Just in time, the door swung open, revealing the greatest shock of my life. There she stood, head held high in the most beautiful white dress with an arm hooked around Victor. The shock was barely a scratch compared to the pain and anger that slammed into me the moment the elder opened his mouth.

“As a result of the squabble we were presented with, I almost forgot to mention that Prince Victor wants to present his soon-to-be bride to us,” Elder Edmond announced, dismissing Lilith with a nod and ushering Mira and Victor into the court.

My eyes snapped to Elder Edmond and back to Mira, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes. She acted as though she couldn’t feel me in the room, keeping her eyes nailed to the wall.

Soon-to-be bride? What the fuck was that? When she said she was leaving the States, it took everything in me to keep me from forcing her to stay. Now, she turns up as Victor’s bride-to-be?

I was shaking with anger. Every part of me was screaming at me to rip her from his arms. I wanted to punish him severely for laying his arms on her, but I couldn’t.

This was barely an ideal time to reveal the nature of my relationship with Mira or to let the court see how Victor was coming for everything that was mine. I would appear weak.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Lilith’s eyes wide with excitement as she took in the scene unfolding before her.

She was thoroughly enjoying this, and I couldn’t even blame her.

It was quite an entertaining situation. My long-lost brother returned to take my throne and my woman, but I would be damned if I go down without a fight.

As a matter of fact, if there was anyone going down, I was sure as hell it wouldn’t be me.

“Hello, brother. How nice of you to join us with your bride,” I greeted as they approached, intentionally drawing out the word like it was dirty. Mira still wouldn’t look at me.

“It’s only ideal that I share the happiest moment of my life with my family. Mira has made me the happiest man, and I can’t wait for you all to see how amazing she is,” Victor replied, placing a soft kiss on her hand.

I wanted to rip his head off for putting his lips on her, but I smiled instead, choosing to let my words do the damage instead.

“That’s beautiful, truly. I hope the girls you left with broken hip bones and shattered hearts share the same sentiments. Besides, who would be mad at a match made in heaven like yours.”

Shocked gasps erupted in the court, and Mira stiffened, her arms almost dropping from Victor’s.

“Careful brother, if I wasn’t so sure of your person, I’d think you’re trying to scare my bride away,” Victor replied with an equally fake smile, his eyes as hard as steel.

“I wouldn’t dare stand in the way of your happiness. I was only making sure transparency was paramount in all we do.”

“Why don’t you properly introduce your bride to us Prince Victor, she looks rather familiar,” Elder John interjected, staring at Mira with curious eyes.

“This is Mira,” Victor started, looking at my mate like she was the moon and stars. “She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and just a few days ago, she agreed to be my wife.”

Liar. My wolf roared, and I let my claws sink into my palms to keep me from reaching for his neck instead.

“Hello, Mira. Have we met before?” Elder John pressed, refusing to let the matter drop.

Victor took the opportunity to own the narrative. “She used to live in the palace until she was wrongly accused and thrown in the dungeon by my brother and his beloved wife. Thankfully, his cruelty led her to me.”

The wave of hushed murmurs swept through the audience, and I could hear whispers about how I was a hypocrite and my plans for reform being a sham to hide my true nature.

I didn’t miss how he concealed Mira’s position while she stayed in the palace.

The bastard was ashamed of admitting she had served as a maid and opted to make her look like a regular guest.

Mira looked as white as a sheet while Victor stood tall, his face glowing with pride as he reveled in the damage he had done.

I fixed my gaze on Mira instead, watching if she would go along with the situation or speak up, but she didn’t do anything.

She just stood there, maintaining a neutral expression.

Whatever happened to the woman who always fought for the truth? Did Victor have anything on her? Was he forcing her into this?

It wouldn’t be the first or tenth time he would be forcing a woman to go along with his ill desire. My wolf took a protective stance, determined to pry Mira from his arms as soon as possible.

Elder Edmond did the honor of introductions and letting Mira know about the traditional rites required of her before the mating ceremony while I sat still, seething and waiting for the right time.

Soon after the meeting came to an end, I sighted Victor taking Mira to the throne room, and I went after them, slipping into the room and locking us in.

“Is this some stupid prank or something? ”

“You never know when to stay away, do you?” Victor snarled, and I took a step forward, ready to tear him apart with my arms if it got to that.

“You’re the one parading my mate as your bride.”

Victor equally took a step forward.

“You rejected her Griffin. You locked her in a dark prison in your castle. You lost the right to call her a mate years ago.”

“That’s enough,” Mira said, placing her dainty hands on Victor’s shoulders, her voice dropping to a soft-cozy tone and forcing him to look at her. “He’s here for me. Let me handle this once and for all.”

Victor placed a kiss on her fingers before shooting me a warning look. “Try any funny business with her, and I’ll have your head.”

“How about you let that mask you’ve perpetually hidden behind fall off, and then we can talk about what you can and cannot do,” I threw back at him, boring holes into his back as he exited the room.

I was in Mira’s face in a flash, inspecting her for signs of physical abuse and dumping a truckload of questions on her.

“Are you okay? Is he forcing you to do this? Is he threatening you? Where is Noah?”

She ripped her arms from mine, taking a step back. “Not that it’s your business, but Noah is fine, and Victor is not forcing me. I’m getting married to him because I want to.”

I felt an unexpected pain pierce my chest, but I refused to take her words. She was looking everywhere but me. “Look at me and repeat what you just said.”

“It doesn’t matter if I look at you or not, Griffin. I’m getting married to him.”

Griffin, not Mr. Thorne. She called me by name. That must mean something. She was slowly letting the walls she built around her fall .

“Mira, you can’t marry him. He’s not who you think he is. He is cruel and wicked. He’s not the man for you.”

“And you are?” she shot back at me, eyes ablaze and her nose flaring with anger. “I haven’t forgotten how you took my virginity and had me thrown in a dungeon shortly after. At least he’s not ashamed of me.”

I scoffed. “He couldn’t even reveal your true identity to the court or tell them your position at the palace.”

I soon realized the error of my words when she physically recoiled. I decided to retrace my steps and address the matter she raised. It was more important than Victor and whatever he had planned.

“Mira, I can explain. I was wrong. I was misled, and I’m sorry. If you give me the chance, I’d spend my whole life making it up to you.”

“It’s too late, Griffin.” Her voice was a low whisper, and I would’ve missed it if I wasn’t paying attention.

I took a step closer, taking her hands in mine. “It’s not, baby, and you know it. You just have to go back there and tell him you’ve changed your mind. You know deep down that it’s you and I.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“You can’t say that when my touch makes you shiver and my presence affects you so much,” I replied, leaning in and trailing my lips from her neck to her ears.

She shuddered, but she didn’t pull back. “Remember the last time we kissed? How you melted into me, and how every curve of your body fits right into mine,” I continued trailing kisses all over her neck, loving the feeling of her squirming breathlessly.

I ran my tongue softly around her ears, nipping softly at the lobe. “Does his voice make you shiver like mine? Does his touch make you lose your senses? ”

A soft moan escaped her lips, and I seized the moment to dip my head, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. She was immediately receptive, opening up and tangling her tongue with mine.

I hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around me and leading us to the elevated podium in the middle of the room. We were seated on the throne, with her on top of me, lips sealed to mine, and her hips grinding recklessly on my rock-hard erection.

My hands dug into her plump ass, pressing her crotch further into me and drinking every moan spilling from her lips as I intensified the friction between us. I wasn’t even inside her yet, and I felt so close to creaming my pants like a horny teenager.

I let out a strained groan, breaking our kiss and returning my focus to her delicate neck.

I could feel my wolf urging me to claim her, to mark her as ours.

It might have been an incredibly selfish decision, but I couldn’t help it.

I was on the verge of losing her, and this was my only way to make sure she stayed.

I let my canines extend, grazing the sharp teeth on her neck before exerting enough pressure to break the skin, but she was faster, tearing herself from me and stumbling onto her feet.

She cast me an accusatory look while adjusting her clothes, her lips swollen, her lids heavy with lust, and her face flushed. I finally caught a whiff of it. She was going into heat. This was my moment.

I got off the throne, taking a step forward, but she took two backward, arms stretched out. “Stay away from me.”

“Mira…”

“No, Griffin, you don’t get to toss me away and have me back when you feel like it. Besides, you are married.”

“We’re getting a divorce.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Why? ”

I heaved a sigh, hating to recount the story, but Mira deserved an explanation. “She wasn’t who I thought she was. I also found out about the pheromones. I’m sorry for not believing you.”

She drew in her lower lips, sinking her teeth into them. “I’m sorry about that.”

This was the first honest moment we had. There were no walls in sight or ulterior motives—just truth and vulnerability.

“Why are you here? You hate this palace.”

“My friend was murdered. She was a maid here. Her death was dismissed as an accident, but I can’t shake off the feeling that someone here is responsible, possibly the same person who tried to kill me.”

Someone here. She didn’t need to call the name for me to know who she was speaking of. I didn’t doubt her. There was very little I would put past Lilith. What I found puzzling was how no death was reported to me.

“When did this happen?”

“Two weeks ago. She was supposed to leave with me, but I called and was informed of her death.” Her voice broke as she spoke, and I pulled her into a hug, placing a soft kiss on her head. “I’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

“Thank you,” she replied but made no attempt to break out of the embrace.

“Is this why you’re getting married to Victor? To avenge your friend?” I felt her stiffen before she drew back into her walls, effectively pushing me away.

“I’m getting married to Victor because I want to.

” Her eyes were cold and hard as she spoke.

“He cares about me and goes out of his way to make sure Noah and I are safe. Whatever happened between us was a mistake, a moment of weakness, and I would love for you to keep your distance from me and respect my obligations to your brother. Goodbye, Mr. Thorne.”

Mr. Thorne. I couldn’t bring myself to stop her if I wanted to. I was too stunned to speak or move. Pain, raw unfiltered pain exploded through me, numbing my senses.

“I am getting married to him because I want to.” The words echoed in my head as I watched her slip through the door.

She didn’t say she loved him. We still have a chance, my wolf pointed out. But even that did not make me feel better. She felt a sense of gratitude and loyalty toward him for what he had done for her, and that was worse in my book.

I needed to devise a means to save her from him before it’s too late.