Lucius povI froze. I bloody froze and stared at her as if Eden had just hung the moon for me. The thing was that no matter how much I already adored and desired her, the feeling in my chest intensified as soon as she muttered those magic words. All my life, I hid away from everyone’s eyes, fearing that I was the cursed one who would never get the chance to enjoy what true love meant. But here she was, right in front of me, looking at me as if I truly mattered. I was more than ready to take back every word I had shouted at the sky over the years. Every insult I threw at the Moon Goddess, every damn time I cursed her existence… After all, she didn’t deny me the only thing I had ever truly desired to find. The look in her eyes spoke more than a thousand words. The words that would be nothing but empty promises compared to the silence that surrounded and hid us from the word. Although we stood in the shower with no other intention, both of us being naked and watching each other as w

Eden pov“That might be a problem,” Lucius groaned. “Moles are all over the place. Always have been and always will be, so that's something we just have to live with. Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter how good of a leader the King is, there always will be someone who doesn’t like something. Out of a hundred people, at least one will want to rebel. However, having a Council member as a mole is what makes this situation extremely tricky.” Since Lucius spoke with finality I hadn’t heard from him before, I decided it was for the best not to question him more. But while I avoided asking something, I had an idea I could toss at him. “How about we test it? I mean, I understand you can’t just toss accusations at the Council, but we could think of something as a test to see if my suspicions are correct. For all I know, he might be having a bad day and hence the attitude.” I offered, once again, trying to get more comfortable in his lap. A loud, pained groan left him and I instantly froze.

Lucius povI acted like she had won this time. Technically, at least partly, she did. But what Eden didn’t know was that I already mind-linked Titus and gave him heads-up about the situation. As soon as I would let him know we both went back to the bedroom and Eden was busy, my best friend would get the workers out of the kitchen and ask them a few questions. In the meantime, we assured guards stood nearby if any of these people decided to try to run. While Eden was busy making sandwiches, I leaned against the doorframe and watched her. Everyone in the kitchen returned to their responsibilities, surely more tense than earlier. Every person kept glancing in my direction to check if I hadn't left. As if I would leave my mate here alone for the bait of these piranhas. This situation irritates me as much as it intrigues me. Listening to the things people talk behind my back did open my eyes a little. Although I knew that not everyone who smiled to my face had good intentions, I never

Lucius povAs I stormed into the kitchen, I was sure I had to be running so fast, I found a new dimension. There was no way Mathilda was addressing my mate by her name and calling her a genius. Just minutes ago, the woman spat so many hateful things about Eden, it wasn’t possible that she had changed thoughts so soon. No fucking way. “My love,” I breathed out in relief and instantly walked around the kitchen counter to get to Eden. Everyone in my way parted to let me pass, even Mathilda jumped away from her. As soon as I stood in front of Eden, I cupped her cheek to check if there was anything wrong with her. If I found even the most microscopic scratch on her, someone was about to fucking pay. Before I could question Eden, she frowned and poked my chest. “You, mister, aren’t you supposed to be on bed rest? Running around and chasing Titus doesn’t sound like that to me.” Honestly, I was taken aback by the icy tone she was using. Was she seriously angry at me now? “Oooh, busted,”

Lucius povWhy did I feel so flooded with relief because of those words? Not everything, though. The mention of that man fueled my rage and I wanted nothing but to find him and erase his existence. I should be grateful for his stupid decision to reject Eden, and I truly did, but I also was incredibly angry that he couldn’t see the worth in her. To me, Eden was perfection. She was everything and more. Way more than I could have dreamed of, and thanks to one fuckface, she was all mine. Although I still worried about her words, I pretended they didn’t affect me. I would get to the bottom of it later, now, I had to focus on her well-being. Breaking news like that to someone had to be a thing only someone brave could do, but there also was the emotional factor. She looked like the words didn’t hurt her, but I could hear it in her voice how much they actually did. Eden had been silently suffering all this time, carrying the burden alone, and I was too busy and caught up with everything