Page 44

“There will be a mating ceremony,” I say without hesitation. “In a month or so, when she feels ready. The formal recognition of our bond in front of the entire kingdom.”

Leanna studies me, her gaze piercing. “Has she forgiven you, Griffin? Truly?”

Before I can answer, a voice from the doorway catches everyone by surprise.

“Yes, I have.”

Maya stands there, dressed in a simple blue tunic and loose pants, her hair pulled back from her face. Jerry hovers anxiously behind her, looking apologetic.

“I tried to stop her, Your Majesty,” he says. “But she was quite insistent about getting out of bed.”

Maya steps into the study, her movements graceful despite her obvious exhaustion. I rise immediately and go to her side.

“You should be resting,” I chide gently, taking her arm to support her.

“I’ve rested enough,” she says, though I can feel the tremor in her muscles, the effort it’s taking her to remain standing. “There’s still work to be done.”

Leanna rushes over and embraces Maya carefully. “You scared us all half to death,” she scolds, tears in her eyes.

“Including myself,” Maya replies with a wry smile. She pulls back, addressing the room. “I know what the Silver Ring is planning now. Mathew and Cassian bragged about it to me.”

“What is it?” Cedric asks, his expression serious.

“They’re searching for humans with dormant shifter genes,” Maya explains.

“People like me, with the genetic potential to shift but without the catalyst to activate it. They’re trying to create an army of artificially triggered shifters, loyal to them alone, ones who are capable of replacing the royal families. ”

The implications are staggering. “How many?” I ask.

“I don’t know,” Maya admits. “But if Mathew was testing it on me and wanted me alive, I’m sure he has had other test subjects and at least some success.

” She pauses, her hand unconsciously moving to touch the mating mark on her neck.

“That’s probably why I was able to be your fated mate, Griffin: my dormant genes. ”

“It doesn’t matter why,” I say firmly, my arm tightening around her waist. “All that matters is that you are.”

Maya’s hand moves to the scar on her throat, visible above the collar of her tunic. The wound has healed remarkably, but the scar remains—a jagged line of raised flesh that makes my wolf howl with rage every time I see it.

“I think this is permanent,” she says, touching it lightly. “Some things don’t heal, even with shifter blood.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I tell her, covering her hand with mine. “Nothing about you could ever be anything less than perfect to me.” She smiles, but I can feel her fatigue through our bond. “You need to rest more,” I insist. “You’ve been pushing yourself too hard, too soon.”

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” she argues. “The antidote still needs refinement. We need to develop countermeasures against whatever the Silver Ring is planning next. I don’t have time to rest.”

“You don’t have a choice,” I counter, frustration edging into my voice. “I won’t let you work yourself into the ground, Maya. Not when we just got you back.”

She narrows her eyes at me, a spark of her old fire returning. “And how exactly do you plan to stop me? How will you know if I’m feeling better or not?”

“I’ll know,” I tap the spot where my mark sits on her skin. “I can feel everything you feel now, remember?”

“That’s not fair,” she protests, though there’s a hint of amusement in her eyes.

“Neither is you risking your health when you’ve barely recovered from dying,” I retort.

Cedric clears his throat. “Perhaps we should give you two some privacy,” he suggests, already moving toward the door. Leanna and Erik follow suit, though Leanna pauses to squeeze Maya’s hand once more before leaving.

When the door closes behind them, I turn to face Maya fully. “You shouldn’t be out of bed, much less working in the lab.”

“I’m fine,” she insists, though she doesn’t resist when I guide her to a chair. As she sits down, she admits, “A little tired, maybe, but fine.”

I kneel before her, taking both her hands in mine. “I’m sorry,” I say simply. “Sorry I didn’t get to you sooner. Sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

“You came,” she says softly. “That’s what counts.”

I search her face, remembering the words I overheard in that cabin. “You told them I didn’t love you.”

Her expression softens. “I knew if they used me against you, you might become their prisoner again—willingly this time, to protect me. I couldn’t let that happen.” She squeezes my hands. “Besides, I know now that you do love me. That you’ve always loved me, even when you pushed me away.”

“I never meant to push you so far,” I admit, the guilt still fresh. “I thought I was protecting you from the prophecy, but all I did was hurt you worse.”

“I should have trusted you,” Maya says, tears gathering in her eyes. “My mother told me to, but I couldn’t. I faced two massive losses in one day, and my heart couldn’t cope. I shut down.”

“Your mother was a wise woman,” I say gently. “She knew I loved you before I had the courage to show it properly.”

“She did.” Maya smiles through her tears. “I want us to start over, Griffin. A new beginning for both of us.”

I bring her hands to my lips, kissing her knuckles reverently. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for the time we lost.”

“No,” she corrects me. “We’ll spend it looking forward, not back. Together.”

I rise, pulling her gently to her feet and into my arms. The bond between us pulses with love, with promise, with a future neither of us could have imagined when this all began.

“Together,” I agree, sealing the vow with a kiss.

Outside, rain begins to fall, washing away the last traces of the darkness that once threatened to consume us both. A new day dawns for the kingdom, for our people.

For us.

I stand at the window of my office, watching the palace grounds below where workers are already preparing for the mating ceremony next month.

The gardens bloom with summer flowers, their colors bright against the emerald lawns.

It has been two months since Maya’s transformation, two months of watching her adapt to her new reality with the same determination she brings to everything.

A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts.

“Enter,” I call, turning from the window.

Erik steps inside, his expression tight with barely concealed anger. “Aria’s been lingering out here trying to get an audience with you. If you don’t sort this out now, my head will explode.”

I suppress a sigh. “Give me a couple of minutes, then send her in.”

Three minutes later, Aria glides into my office with practiced elegance. She curtsies deeply, the gesture precise and formal.

“Griffin,” she says, her voice honey sweet. “I’m so pleased you could see me on such short notice.”

“Aria.” I acknowledge her with a nod. “I understand you’ve recovered from your illness.”

She straightens, a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes curving her lips. “Yes, fully recovered, thanks to the antidote. The healers tell me I was quite fortunate. Others weren’t so lucky.”

“Indeed. Why are you here?”

Aria settles into an armchair with fluid grace. “The elders are growing concerned, Your Majesty. There have been...rumors circulating about your intentions regarding this upcoming mating ceremony. It is said that you have not yet declared the name of the woman to whom you will be mated.”

I stare at her, astounded. After our last exchange, does she truly believe I will choose her? Especially when it is common knowledge now that Maya is my fated mate and that she is residing within the palace, in my personal chambers?

I sit behind my desk, keeping my expression neutral. “I don’t see what that has to do with your visit.”

“You have someone in mind,” she says, watching me carefully.

“The elders believe you should choose a mate of noble birth. One who understands our ways, our traditions.” She leans forward slightly.

“The elders feel strongly that such a choice would stabilize the kingdom at a time when strength and unity are paramount.”

“The elders are overstepping,” I say mildly. “The choice of mate is mine alone to make.”

“Of course,” Aria agrees smoothly. “But surely you understand their concern. A king’s mate isn’t merely a personal choice. She becomes queen, with all the responsibilities that entails. The noble families have been preparing their daughters for such roles since birth.”

“As they have made abundantly clear,” I reply, remembering the parade of eligible noblewomen presented to me over a decade ago, before my captivity. “But I’m afraid they’ll be disappointed. I already have a mate.”

Aria’s smile freezes. “I beg your pardon?”

“I said,” I repeat calmly, “I already have a mate.”

The door connecting my office to the adjacent study opens, and Maya steps through. She carries herself with a quiet dignity that outshines Aria’s carefully constructed elegance. Or maybe I’m just biased.

Aria’s head whips around, her eyes widening as she recognizes Maya. She rises from her chair so quickly it nearly topples backward. “Her?” she hisses, turning back to me with disbelief etched across her features. “The human scientist? This is whom you’ve chosen?”

Maya approaches calmly, coming to stand beside my chair. Her hand rests lightly on my shoulder, a gesture both possessive and reassuring.

“This human scientist,” I say, my voice hardening slightly, “is the one who just saved all three kingdoms. If anyone deserves to be queen, it is Maya. And I don’t understand why you’re surprised, Aria.

You knew Maya was my fated mate. Did you really think I’d choose someone else when the woman the Goddess chose is before me? ”

Aria’s face contorts with fury. “This is unacceptable! She’s not one of us. She doesn’t understand our ways, our history. The noble families will never accept this!”

“They will,” I say with quiet certainty, “because they have no choice. The bond is already formed, the mark already given.”