Chapter 35

Kaine

I wake before dawn, unsettled.

The palace is quiet at this hour, but Rafe isn’t. He’s pacing beneath the surface, that low thrumming restlessness bleeding into me whether I want it or not. I roll my shoulders, trying to shake him off, but it doesn’t work. I already know why he’s irritated. Why I am.

Ember.

Or more specifically, Ember and Jasper.

The conversation from last night loops back through my mind. The way she deflected. The way she tried to brush it off like it meant nothing. Maybe it didn’t. Maybe I’m making too much of it. But something about the way she looked at me when I asked stuck.

Rafe hadn’t liked the question. He hadn’t liked the answer either.

I’m supposed to be above this. Focused. Controlled. She’s my guard, not a distraction.

But it isn’t just about her. It’s about the way it looks. The only female guard in the palace being courted, or whatever it is Jasper’s doing, by the Queen’s son? If anyone starts to suspect more, it becomes a scandal. A weakness.

That’s what I tell myself. That this is about the palace. The optics.

I’m still trying to believe it when there’s a knock at my door.

I call for them to enter, expecting Jake or one of the security aides. Instead, Bianca steps in, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

“Kaine,” she says with a soft smile. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

I gesture for her to come in. “Not at all.”

She crosses the room with practiced grace. We haven’t spoken much since the attempt on my life. Since the way I snapped at her afterward. It’s not that I’ve avoided her, but I haven’t sought her out either.

“I just wanted to check on you,” she says. “You’ve seemed distant.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“I know,” she says, voice smooth. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. For that night. I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do.”

I nod but don’t offer anything else.

She shifts closer, eyes searching mine. “Is there anything new with the investigation?”

That stops me. Bianca’s never shown an interest in anything to do with court politics. She’s always been more focused on appearances, alliances, social order.

“Nothing I can share.”

She doesn’t press. Instead, she softens her voice further. “I was thinking about our engagement ceremony. I know things have been... complicated. But people are beginning to talk.”

I lift a brow. “About?”

“About the delay, about us.” She moves to the edge of my desk, her hand grazing its surface. “The title of Luna isn’t just symbolic. It’s part of what gives the court confidence, and it feels like I’m finally getting what I deserve.”

My eyes flick to hers. “What you deserve?”

Bianca pauses. Her smile falters for just a second before recovering. “I only meant... I’ve always dreamed of this. Of finding my mate. Of building something strong. That’s all.”

Her tone says otherwise. It’s polished, practiced. There’s more warmth in the word Luna than there is in mate.

I say nothing. But I know she feels the shift.

She places a hand lightly on my forearm. “I just want us to be aligned. People need to see us united.”

Her touch is gentle, her smile composed. “I know the timing’s been difficult, but maybe it’s time we set a date.”

I hold her gaze for a long moment. “We’ll revisit it when things are more stable.”

She nods. But I can tell it’s not the answer she wanted.

Ember

I keep to myself today. That’s safer.

I throw myself into rotations, post reviews, and paperwork. I run a full check on the patrol routes near the western gate, even though I already know every detail by heart. I focus on what I can control, guard work, duty, the one thing in this place that doesn’t require me to pretend.

I avoid Prince Kaine’s office. Not out of fear, but because I don’t know what I’d say if I saw him again. His words from the other night still dig at me, “Make sure that’s all it is.”

Nara’s not subtle about it either.

“He’s jealous,” she growls. “He feels it and doesn’t know why.”

He’s protecting palace reputation, I mutter as I update the logbook. That’s all it is.

“Then why is he so cold?”

I don’t answer. I don’t have the energy to argue with her today.

In Luna training, Bianca is all smiles again. Sickly sweet. She compliments the instructor. Jokes lightly about court fashion. She doesn’t mention Prince Kaine or Prince Jasper, but every time I glance up, her eyes are already on me, calculating.

She’s planning something. I can feel it, but I say nothing.

I end up working late in one of the palace’s sitting rooms. It’s small, tucked between two administrative corridors, with just enough space for a table, a couple of chairs, and a cabinet full of records.

I like it here. It’s quieter than my quarters, and no one ever bothers me. Until someone does.

I don’t look up when the door opens, but I know who it is before he speaks.

Prince Kaine.

He steps into the room like he’s been here before. Like he already knew where to find me.

I keep writing.

“You’re working late,” he says.

“So are you,” I answer, not quite looking at him.

He gestures to the extra chair. “May I?”

I nod, and he sits across from me, glancing over the open files. “Anything interesting?”

“Not yet. I’ve been trying to reconcile guard coverage with guest access routes. We’ll need to rework the schedule before the estate trip.”

He doesn’t respond right away. He just starts flipping through the notes.

The silence stretches long between us. Not cold. Just… uncertain.

He scans a page, then another. His brows pull together like he’s trying to read more than what’s on the paper. I focus on the lines in front of me, but I can feel him watching. The tension that’s been stretched between us for weeks has started to fray, and I don’t know what will happen when it finally snaps.

After a while, he closes the folder.

“Be careful with Jasper.”

I sigh, not ready to have this conversation, again. I look up slowly.

“He will not interfere with the investigation.”

There’s a pause. His jaw tightens.

“Good.

His tone is calm, but the weight behind it lands hard. I don’t answer. There’s nothing I can say that won’t make it worse.

I close my notebook, slide it into the stack, and rise from my chair. “Good night, Prince Kaine.” He nods but says nothing.

As I walk out, I feel the bond tug beneath my skin, a steady, quiet pull just below the surface. I pretend not to feel it.