Chapter 5

Mariana's POV

The moment the man turned around, I forgot how to breathe. His face was nothing like the monster I had built in my mind during the journey to Frostcrest.

He was terrifying, yes, but not because he looked cruel. If anything, it was the opposite.

He was devastatingly handsome, with bronzed skin that seemed to glow beneath the pale moonlight and dark hair that fell carelessly across his forehead. His features were sharp, masculine, almost painfully perfect, except for the faint scar that slanted across one of his eyes.

It should have made him look less attractive, but somehow, it did the exact opposite. It gave him an edge that made it impossible to look away.

Then his eyes met mine, and I felt heat spread through my entire body. His gaze was piercing, intense, almost as though he could see straight through every lie I had ever told.

“Does my bride not want to come to me?” he asked, his deep voice carrying through the quiet chamber. “Or are you so frightened that you expect me to come to you instead?”

I swallowed hard and tightened my fingers around the doorframe. “You should stay right there,” I replied quickly. “I don’t need you coming any closer.”

A slow smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “As you wish.”

I was about to turn around when the scent hit me.

Blood.

My brows furrowed as I looked toward him again. “You’re hurt.”

His expression barely changed. “It’s nothing.”He glanced down at himself before looking back at me. “I was cut a little deeper than expected. Nothing worth worrying about.”

I should have left.

I had been planning to escape this palace all evening. My bag was already waiting near the door, and every sensible part of me was screaming that this was the perfect opportunity to leave.

Yet something inside me refused to move. My wolf stirred restlessly, almost pushing me toward him despite the fear twisting inside my stomach.

Before I could stop myself, I stepped forward.

He watched me silently.

“Sit down,” I said.

One of his eyebrows lifted. “Excuse me?”

“I said sit down. I’ll bandage it.”

For a moment, he simply stared at me as though he couldn’t believe I had just ordered him around in his own chamber. Then, to my surprise, he walked toward the chair and sat.

I moved closer, and with every step, his scent became stronger. Something warm and intoxicating surrounded me, making my wolf restless. I tried to ignore it as I reached for the cloth and began examining the wound.

It was much deeper than he had made it sound.

“You call this nothing?”

“Trust me I’ve had worse.”

“That doesn’t make this nothing.”

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

The infamous warlord actually laughed, shock written all over my face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.

“You laugh?”

His lips curved again. “Sometimes.”

I quickly looked away. “Perhaps you laugh like this right before you devour your prey.”

His eyes gleamed with amusement. “Perhaps.”

When I struggled to wrap the bandage around his arm, his hand suddenly closed around mine. I froze.

“Your hands are shaking,” he murmured.“You’re afraid of me.”

I didn’t answer.

He leaned slightly closer. “You don’t have to tremble, Mariana. I’m not going to eat you alive.”His smile widened.“Unless you want me to.”

He laughed again.

I stared at him in disbelief before quickly returning my attention to the bandage. I finished tying the bandage and stood quickly. “There. It’s done.”

“Thank you.”

I turned toward the door.

Before I could take another step, an arm wrapped around my waist.A startled gasp escaped me as he pulled me backward.

My back pressed against his chest.

His warmth surrounded me.

I slowly turned my head, only to find his face much closer than I expected. His eyes moved over my face, lingering for a moment before returning to my eyes.

“You’re very beautiful,” he murmured.

My heart pounded.

“I think you should let me go.”

“I think you’re trying very hard not to look at me.”

I pushed lightly against his chest and stepped away. “I’ll…head back to my room now.”

He watched me retreat.

“You’re safe here, Mariana.”

I stopped.

Something about the way he said it made me pause.

But I didn’t turn around.

“Go get some sleep,” he continued. “You’re no longer staying in the guest chamber. Tomorrow, you’ll move into the main chamber.”

My heart dropped.

“With you?”

“With me.”

My wolf practically leaped at the thought, and I hated that she seemed more excited than frightened.

I nodded quickly.

I didn’t wait for him to say anything else.

I ran.

I practically stumbled into my room and slammed the door behind me. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I leaned against the wood.

I had forgotten my escape bag, it was still sitting outside his chamber.

“Damn it.”

There was no way I was going back for it tonight.

I crawled into bed and pulled the blanket over myself, convincing myself that I would wake up early enough to retrieve it.

But sleep came before I could make another plan.

The next morning, Clara woke me with the brightest smile imaginable.

“My Lady, you slept through half the morning.”

I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head.

She laughed. “Come on. The Master is waiting for you.”

My eyes flew open.

“What?”

“The Master. He asked that you be brought to the council hall.”

Within minutes, Clara had me dressed and ready. My mind raced the entire time.

The council hall was filled when I arrived.

Council heads.

Warriors.

Nobles.

Important members of the Frostcrest Empire.

Every single person turned to look at me.I stood awkwardly near the entrance until I felt a familiar presence behind me.

An arm slipped around my waist.

I stiffened.

Zayan.

He gently guided me forward, his hand resting securely against my waist as we approached the raised platform at the front of the hall.

The council head stepped forward.

“Today, we welcome our great ruler and Warlord, Zayan Alastor, home from battle!”

The room erupted,Cheers thundered through the hall and Warriors raised their weapons.

The respect they had for him was unlike anything I had ever witnessed.

I stared at him.

This was the man everyone feared and yet his hand remained gently wrapped around my waist.

The council head raised his voice again.

“And let us not forget the woman who now stands beside him. Our future Luna. His mate. Our lady of Frostcrest!”

The cheering began again.

This time, it was for me.

I felt overwhelmed.

For one brief moment, something warm settled inside my chest.I belonged here, then I immediately pushed the thought away.

No.

This could all be another trap.

Perhaps this was simply how they lured people into staying.

I couldn’t allow myself to forget why I had come.

Still, when Zayan leaned toward me and whispered, “They’re happy to have you here,” I couldn’t stop the small smile that touched my lips.

Later, when the formalities were over, Zayan looked at me.

“Would you like to see the gardens with me?”

I hesitated.

Then I nodded.

“Only if you promise not to eat me.”

He stared at me for a second before slowly baring his teeth playfully.

“I make no promises.”He laughed.“You should stop asking questions like a frightened child.”

“A child…if I do say so my self it’s you who should stop acting so childish,when you’re supposed to be the most feared man in the territory.”

His eyes sparkled.

“Look who finally grew a ball…I’m impressed ”

We walked through the gardens together, and for the first time since arriving in Frostcrest, I found myself forgetting that I was supposed to run from him.

He showed me the fountains, the private courtyards, and eventually the old library that had once belonged to his mother.

It was dangerously easy to enjoy his company.

When evening came, he noticed the hesitation in my eyes as we approached the main chamber.

“You don’t have to stay here tonight if you’re not ready,” he said quietly. “You can return to the guest chamber. When you’re comfortable, you can come here.”

I looked at him.

For some reason, I didn’t want to run.

I reached for his hand.

“I’m ready.”

His eyes softened.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

“You’re not scared…I’ll probably devour you in your sleep.” He chuckled.

“Maybe a little.”

That night, we lay on opposite sides of the bed, facing each other in silence.

Eventually, exhaustion pulled me under,but sometime during the night, I woke.

The room was dark except for the faint moonlight spilling through the curtains.

I turned my head.

Zayan was asleep beside me.

Or so I thought.

I studied his face in the darkness.

The scar over his eye looked even more striking beneath the silver moonlight. His features were relaxed, completely different from the intimidating man I had met earlier.

Without realizing it, I moved closer.

Just a little.

I wanted to see his face properly.

My fingers slowly lifted.

I was almost touching his cheek when his hand suddenly caught mine.

My heart jumped.

His eyes opened and a lazy smile appeared on his lips.

“Am I really that handsome,” he murmured sleepily, “that you have to wake up in the middle of the night just to stare at me?”

My face burned