in a nearby mirror. Her skin was a sick gray-green color with spots. It was rough like tree bark with deep lines across her forehead and around her mouth.
She had a heavy jaw, a flat nose, a low forehead that stuck out. “She’s hideous,” Lyndon continued. “How is that supposed to make me look if I marry a—”
“Enough! ” Aldrin snarled.
In the mirror, his eyes met hers as he continued. “May I remind you, Lyndon, that a peace treaty was signed between our kingdoms on the understanding that their princess would marry our future king? ”
“Precisely,” said her mother. “Oh, come on.
” Lyndon threw out a hand. “I’m all for peace, but they clearly haven’t been honest with us, have they? I always wondered why I was never allowed to meet my future wife in person. Now I know.
You kept her hidden so I wouldn’t find out. ”
Her father looked away, uncomfortable. Jade thought of her childhood on the estate. The shutters were always closed.
Tutors came and went, and they had to promise to keep secrets. “No one can see you,” her parents said. “No one can know about your curse. If you ever want to break it, it must remain a secret.
”
They hadn’t been keeping her safe from the world. They’d been keeping her hidden so her fiancé would still marry her. “Nephew,” Aldrin said. “You are insulting an allied kingdom and its rulers.
Worse, you are insulting the princess. Your bride-to-be. ”
“Oh, no. She is not my bride-to-be.
” Lyndon sneered. “I said no, didn’t I? The wedding is void. ”
“Then the treaty is over,” Jade’s father said.
“Father! ” Jade exclaimed. Her father didn’t want another war. But Jade also knew that forcing Lyndon to marry her would only give her a husband who hated her forever.
Hate wouldn’t help them break the curse. “Nephew, you are the king,” Aldrin sighed. “Your duty is to—”
“Easy for you to say,” Lyndon interrupted, his finger pointing at Jade. “You’re not the one who’d have to share a bed with that.
”
The room went silent. Jade lifted her chin. “Your Majesty,” she said, “while I understand my appearance may come as a shock, it is beneath a king to speak of a crown princess as though she were a beast. ”
Lyndon blinked at her.
She realized he’d never been told he was wrong in his entire life. By the window, Aldrin’s blue eyes sparkled with amusement before he turned back to his nephew. “The treaty is clear,” Aldrin said. “If peace is to hold, then the Alpha King of Arath must marry the Princess of Cantar.
”
“Yes, yes. The great general. My father’s brother. ” Lyndon clapped sarcastically.
Aldrin ignored him. “The treaty stands,” he repeated. Everyone in the room looked at Lyndon. “Fine,” he said, pouting.
“If the king has to marry her, then fine. ”
Jade’s mother let out a loud breath. Her father crossed the room and clapped Lyndon on the back. Jade watched them with mixed feelings.
Not one of you has asked me how I feel about this, she thought. They had spent the last fifteen minutes arguing about whether Lyndon could be forced to put up with how ugly she was. And not one person had thought that maybe she didn’t want him either. She knew what she looked like.
But being ugly didn’t give Lyndon the right to be mean. And now she didn’t want him, either. “Nephew,” Aldrin said, “I’m glad you’ve come to your—”
“Let it be known that I abdicate my crown,” Lyndon declared. No one spoke.
Then, “You cannot be serious,” Aldrin said. “Oh, I’m very serious. ”
“Lyndon! ” his uncle exclaimed.
“You have no heir. ”
“Exactly. ” Lyndon smiled. “My father is dead, which means the crown passes to—” He put his fists to his lips and made trumpet sounds.
“His brother! Congratulations, Uncle. You’re the next king. ” He crossed the room and slapped Aldrin on the back, copying what Jade’s father had done to him moments before.
“Enjoy your blissful union with your lovely wife,” he concluded. And with that, the former king walked right out the door, leaving them all in shocked silence. Jade sat in darkness, staring at her hands in her lap. Two floors below, she could hear the wedding party continuing without her.
Jade had thought she’d never seen a man look so unhappy about becoming king. When they put the crown on him, he didn’t even smile. And later that afternoon, they’d gotten married. No cathedral, no three-day feast, no six hundred guests.
They said their vows in a small chapel with only nine people watching. But Aldrin didn’t look away during the ceremony. He looked right into her eyes with those bright blue ones as he said, “I do. ” And she counted that as a small win.
Though, as they got ready to board the carriage for the traditional ride through the city to greet the people, she became nervous. At the chapel door, she could hear the huge crowd. She wondered how many of them were ready to throw tomatoes at their ugly queen. Aldrin reached over and gently pulled her veil down so it covered her face completely.
“Your Majesty, that’s not how it’s usually done,” Jade said, knowing the bride was supposed to be seen. “People will talk. People always do. ” He offered his arm with a small smile.
“We might as well keep them guessing. ”
Jade looked down, embarrassed. She wished he wouldn’t stare at her so directly. No one else ever did.
She rode through the capital of Arath hidden. She waved with a hand she kept inside her sleeve, and the people cheered for a woman they couldn’t see. No tomatoes were thrown. By the time the carriage came back through the palace gates, the light had turned yellow across the courtyard.
Jade noticed, and her chest got tight. Not long now until sunset. She had to reach her room before nightfall, or people would see. But there was a reception.
The whole court had gathered to congratulate their new king and his bride. They crowded around to give their best wishes, though none of them could hide the way their eyes got wide when they saw Jade. Their reactions might have hurt if she hadn’t been so focused on the changing light. The yellow turned to amber as the sun began to move toward the horizon through the window.
An hour left before she would change. An hour left for her to hide and make sure no one witnessed it. The other half of her curse. Jade did her best to smile and nod at the guests, trying to get through it as fast as possible, but there seemed to be endless people.
She had to get out of here quickly. She needed an excuse. Her eyes searched for an exit. Her calm appearance was cracking under her growing panic.
The sun touched the ground far off in the distance. “You needn’t stay,” Aldrin said quietly at her shoulder. “You will have all the time in the world to get to know them. Go get some rest for now.
”
He must have thought Jade was overwhelmed by the reception and the staring. She didn’t correct him. She simply curtsied and turned to leave when—
“Cousin! ” a voice stopped her.
Melinda came through the crowd with four noblewomen behind her. For one second, Jade’s heart lifted. A face she knew. Her cousin’s.
But now was not a good time. “Welcome to Arath, Your Majesty. ” Melinda kissed the air beside her cheek. “You must let me show you everything.
The gardens, the summer wing, all of it. ”
“You’re very kind,” Jade said, while watching the light on the far wall turning red. “We were all so terribly sorry about the cathedral,” Melinda’s voice dropped low. “Lyndon can be so dreadfully impulsive.
”
Behind her, one of the women said something about the veil during the procession. “A mercy for all concerned, do you not think? ” laughed one of the other women. Melinda turned and made a disapproving sound at them.
“Don’t be unkind. It’s hardly poor Jade’s fault she was born looking like that. ”
The women looked down, embarrassed. Jade said nothing.
She was watching the climbing red on the wall behind Melinda. “Do say you’ll come? ” Melinda went on. “Tomorrow, perhaps?
”
“Forgive me. ” Jade interrupted. Her hand was shaking, and she no longer cared who saw it. “I really must—I feel suddenly unwell.
”
She didn’t wait to be excused. Queens didn’t need to be excused. That was the one good thing about this whole awful day. Lifting up her skirts, she ran.
She hurried toward the exit, pushing through the crowd. The red on the walls was getting weaker now, but as she reached the door of the hall, she bumped into someone solid. Aldrin. “Jade?
What’s wrong? Have those ladies been unkind? ” he asked, his voice rough. Jade shook her head.
There was no time. She could feel the coolness from the fading light. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, forgive me. ” And she left him standing there.
Stupid curse, she thought, taking the stairs two at a time in a wedding dress. Stupid, stupid curse. She reached her rooms with barely any light left under the door. She sent the maids away with a half-panicked “Out!
” and slammed the door after them. Not a moment too soon. The final rays died, and it started. Like it always did when the sun set.
It began behind her eyes, then her hands, her bones swelling, her knuckles grinding, her jaw shifting, her scalp crawling and keeping crawling. She stood in the middle of the floor with her fists closed and her teeth shut and waited for it to finish. Less than a minute, like always. Then it was done, and the room was dark.
And she had changed. Slowly she opened her hands. She touched her face. And with a sigh, she sat on the edge of the bed.
That had been way too close. Looking like she did by day was already difficult enough. But the nights were the even trickier parts of her curse. No one could see her at night.
And especially not her new husband. If she wanted the curse to be broken, Aldrin must never discover what she looked like when the sun set. For if he did, he would never love her and break her curse. Tears slid down her cheeks.
She had spent so many years thinking she would have to convince Lyndon to love her. And now it had suddenly switched to Aldrin, who she knew nothing about. As if things weren’t hard enough already. Someone knocked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Your Majesty, I’ve come to prepare you for the wedding night. ”
Ice ran down her spine. Her plan had been to avoid sharing a room with her husband after dark. What an idiot she’d been to forget about the wedding night.
Of course a husband would come then. It was expected. “I don’t require you,” she told the maid, buying herself time. Jade jumped up and tried to think of a plan, anything.
A disguise? Fake being sick? Footsteps came from the hallway. Attendants’ voices announcing the king’s arrival.
The door began to open. There was a folding screen by the window, three panels of painted silk. Jade darted behind it as the door swung open. “My lady?
” Aldrin’s voice. “Are you all right? ”
“Yes. ” She pressed her back to the panel.
“I’m fine. I’m just getting ready. ”
Another voice, brisk and official. “Your Majesties should hurry.
The court will soon arrive to witness the consummation. ”
Jade’s stomach dropped. “Perhaps,” Aldrin said, “we could skip that particular tradition. ”
“Your Majesty, it is customary.
The late king and queen—the late king had courted his mate for months. ”
Aldrin interrupted. “My wife has barely had time to adjust to any of this. ” A pause.
“Thank you. That will be all. ”
The door closed, the hallway emptied, and Jade, behind three panels of painted silk, realized she was shaking. “Are you all right?
” Aldrin asked again, quieter now. “Yes. ”
There was the small creak of a man sitting down in a chair somewhere away from her. “My lady, you don’t have to be afraid.
I will never force you. ”
“I’m not afraid. ” She replied. It was a lie.
She was, but not for the reason he was thinking. “Then, would you come out? ” Aldrin asked. Jade said nothing.
She couldn’t risk him seeing her like this, in her night form, and she couldn’t think of a single good excuse. The silence stretched. “Just as I thought,” Aldrin said gently. “Your Majesty, I—”
“You don’t have to explain,” he assured her.
“I understand. ”
Jade licked her lips. She felt really guilty. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“Don’t be. I’ll leave you to rest. ”
But she did not hear him move, so after a few moments: “You’re still here,” she said. He laughed, a short, low sound, totally different from anything she’d heard from him before.
“If I leave immediately, it may arouse suspicion,” he explained. The silence that followed was awkward. He was her husband. She supposed she should talk to him.
How was he to fall deeply in love with her if she did not speak? “Are you happy to be king? ” she asked. “It’s rather unexpected,” he replied.
The candle flickered somewhere on the other side of the screen. “I truly am sorry,” Aldrin said. “For how my nephew behaved. ”
“Well,” Jade sighed, “who could blame him?
He was expecting someone different. ”
Nevertheless, they sat there on either side of a painted screen. For the first time that day, Jade felt somewhat comfortable. “I think it’s safe for me to leave now,” Aldrin said at last.
“Good night, my lady. ” She heard him stand. “Your Majesty. ”
He waited.
“Thank you. ”
The pause went on long enough that she wondered if he had heard. “You have nothing to thank me for. ”
Then the door and his footsteps going away down the hallway, and Jade alone in the dark with her secret safe for one more night.
He was kind. She hadn’t expected that. Or maybe he just hadn’t stayed because he didn’t want to. A man doesn’t push to see what he’s glad not to look at.
Jade sat down on the edge of her bed, safe and unseen and oddly disappointed. Jade was presented to the nobles of Arath after breakfast. After a night of practicing, they hid their disgust well. But today, it was the words, the whispers, the cruel comments that floated through the court.
They were loud enough for her to hear without anyone ever saying them directly to her. “No wonder he wouldn’t have her,” came a voice. “Lyndon was our true king. He was ours, and she made him give up the throne with her ugliness,” said another.
The last comment was repeated many times. Jade quickly understood that about half the people in this hall believed she had deliberately chased Lyndon away from the start. She kept her chin high. She answered every question politely and fully, never showing that she could hear the thinly hidden accusations.
She couldn’t afford to show weakness. She focused on her goal. Aldrin had to love her fully in daylight. That was all that mattered.
Breaking the curse. The court and their cruel words could wait. But words still hurt. By the time she was allowed to retreat, she only wanted one thing.
A kind word. Somebody who was on her side. A friend. Melinda had lived at court since she was sixteen.
She knew every family in Arath, and she had openly stood up for Jade yesterday. She was the closest thing to a friend that Jade could think of. After being told her cousin might be in the library, Jade headed down the corridor, thinking of what she might say. “I don’t know anyone here.
I don’t know how any of this works. ” Could she be so honest? So open? Did she have a choice?
The library was long and huge and scary, like everything in Arath. She made her way down the aisles toward the lit fireplace at the far end, but she stopped suddenly when she heard voices through the shelves. “Told you it would sort itself out,” Lyndon. Jade held her breath.
“You might have warned me,” Melinda laughed. “I nearly fell out of my chair. ”
“I didn’t know I was going to do it until I’d done it,” Lyndon replied. Jade looked between the gaps in the shelves.
She saw the two of them wrapped around each other, clearly kissing. Lyndon pulled back and kept talking. “Months of sneaking around and now I don’t need to sneak at all,” he grinned. “Your poor uncle,” Melinda giggled.
“My poor uncle got a kingdom out of it. ” Lyndon snorted. “He can have the ogre as well, and good luck to him. ”
Melinda laughed while Jade gaped.
Months of this? But she had never seen Lyndon until earlier this week. The fact that he’d been having an affair with Melinda hurt more than she would have thought. She gritted her teeth, turned around, and walked out quietly.
Neither of them heard her leave. She got as far as the second hallway before she walked into Aldrin. This was becoming a habit. “My lady,” he asked, frowning.
“You look pale. Did something happen? ”
“I’m quite well,” Jade sighed. Aldrin studied her closely until two courtiers came up the hallway behind him.
“We’ll speak later,” he then said, stepping aside. That night, she barely made it behind the screen before the attendants finished announcing the king’s entrance. She would have to get used to the routine, Jade thought. She sat on the chair, hands folded, her back straight.
She knew he could probably see her shadow on the screen. “You could come out,” Aldrin said, “if you wanted to. ”
“I’d rather not,” Jade admitted. He didn’t ask twice.
There was the creak of the same chair being taken in the same spot. “Now, what happened this afternoon? ” he asked, making her blush. “Truly, it was nothing,” she said.
“My lady, we’re married. If somebody in my house has hurt you, I would like to know who, so I can do something about it. ”
Jade bit her lip. Normally, she might not have said anything, but after the nastiness of the court all day, and what she’d discovered, she needed to talk to someone.
So she told him what happened in the library and about Lyndon and Melinda’s long-time affair. Aldrin was quiet for a moment. “I can’t say I’m surprised,” he admitted. “You knew?
”
“I knew her family,” she heard him say. “They’ve been climbing for two generations and they’re good at it. You were out of sight for years and they jumped on the opportunity. If Lyndon had married a member of your family, your father could hardly have objected without putting the treaty at risk.
It was smart. ”
“Lyndon was a fool, though,” Aldrin went on. “He could have broken things off with you and pretended it was about Melinda, but he didn’t even think of doing that, the impulsive fool. ” There was an edge to his voice that wasn’t quite anger.
“Are you happy to be king? ” Jade asked again. “I never expected it. ” He had given her a similar answer last night.
“But are you happy? ”
The pause went on a long time. “It is my duty,” Aldrin said. No, then.
He hadn’t wanted the throne. More than likely, she thought, chewing her lip, he hadn’t wanted the bride that came with it, either. “Something’s wrong,” he said suddenly. “Nothing’s wrong,” Jade replied.
“My lady, I can smell that you’re sad. ”
Jade’s head came up. “You can smell sadness? ”
“Yes.
” He sounded almost apologetic. “Wolves’ senses are sharper than yours, scent especially. It’s how we know most things about each other. I wouldn’t have mentioned it, but you would have kept saying you were fine, and we’d have been here all night.
”
Twenty-one years she’d trained to show no emotion, but here in Arath, amongst a kingdom of shifters, her scent gave everything away, anyway. “I am sorry,” Aldrin said. “You were promised a king with a solid line and a settled court, and what you got is a soldier who’s held the crown for a few days, and may not hold it much longer. ”
Jade frowned at that.
“You don’t think you’ll keep it? ” she asked. “I think a great many people would prefer I didn’t. ”
“I think you’ll make a better king than Lyndon would have been,” Jade said.
A disbelieving chuckle came from the other side of the screen. “I’m not sure the court sees it that way. Half those families spent years positioning themselves around my nephew’s reign. Engagements, debts, political favors.
Lyndon set fire to all of it in one afternoon, and the people standing in the ashes are now looking at me, wondering where all their promises went. ”
Jade blinked, taking that in. Since they got married, she’d believed he was uneasy because of her. But now that didn’t seem to be the case.
He had a court that wanted him gone, a treaty to keep intact, and a throne that seemed far less stable than it first appeared. With all this weighing on his mind, how would he ever find the time to fall in love with his new wife? “And then Melinda recited it,” Jade said to the screen, “to the whole table, twice. ”
“But Lyndon’s poetry is dreadful,” she heard Aldrin reply.
Jade set her needlework down. “Indeed. There is a verse comparing her eyes to a pair of hawks. ”
A pause from beyond the screen.
“Why hawks? ”
“I could not tell you. I don’t believe he could either. ” She kept her voice even.
“It rhymes hawks with talks. ‘Your gaze it swoops, your wit it talks. ’”
The laugh that came from the other side of the screen was deep and booming, and she found she was grinning into the dark. “He gave up the crown,” Aldrin snorted.
“I truly hope he doesn’t count on becoming a bard. ”
Jade found that she was laughing, too. A few days ago, the poem would have pained her immensely. Her cousin and the man who was to have been her husband trading verses about his affair in front of the inner crowd of nobles should have been unbearable.
But somehow, telling Aldrin about it, making light of such a serious thing, lessened the sting, relaxed her. Talking to Aldrin helped. Their nightly routine had become more enjoyable as the days went by. Every night Aldrin would return to her quarters and they would talk.
She stayed behind the screen while he sat on the edge of the bed or at the little table beside it. Sometimes they would forget how much time Aldrin had spent in her room and he would return to his chambers in the early hours of the morning. But things took a sudden turn for the worse a few days later when she heard two men gossiping in the hallway. “There’s no son.
There’s no prospect of an heir,” said the first, causing Jade to stop suddenly and listen closely from around the corner. “Heir? ”
“There’s been a wedding,” the second argued. “There’s been a ceremony.
”
“It’s not the same thing and the whole court knows it. Ask the maids. Ask anyone. He goes to her room.
He sits. He comes out again. They do nothing. ”
Jade’s heart pounded.
How did they know? “Perhaps he’s being patient. Perhaps he’s being smart. I mean, would you?
”
The other man laughed hard. “Well, whatever’s keeping him from the monster, he’d better get going. Otherwise there’ll be bloodshed. Mark my words.
”
“What do you mean by that? ” the first man whispered. “Oh, you know. This place isn’t for the faint-hearted.
The court is growing restless. ”
They moved off toward the stairs. Jade went back to her room and sat down heavily, feeling extremely guilty. The court is growing restless.
The throne had been dumped on Aldrin whether he wanted it or not, and the one thing that would have made him and the alliance safe was exactly what she had been keeping from him for the past two weeks. An heir. The announcement of her pregnancy. Her heart pounded at the thought.
For a pregnancy to occur, certain things would have to happen before. And would her husband even be amenable? It had to be done in daylight. To break the curse, it always had to be daylight, and she looked hideous in daylight.
That said, if Jade really thought hard about it, Aldrin had never looked at her with disgust. Not even once. Instead, his eyes were warm, kind, beautiful even, though she’d never say it aloud. So, gathering her courage, she sent him a note asking if that afternoon she might see him privately in his chambers.
The act of making an heir would, if anything, bring her and Aldrin closer, she told herself. And not just emotionally. She’d feel his skin against hers, feel his large hands on her waist or in her hair. Heat crept up her neck.
She found herself squeezing her knees together. She’d learn what he looked like when he lost control, what sounds he made, how he tasted. And afterward, in the warmth and intimacy of it, he might come to love her. And wasn’t that what she needed to break the curse?
Or, she thought a beat later, he might be disgusted. She waited for the reply, thinking of his hands, the way they moved when he gestured during their talks, efficient and sure. Would they be gentle? Would they hesitate?
His reply came back within the hour. A single sentence. “Of course, my lady. ”
When the hour came, she prepared to leave the room.
Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. She imagined walking into his chambers. She imagined him standing, that broad frame unfolding from the chair. Would his eyes darken?
Would he reach for her immediately? Or would he be gentle, patient, drawing it out until she was dizzy with wanting? Her face burned. Just as she was about to go, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, and her fragile courage faltered.
Who could possibly want this? Even the kindest person in the world would not want this. Not truly. She very nearly didn’t go.
She stood with her fingers on the door and thought about writing another note, claiming a headache, letting the whole thing drop. He has never looked at me with disgust. Not once. She steeled her resolve, lifted her chin, and left the chamber.
The walk to his rooms felt endless. Every step brought a fresh wave of heat to her face, her neck, her chest. By the time she reached his door, her entire body felt like it was a flame. “My lady.
” Aldrin stood when she came in, and the sight of him made her stomach swoop. “What can I do for you? ”
She couldn’t quite catch her breath, not when she could see the pulse beating in his throat, strong and steady. “It has come to my attention—” Her voice came out softer than usual, breathier.
“Yes? ” He took a step closer. She forced herself to meet his eyes. “Your Majesty mentioned that your rule may not be very secure,” she said.
His face changed at once, concern replacing whatever had been building between them. “Please don’t concern yourself with that,” he said. Jade cleared her throat. “I thought perhaps I could help,” she said shyly.
“Help? ” He frowned, uncertainty creeping into his expression. “Well, I thought perhaps if we were to produce an heir. ” She let the suggestion hang in the air, her heart racing with equal parts nervousness and want.
“An heir? ” His voice had gone flat. She pushed forward. “I mean, if we were to attempt—” She took a small step toward him.
“—to conceive. ”
“Attempt? ”
He didn’t move, didn’t reach for her. She made herself say it, made herself offer.
“I believe we should consummate our marriage. ”
Aldrin blinked. The silence stretched and stretched. Her pulse pounded in her ears.
She watched his face, waiting for his expression to change, waiting for desire to flare in those beautiful eyes. But he didn’t move. He didn’t look pleased with the suggestion or relieved. He simply looked uncomfortable.
“My lady. ”
The heat in her body turned cold. “Forget I said anything,” she said, turning on her heel, mortification flooding through her. “I don’t wish to force you,” he said hurriedly.
She whirled back. “I offered,” she snapped. Regret crossed his face then. He took a moment before he answered, and when he did, he sounded genuinely sorry.
“Yes. You did. ” He seemed to be searching for the right words. “I simply think we have time,” he said.
“We don’t need to try now. There’s no pressure from me. ”
The rejection felt like a slap. All that anticipation, and he didn’t want any of it.
Didn’t want her. She searched his face desperately, looking for any sign that she’d misread him. But there was nothing. She nodded once, not trusting herself to speak, and left.
He called after her from the doorway, but she marched away with her chin up, past two footmen and a maid, and shut her own door behind her. She got as far as the end of the bed before collapsing onto it. The humiliation came first. Then came the disappointment.
Deep and aching. A physical hurt in her chest. She’d let herself want him. Had let herself imagine his hands on her.
Had let herself believe he might want her, too. She had been wrong. He was patient. He was good.
He was also a man who had just refused his own wife when she’d offered herself to him. He would never love her. The curse would never break. She would go on transforming every sunset and sunrise, married to a good man who would be kind to her for the rest of her life and never once desire her.
Lyndon’s invitation arrived by messenger a week later, written in flowery handwriting that announced his birthday celebration at his private estate. Aldrin had wanted to decline, but Jade knew refusing would look like fear, so she convinced him otherwise. The trip was long. Neither spoke, both lost in their thoughts, the silence broken only by the rocking of the carriage.
Nearly an hour passed like this. “I wonder what he’s playing at,” Aldrin spoke for the first time. Jade said nothing. “He’s given up a crown and lost half his allies in two weeks, and now he wants the whole court watching him celebrate.
” His voice was careful, like he was testing the waters. “Knowing him, he probably hasn’t thought it through. ”
The silence stretched heavier. “Jade,” Aldrin said, tentative.
She kept her eyes on the window. “Would you look at me? Please? ”
She turned, met those blue eyes, and immediately regretted it.
“Are you all right? ” he asked. “I’m fine. ”
“You’re not.
” He leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees. “You haven’t spoken to me in three days. You won’t open your door. I—” He stopped, ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling.
“I’ve upset you. ”
Her throat tightened. “I know I handled things poorly,” he continued. “That afternoon I should have—”
“I didn’t mean to—” The silence that followed was suffocating.
She could feel him staring at her, could practically hear him trying to find the right words and failing. “I never meant to hurt you,” he said quietly. She said nothing. Because what was there to say?
He hadn’t meant to, but he had. And his regret wouldn’t free her from her curse or her hurt. The carriage rolled on. Neither spoke again.
Lyndon’s estate was decorated everywhere, packed with guests, the lawn strung with ribbons and tables overflowing with food. Lyndon moved from group to group, loud and laughing, clearly trying too hard to prove how happy he was. Their arrival was announced at the garden steps. Heads turned.
Voices dropped. Unease rippled across the lawn. Aldrin offered his arm. Jade walked past it.
She felt him fall into step behind her, close enough to be seen as her husband, far enough to give her space. She knew how it looked. She didn’t care anymore. “Cousin.
” Melinda appeared from the crowd, a glass in each hand, dressed beautifully and wearing the biggest smile Jade had ever seen. That smile felt like a knife. “How are you enjoying court? ” Melinda asked sweetly.
“Fine. ” Jade took the glass. “Even with such an unexpected husband? ” Melinda tilted her head.
“It must be hard to adjust. A man so much older and so serious. ”
Something hot flared in Jade’s chest. Hurt and anger tangled together.
“I’d rather have an unexpected husband than a husband with an unexpected mistress. ”
Melinda’s smile stayed fixed, but something sharp flashed in her eyes. Jade lifted the glass to her lips. “Don’t drink that.
” Aldrin’s voice was low and hard on her shoulder. Jade didn’t look at him. Three days of being managed and refused and quietly, unbearably pitied had worn through her patience. Out of pure, tired spite, her hand kept moving.
Aldrin’s hand shot out and knocked the glass away. It flew from her fingers, the liquid splashing across his hand before the glass shattered on the stone. Dark droplets spattered his sleeve. Jade gasped, spinning toward him, ready to unleash three days of hurt.
Then she saw his face change. He looked down at his hand, at the liquid running down his skin. His eyes widened slightly, just for a moment, before his expression went blank. “Aldrin?
”
His knees folded. The rest of him went down after, like a felled tree, into the grass. A woman screamed. Glass shattered somewhere behind them.
The whole party surged, half the guests rushing forward, half recoiling, voices climbing over each other, calling for a physician, for water, for the guard. Jade was on her knees before she knew she’d moved. “Aldrin? ” His eyes were open, staring at nothing.
“Aldrin. ” She grabbed his face with both hands, shaking him gently. His eyes were glazed. Someone shouted, “Poison!
”
Jade’s blood went cold. Only moments ago, she’d been refusing his arm, ignoring his attempts to talk to her. And now the man who’d shown her more kindness than anyone was dying in front of her. Aldrin was carried inside, his unconscious body hefted between two guards.
The party outside erupted into chaos, guests screaming, guards shouting orders, servants running in every direction. Lyndon appeared in the doorway, his face dark with fury. “Seal the grounds! ” he barked at the nearest guard.
“No one leaves. Search everyone. Find out who did this. ”
His anger surprised Jade, but she had no time to think about it.
Aldrin was laid on a bed in one of the guest rooms. His skin burned with fever, his breathing shallow and labored. The royal healer, a thin, sharp-eyed woman, immediately set to work, unwrapping Aldrin’s hand and examining the skin where the liquid had touched. “Poison,” she muttered, already mixing something in a small bowl.
“But I’ve never seen one work this fast through contact alone. ” She applied a thick poultice to his hand with a brush and wrapped it carefully to avoid contamination. “Keep him cool,” the healer said, “and try to keep him conscious if you can. ”
Jade grabbed a cloth, dipped it in cold water, and pressed it to Aldrin’s forehead.
His skin was burning. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered. “You shouldn’t have touched that cup. ” Her voice broke.
“It was meant for me, not you. ”
Aldrin groaned, his body shifting restlessly. “Can you hear me? ” Jade leaned closer.
“Your Majesty? ” His eyes flickered open. He tried to smile, then his eyes closed again. “No.
” Jade’s hand tightened on his. “Stay with me, please. ”
The hours crawled by. Jade refused to leave.
She kept replacing the cloth on his forehead, kept speaking to him even when he didn’t respond. The healers came and went throughout the day, trying one remedy after another. Nothing worked. As evening approached and the sun began to sink toward the horizon, Lyndon entered.
Jade looked up immediately. “Any news? ” she asked. “Not yet,” his jaw was tight.
“But I’ll find whoever did this. You have my word. ” He looked at Aldrin, his expression unreadable. “How is he?
”
“Not well,” Jade said, lowering her eyes. “The poison was meant for me,” she added quietly. Lyndon didn’t deny it. “It would appear so.
” He hesitated. “I’m sorry, Princess. ” He caught himself. “Your Majesty.
”
Jade glanced toward the window. The sun was nearly touching the horizon. Panic flared in her chest. She stood abruptly.
“I want no one coming near him tonight,” she said. Lyndon frowned. “Your Majesty. ”
“Tell the healers to leave whatever medicines they prepare outside the door,” she interrupted.
“I’ll care for him myself. ”
“But I’m his wife,” she looked back at Aldrin. “And this kingdom’s queen. I don’t know who I can trust right now.
I’d rather people stop coming and going through this room. ”
Lyndon hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Very well. ”
Jade locked the door behind him.
The last rays of sunlight disappeared through the window. She felt the familiar pull, the shift that happened every sunset. Her reflection in the darkened window changed, though she didn’t look at it. She never did.
It was too hard to look at. She turned back to Aldrin. At one point, near midnight, his breathing grew so labored that she was certain she was watching him die. She pressed her hand to his chest, felt his heartbeat stuttering beneath her palm.
“Don’t,” she whispered. “Please, don’t. ” She stayed beside him, her hand over his heart, until his breathing steadied again. By sunrise, he was still alive.
“That’s a good sign,” the healer said. “I think we may finally be on the right track with this last remedy. We’ll increase the dosage. ”
The next several days blurred together.
Jade never left his bedside. She fed him medicine when the healers left it. She cooled his fever when it spiked. Occasionally, Aldrin woke for a few moments.
Each time, he seemed relieved to see her before exhaustion pulled him back under. She stopped noticing the passage of time. Day and night became the same routine. Tend to him.
Speak to him. Wait for him to wake. So, the next time Aldrin woke, she didn’t realize it was night time. His eyes opened slowly, unfocused at first.
Then they found her. Jade had barely slept. She was exhausted, her body aching from sitting in the chair for hours. She leaned forward.
“You’re awake,” she said. He stared at her. His brow furrowed. Confusion crossed his face.
That’s when she remembered, and Jade’s breath caught. It was night time. She was changed. He was looking at her other form.
“Where is my wife? ” he asked. Relief flooded through her. He didn’t recognize her, didn’t even connect her with the Jade he knew.
But the relief only lasted a heartbeat. Because Aldrin was suddenly trying to sit up, his movements frantic. “Where is she? ” he asked, his breath quickening.
“Did something happen? ”
“Your Majesty, please. ” Jade moved to support him. “You need to lie down.
”
He didn’t listen. He tried to push past her. “Jade is in danger,” he coughed, struggling to rise. “They tried to—” His body gave out.
He collapsed back onto the bed, his chest heaving. “Where is she? ” he asked, losing consciousness. “Please.
”
Jade felt something crack inside her chest. He was poisoned, barely conscious, and he was worried about her. She took his hand gently. “Your wife is safe,” she said.
“I promise. ”
“Please. ”
“You must rest. ”
His eyes were already closing.
“Please,” he whispered. “Check on Jade. Ask Lyndon to—” The sentence never finished. Jade sat there, holding his hand, staring at his face.
He was worried about me, she thought. The realization settled deep in her chest, warm and aching. The next time Aldrin woke, it was midday. Sunlight streamed through the window.
Jade was back in the form he recognized, the one that made people uncomfortable, the one that made them look away. But the moment his eyes opened and found her, he visibly relaxed. “You’re safe,” he breathed. Jade smiled softly.
“Please rest. Don’t worry about me. ”
“I couldn’t protect you,” he murmured, troubled. “But you did.
” She glanced at the bandaged hand. “You protected me. And you were hurt because of it. ” Her voice caught.
“I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. ”
Aldrin slowly shook his head. “Not your fault,” he murmured.
His eyes closed. And then Jade felt something that wasn’t hers. Pain. Sharp and throbbing in her hand, even though her hand was fine.
Confusion. A fog pressing down on her thoughts. Then relief. Immense, overwhelming relief that she was safe.
The emotions vanished as quickly as they’d appeared. Aldrin’s grip loosened as sleep overtook him. The strange feeling disappeared with it. Jade stared at their joined hands, her heart pounding.
What just happened? She looked at his face, peaceful now in sleep, and felt something shift inside her chest. She’d been so angry at him, so hurt, so convinced he’d only ever pitied her. But he’d knocked poison from her hand without hesitation.
He’d been more worried about her safety than his own life. And somehow, just now, she’d felt what he was feeling. She didn’t understand it. Aldrin’s fever finally broke on the seventh day, but his survival came with its own cruel price.
The poison had damaged something, and now Aldrin couldn’t stand, nor could he shift. They didn’t know if he would ever manage one or the other again. For a soldier, a wolf, and an Alpha King, the loss was unbearable. Aldrin tried not to show it.
He thanked the healers politely. He made no complaint when servants had to lift him from bed to chair. But Jade saw the way his jaw tightened when someone touched him. The way he avoided looking at his own legs.
She could tell he felt trapped inside his weakened body. Three days after the fever broke, Lyndon came to speak with them. He found them in Aldrin’s room, Jade reading aloud while Aldrin stayed in bed. “I’ve been thinking about the attempt on the queen’s life,” he said.
Jade set down her book. “We still don’t know who was responsible,” Lyndon continued. “The court is unstable. Another attempt could threaten not only you both, but the entire kingdom.
”
“What are you suggesting? ” Aldrin asked. “A temporary withdrawal while you recover. ” Lyndon’s tone was measured.
“Somewhere away from court. ”
Jade’s heart leaped. “My family’s estate,” she said immediately, turning to Aldrin. “The one where I was raised.
It’s isolated, peaceful. ”
Aldrin frowned. “The queen is still in danger,” Lyndon said. “The poison was meant for her.
”
Aldrin went still. Jade watched his expression shift, frustration giving way to protectiveness. “Very well,” he agreed. They left within the week.
Aldrin sat rigidly in the carriage, his jaw tight every time they hit a bump in the road. For most of the trip, he was unusually quiet. Then, as they approached the estate, he spoke. “I am sorry.
”
Jade looked at him. “For what? ”
He glanced toward his legs briefly, as if the sight pained him. “You can’t possibly be happy with a husband who may never walk again.
”
Jade’s chest tightened at the way he spoke of himself. “And how can you be happy,” she argued, “married to a cursed wife? ”
Aldrin’s eyes snapped up. “Cursed?
” he asked. Jade froze. She’d said too much. “What did you mean?
” Aldrin asked, his voice gentle but insistent. Jade looked away. “I’m sorry. I—I shouldn’t say more.
It could prevent it from breaking. ”
She felt his gaze on her, steady and concerned. “Are you in danger? ” he asked.
“No. ” She met his eyes. “I swear it. I am not in danger.
”
He studied her for a long moment. She could see him weighing whether to press further. Finally, he nodded. “All right.
”
Relief washed over her as he simply accepted the boundary, despite his curiosity. Most people wouldn’t have, and she knew it. The estate appeared through the trees as the sun began its descent toward the horizon. Jade felt something loosen in her chest.
To anyone else, this might look like exile from court. To Jade, it was home. This was where she’d spent most of her childhood. This was the only place she’d ever felt safe.
As the carriage rolled to a stop, Jade looked at Aldrin. He was staring out the window at the house, beautiful and sprawling, surrounded by gardens that had gone slightly wild. “It’s lovely,” he said quietly. “It was my refuge,” Jade said.
“I hope it can be yours, too. ”
That first evening, they had dinner together in the small dining room overlooking the gardens. Aldrin was quiet throughout the meal. He answered when she spoke, smiled at her jokes, asked polite questions about the estate.
But Jade could tell he was unhappy. This place was freedom for her. For him, it was just another beautiful place he couldn’t properly experience, trapped indoors, unable to explore. As the sun began to sink lower, Jade felt the familiar pull of the approaching sunset.
She had to leave. “I should—” she hesitated. “I need to retire early tonight. The journey was exhausting.
”
Aldrin nodded, but she saw the flicker of disappointment he tried to hide. “Of course,” he said. “Rest well. ”
Jade left him there and returned to her room, hating herself for the lie.
She stood at her window and watched the sun disappear, more frustrated with her curse than ever. Aldrin needed her, and she had to leave him. She wanted to do something for him, something that might give him back even a small piece of what he’d lost. It took three days for the carpenter to build it—a wheeled chair, sturdy and well-crafted, with handles so it could be pushed, but wheels large enough that Aldrin could move it himself if he wanted.
When Jade presented it to him, Aldrin stared at it for a long moment. “What is this? ”
“A way for you to leave your room,” Jade said. His expression was unreadable.
“I thought,” she faltered, “I thought we could go outside. I could show you the gardens. ”
Aldrin looked up at her, his expression softening. “All right,” he said.
The days that followed became the happiest Jade had known in years. She and Aldrin grew nearly inseparable. She pushed him through the gardens every morning, showing him the hidden paths she’d discovered as a child. The pond where she used to catch frogs.
The old oak tree she’d tried to climb and gotten stuck in. They had picnics beneath the trees. Jade would spread a blanket and help Aldrin settle onto it against a trunk. Aldrin told her about growing up as the second son, never expecting to be king.
Jade told him about the isolation of her childhood. She was happy. The easy rhythm they had built behind the screen carried on into broad daylight, and nothing had changed for the loss of it. If anything, they were better now.
Now she could watch his eyes crinkle at the corners when he laughed. “You’re doing it again,” she said one afternoon. “Doing what? ”
“Pursing your lips.
You always do it before you say something you don’t quite believe. ”
Aldrin dropped his hand and stared at her. “You watch me too closely,” he said softly. “Somebody has to.
” She laughed and passed him a cup. Their fingers brushed, and heat went through her. A bolt of it, spiking a breathlessness and something akin to the anxiety she felt when they were apart. Then Aldrin drew his hand back, and it was gone.
Jade stared at him. She told herself she had imagined it. Aldrin surprised her suddenly when he said, “You told me once that you were cursed. ”
Jade went still.
She had known that one day they would have to circle back to this topic. She licked her lips nervously. “I did,” she said. “You don’t have to tell me,” he was watching the trees.
“But I’d like to know who did that to you. ”
She was quiet for a moment. She knew that if she told him the entire truth, the curse could never be broken. But there was a small kernel of truth she could share with him.
As long as he didn’t know what the curse did to her. As long as she didn’t expose her night form to him. “A fairy,” she said eventually. “A fairy?
” Aldrin repeated. “I was small, younger than I can properly remember. ” She turned the book over in her hands. “I was in the woods where I shouldn’t have been, and I frightened it, or offended it, or I don’t even know what I did.
The kind of thing a child does without meaning anything. ”
“And it cursed you for that? ” Aldrin asked. She managed a thin smile.
“It’s done. ” Jade opened the book again before he could ask what the curse actually was. “There’s no use dwelling on it. ”
He watched her a moment longer.
She could feel the question behind his eyes, but he didn’t probe. And Jade loved him a little more for the thing he chose not to do. “Thank you,” she said. Their hands brushed, and for a brief instant, Jade felt something that did not belong to her.
Warmth. Gratitude. Before she could understand it, Aldrin quickly pulled his hand away and the feeling disappeared. Jade stared at him, her heart racing.
The sensation had been so clear, as though his emotions had somehow leaked into her through that single point of contact. She told herself it was impossible, yet she couldn’t shake the memory of that warmth. One day, Jade was helping Aldrin from his chair to a blanket spread beneath the oak tree. It was a slow process.
She supported most of his weight, one arm around his back, the other holding his hand. Their bodies remained pressed together as she carefully lowered him down. And suddenly, she felt his gratitude for her care mixed with what seemed like sorrow—his sorrow. He felt like a burden.
The realization pierced something in Jade’s chest. “You are not a burden,” Jade said. Aldrin looked at her, startled. “What?
”
Jade froze. She realized she had answered something he’d never said aloud. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s only that I—”
Aldrin’s expression became troubled.
He shifted slightly, studying her face. “Sometimes when we touch, I feel something,” Jade explained. Aldrin said nothing. His expression had gone carefully blank in a way that made her chest tighten.
“It’s as though I can tell how you feel,” she went on. “Not perfectly, just impressions of emotions that aren’t mine. ”
Aldrin looked visibly startled. “But that’s—” He paused, then turned away.
Jade studied him. “You don’t look that surprised,” she said. Aldrin kept his face turned from her. “What makes you say that?
” he asked. “You didn’t deny it, for a start. ”
He remained silent, staring at the grass beside him. Jade’s breath caught.
“So, it is true? ”
Aldrin’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t think you would experience it,” he confessed. Jade stared at him.
“Experience what? ”
“Nothing. ” Aldrin sighed. “Never mind.
” He exhaled slowly, his shoulders sagging. “There is something I should have told you,” he said. Jade’s heart leapt. Finally, finally, he was going to explain.
But instead: “Lyndon has written to us,” Aldrin said. Jade blinked, thrown by the sudden shift. “What? ”
Aldrin met her eyes.
“The investigation has identified the family responsible for the poisoning,” he said. Her stomach dropped. “Who? ”
She saw something like pity in his expression.
“It was Melinda’s family. ”
Jade struggled to process it, her mind spinning. “My uncle did this? ” she whispered.
“It seems so. ” Aldrin’s face was grim. “With you gone, there’d be nothing keeping Lyndon and Melinda apart. He retakes the crown, marries his lady love, and her family has the throne they’ve been scheming after for two generations.
”
“He cannot simply take his crown back. ”
“Lyndon has enormous support,” Aldrin contradicted her. “Half the court built their futures around his reign. A good many of them still think of him as the rightful king.
And that has only got more dangerous now that I’m—” He glanced down at the chair. “—like this. ”
“You are the king, Aldrin. ”
“A kingdom cannot be ruled by a king in a chair.
” His voice had gone bitter. “You nearly died, and at the time I could still walk. ” He looked at his own hands. “I should never have allowed him to abdicate.
”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” Jade interrupted. Aldrin looked at her, startled, as she reached for his hand, no longer caring about the strange sensation that would follow. “You have no idea how grateful I am that he abdicated,” she said. “Because it meant I got to marry you.
”
The truth of it settled over her as she spoke. Lyndon was impulsive, superficial, and vain. But Aldrin—Aldrin was kind. He made her laugh.
He took care of her. For a moment, neither spoke. Through the contact between their hands, Jade felt Aldrin’s emotions rush through her. Warmth, longing, and beneath both, guilt.
Cutting guilt. “Our marriage has not been consummated,” Aldrin said, breaking the silence. Jade blinked, completely thrown. “What?
”
His hand remained in hers, though his expression had closed slightly. “If Lyndon wanted his crown back, you could still return to him,” he said. Aldrin forced himself to continue, each word seeming to cost him. “You could remain queen.
” His voice was controlled, but through their joined hands, Jade felt the pain beneath it. “You could have the rightful king at your side, as was originally planned. ”
Jade felt as though she’d been slapped. “That is the last thing I want,” she exclaimed.
Through their joined hands, she felt Aldrin’s sorrow deepen. He tried to pull away. Jade tightened her grip. “Besides, Lyndon would not want me,” she shrugged.
“He made that perfectly clear. So, you are stuck with me, I’m afraid. ”
The moment she said it, she felt Aldrin’s relief. It was immediate and powerful, flooding through the connection.
Then, almost as quickly, his relief was smothered by more guilt. Jade couldn’t understand why. “Why are you speaking about this? ” she asked.
“Do you want to divorce me? ”
“No,” Aldrin replied. And the certainty of it stilled her. Their eyes met.
Jade’s heart was racing. She could see the flecks of gold in his eyes, could count his eyelashes. His gaze dropped to her mouth, and she felt an answering flutter low in her stomach. Then Jade noticed the window behind him.
The sun was setting. Jade jerked back as though burned. “I—” She released his hand, scrambling to her feet. “I have to go.
”
Aldrin looked startled. “Go? ” he asked. Jade was already retreating toward the door, her pulse thundering in her ears.
“I’m sorry. ”
She left before he could stop her, running back through the house toward her room, regret burning in her throat. She’d been so close. So close to kissing him.
To finally crossing that invisible line they’d been dancing around for weeks. And she’d run, like always. Jade reached her room just as the last of the sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon. The transformation took her.
Her skin smoothed, her features shifted, her hair lengthened and darkened, falling in glossy waves past her shoulders. Jade stood and walked to the mirror. She went to the mirror the way she did every night and stared at her night form. Dark hair, thick and falling loose, fine bones, a face lit from somewhere within, the features clean and striking, the kind of face a person did not forget.
No one who saw her now would ever believe she was the same woman as the hideous monster in daylight. For years, she’d believed this form was the one thing that might save her. The fairy’s curse was supposed to break if someone fell sincerely in love with her daytime appearance. If Aldrin could love that version of her, truly love her despite what the curse did to her face during the day, the magic would release her.
She would be free. She would remain beautiful. That was what she’d always wanted. Wasn’t it?
She sighed. She was beginning to hate this face in the mirror because she hated that she had to hide it from the one person she wanted to share everything with. For the first time, she seriously considered showing him the truth. Doing so would endanger the curse ever breaking.
The rules were clear. Aldrin was supposed to fall sincerely in love with her daytime appearance. If he saw how beautiful she became after sunset, she might never know whether he truly loved all of her. For he would know her real face was beautiful, and so the magic might never release her.
She could remain trapped like this forever, unattractive by day, beautiful by night, never whole in either form. But Jade found herself wondering whether that mattered anymore. Because this could end right now. She could show him.
She could walk down the corridor right now and let him see. No more running from the sunset. No more excuses murmured while his face fell. It would cost her the curse.
If he saw how beautiful she became at night, he could never love her day form without knowing there was another. But she did not care. If she could have him, even only halfway, that was a life worth living. They could be together.
Wasn’t that worth more than breaking the curse? The question lodged itself in her chest like a thorn. That night, Jade couldn’t sleep. Jade woke the next morning feeling oddly light on her feet.
She rose and began getting ready for breakfast when there came a knock at the door. Kathy entered carrying fresh linens. She took three steps into the room, then froze completely, the linens tumbling from her arms. “Is everything all right?
” Jade asked. Kathy was gaping at her. “Who? ” Her eyes went wide.
“Who are you? ”
Jade frowned. “What are you talking about, Kathy? It’s me.
”
The maid stared at her, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Jade felt the first flutter of something in her chest. Her gaze drifted to the mirror across the room. She walked toward it slowly, her heart beginning to race.
She looked at her reflection, and oh—she looked like herself. Flawless skin, perfect features, dark hair falling in glossy waves. Jade’s breath caught. She looked outside.
The sun was up, streaming golden through her window. She looked at the mirror, then outside, then back at the mirror. And then she thought, “He loves me. ”
Joy exploded through her chest.
Aldrin loved her. She pressed both hands over her mouth to contain the laugh that wanted to burst free. He loved her. Her husband, her kind, stubborn, wonderful husband loved her.
The curse was broken. This proved it. The curse had broken because Aldrin had fallen in love with her despite everything. Jade felt tears prick her eyes even as she smiled.
She had to see him, had to show him what she really looked like and watch understanding dawn in those beautiful eyes. He was going to be so pleased. “I have to go,” she said breathlessly, already moving toward the door. Behind her, Kathy made a confused sound, but Jade was already gone, practically running through the corridors.
She couldn’t wait to see his face. Jade burst through the door to his study, breathless and beaming, her whole body thrumming with joy. “Aldrin! ” she exclaimed.
Aldrin looked up from the papers spread across his desk and frowned briefly. “Yes? ” he asked politely. His tone was distant.
The tone one used with strangers. He didn’t recognize her. “It’s me! ” Jade exclaimed with a laugh.
She moved closer, her heart racing. “Aldrin, it’s me. I was cursed, you see. How I looked before, it wasn’t really me.
But to break the curse, you had to—”
Aldrin’s expression shifted. He tried to push himself up from his chair, his muscles tensing as though preparing for a threat. His arms trembled with the effort. He couldn’t rise.
“Who are you? ” His voice was sharp now, protective. “Where’s Jade? ”
The joy in Jade’s chest flickered, but she pushed forward.
“Aldrin,” she took a step closer, her voice soft. “It’s me. I’m Jade. ”
He looked at her, his gaze meeting hers directly for the first time.
“Jade? ” The disbelief in his voice cut deeper than she’d expected. But then she saw him scenting the air. His nostrils flared slightly, an unconscious gesture she’d noticed before.
Recognition dawned in his eyes. Jade smiled. Finally, finally he understood. But then she saw him pale, the color draining from his face.
He said nothing, just stared at her like she was a ghost. Jade’s confidence began to crumble. This wasn’t right. He should be happy.
Surprised, certainly, but happy. “A fairy cursed me when I was a child,” she explained quickly, “to look—well, how I used to look during the day, and only like myself at night. The only way to break it was to have someone fall in love with me despite my looks. ” She tried to smile.
“Which is why I couldn’t tell you, you see? Because if you’d known I truly looked like this, then the ‘despite my looks’ part wouldn’t have been sincere. You’d have known I didn’t really look that way. So—”
Aldrin shook his head slowly.
“You—” But the words seemed to die in his throat. Jade’s nervousness grew. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “It means you love me because the curse broke.
” She hesitated, suddenly uncertain. “You do love me? Right? ”
Aldrin stared.
“Yes,” he said finally, but so quietly it made her heart sink. “Oh. ” Jade’s smile fell away. “I thought you’d be happy,” she said.
Aldrin caught himself. She watched him visibly gather his composure. “Forgive me. Of course I’m—this is wonderful, Jade,” he said, sounding sincere.
“I’m glad your curse is gone. This is truly wonderful news. ”
Jade beamed at him, relieved. She opened her mouth to tell him she loved him too, to close this distance between them.
“I think we should get a divorce,” Aldrin said. Jade’s face fell. “What? ”
Aldrin looked sad.
“We haven’t consummated the marriage,” he said. “Which is, just as I’d thought, for the best. Because now you can cleanly marry Lyndon. ”
“Lyndon?
” Jade exclaimed, disbelieving. “I cannot walk, Jade. ” Aldrin pointed out as though that had anything to do with it. “Not yet,” Jade said.
“But you—”
“We don’t know that. ” He cut her off gently but firmly. “The court doesn’t know that. Most people were already eager for Lyndon to return.
”
“He can’t just return,” Jade interrupted. “He can. And he will. ” Aldrin’s jaw was set.
“It’s better that way. This whole thing will have taught him a valuable lesson. He can’t just abandon his responsibilities on a whim. People rely on him.
”
“I still don’t see why we have to get a divorce,” Jade argued. Aldrin stared at her like she’d said something incomprehensible. “Jade. You were promised a king.
A kingdom. And you can still have one,” he said. Jade felt her stomach drop. Felt anger beginning to burn through the shock.
“You planned this, didn’t you? ” she said. “You were worried this would happen. That you’d have to give up the crown.
Which is why you never—” She stopped. “Why you pushed me away. ”
Aldrin lowered his gaze. Confirmation written in every line of his body.
“Our marriage can be annulled,” he said quietly. “And nothing will stop you from marrying Lyndon. ”
Jade opened her mouth to protest, but he continued before she could speak. “Think about it, Jade,” he said.
“You can be queen. ”
“Lyndon doesn’t want me,” Jade pointed out. “He will. ” Aldrin looked at her then, taking in her beautiful face, her perfect features, and Jade saw something break in his expression.
“Now that your curse is broken, you know he will. ”
The meaning behind his words settled over her like ice water. Now that you’re beautiful, Lyndon will want you. And the court will accept you.
Disgust rose sharp and bitter in her throat, followed immediately by fury. “Well, I don’t want him,” she snapped. “Not one bit. Let him take the crown and his court, but he will not have me.
”
Aldrin frowned, confused. “Jade, why would I want someone who will not consider me if I’m not beautiful enough,” she exclaimed, “when I can have someone who loves me for me and not for how I look? ”
Aldrin looked startled. “I know you love me,” Jade said, taking a step closer.
“That is of no consequence,” Aldrin said. “How can you say that? ” The words burst from her, raw with emotion. “How can you say that, Aldrin, when it means everything to me?
You showed me kindness when no one else did. You’re in a chair because you protected me. ” Her voice cracked, and she felt tears threatening. “You love me, sincerely, and you broke my curse.
I don’t understand how you can even think I could ever divorce you after this. ”
“Jade, you didn’t even choose this marriage,” Aldrin pointed out. “You were forced into it. But you have a choice now.
”
“Right. ” Jade cut him off. “Well, I choose you. ”
The words hung in the air between them, absolute and final.
She took another step closer, closing the distance until she stood directly before his chair. “I will not walk away from the man who wanted me when no one thought I was worth wanting. ”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Aldrin said fiercely. “I know that, you stubborn man,” Jade replied.
“I choose you because I love you. ”
Aldrin stared at her, shock written across every line of his face. “I do,” Jade continued. “I love you.
You are my husband. We took vows. My place is by your side. Not at court with that foolish king.
”
Aldrin looked like he’d never considered this possibility. Then Jade felt everything. The connection between them. The one that let her sense his emotions when they touched.
Suddenly flooded open without any physical contact at all. She felt his stupor at her words. His mind struggling to process what she’d said. His guilt eating away at him like poison.
His sense of worthlessness. The bone-deep belief that he didn’t deserve her. And beneath it all, woven through everything—his love. Jade’s eyes widened as she felt it all wash over her.
“You do deserve it,” she whispered. Then she leaned down and kissed him. For a heartbeat, Aldrin didn’t move. Then his hands came up to cup her face.
Gentle. Reverent. And he kissed her back with everything he had. Jade felt his emotions wash over her.
Love and longing and relief so intense it made her dizzy. When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Jade realized she could sense his presence like a warm glow just beneath her skin. Constant and steady. “Can you feel it too?
” she breathed. Aldrin nodded, wonder written across his face. “Yes. It’s the bond.
”
“The bond? ” Jade repeated. He smiled. The first real smile she’d seen from him since she’d burst into the room.
“A mating bond. ” His thumb brushed her cheek tenderly. “My wolf recognized you as my mate. It’s been forming between us for weeks, every time we touched.
But now—now it’s complete. ”
Jade felt tears prick her eyes. A mate? He was her mate.
“Well, we’ll see,” she said. “You can’t just push your mate away. ”
Aldrin laughed. “No,” he said.
“I suppose not. ”
And then they kissed again, and this time Jade felt his love for her like sunlight, warm and real. They returned to court in the spring because Lyndon was getting married. Riding through those gates again, Jade felt nothing.
The palace had once been her prison. Now it was just stones and old walls. The carriage stopped. Half the court had gathered to watch the guests arrive.
Aldrin opened his door himself and stepped down on his own two feet, unassisted. The healers had been wrong. A startled murmur rippled through the crowd at the sight. While Aldrin turned back and held out his hand, then the murmur stopped entirely because Jade had taken his hand and stepped down beside him.
Every eye in the courtyard fixed on her. “Who is she? ” someone said. “I’ve never seen her before.
She’s stunning. ”
Aldrin drew her hand into the crook of his arm and walked her forward, unhurried. They passed every face that had ever laughed at her. Every noble who had whispered behind their hands.
The crowd parted, still staring. At the altar, King Lyndon stood beside his bride. He’d been listening to the ceremony, half bored, when the whispers reached him. He glanced toward the aisle and froze.
Jade felt his stare and others like it, and kept her expression perfectly pleasant. They took their seats at the front. Finally, Lyndon could bear it no longer. He crossed the hall toward them, leaving his new bride with barely a word.
He stopped in front of Jade and bowed, deeper than strictly necessary. “My lady. ” His voice was smooth, charming. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.
”
Jade tilted her head slightly, her smile pleasant and cool. Aldrin’s hand settled over Jade’s, warm and possessive. “You do know her,” he said quietly. “You’ve known her for months.
”
Lyndon’s confusion deepened. Then Jade spoke. “It’s me, Your Majesty. Jade.
”
The color drained from Lyndon’s face. “That’s—that’s not—”
“It is,” Jade said simply. The shock rippled outward, noble to noble, until the entire hall buzzed with it. Lyndon stood rooted to the spot, staring at her like she’d risen from the grave.
“Congratulations on your wedding, Your Majesty,” Jade said pleasantly. “Your bride is lovely. ”
He gaped, speechless. Jade and Aldrin took their seats.
His hand settled over hers, warm and sure. The court that had once laughed at her could not look away now. Lyndon had his crown, his court, his throne, but not the bride he’d been promised. Jade felt Aldrin’s thumb brush across her knuckles and felt the bond between them glow steady and warm.
They’d each been no one’s first choice, but they’d chosen each other, and that was everything.
