Novel-novel oleh Bodypeng

I wasn’t sure what made me knock. Maybe it was the gratitude still blooming in my chest from the night before, or the way my heart quickened every time I thought about what Damien had done for me. He’d kept his word. He’d kept Malia safe, and now I felt like I owed him something—though I had no idea what.Before I could gather my thoughts, the door swung open.Damien stood there, his face soft with an unreadable expression. His shirtless torso gleamed in the soft light of the room, water droplets clinging to the strands of his hair. His eyes met mine, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. He was so close. I could see the play of muscle under his skin, the sharp line of his jaw, the way his chest rose and fell with every breath. There was an overwhelming presence to him that I couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard I tried.“I just came to thank you,” I said, feeling my voice tremble slightly. “For helping with Malia. You didn’t have to, but you did. So

Alina's POVThe dream was vivid.It started gently—warmth, safety, the scent of cedar and rain wrapping around me like a second skin. I was on Damien’s bed, curled against his broad chest, the rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing lulling me into peace. His fingers lazily brushed my arm, his breath tickling the shell of my ear.Then everything shifted.The warmth turned molten. His touch grew bold—no longer casual or comforting, but possessive and electric. My breath hitched as his mouth brushed over my collarbone, lips trailing lower with an unrelenting hunger. His voice—gods, his voice—was low and sinful, murmuring my name like a prayer and a curse.“Alina…”I gasped as his hands slid down my waist, tugging me closer, pressing me against him like he wanted to mold me into him.I was burning.I moaned softly—shamelessly—as he whispered things into my skin. Things that made my stomach clench and my pulse flutter. Words I shouldn’t want to hear. Words no one had ever dared say to me

Alina’s POV“So… are you hungry?”Damien’s voice came from beside me, deep and smooth, and for a moment I forgot how to respond. I had barely recovered from our earlier conversation about his brother, and now he was talking about food like we hadn’t just dissected centuries of family drama.“A little,” I admitted, glancing at him.“Good. We’ll eat soon. But before that…” He straightened and looked me up and down, not in a suggestive way, but in a way that made me feel suddenly… exposed. “We need to go shopping.”My brows furrowed. “Shopping?”“You need clothes,” he said, matter-of-fact. “You’re not going to keep walking around the palace looking like one of the maids.”My mouth fell open in protest. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”He cocked a brow at me. “You look like a lost kitchen servant.”I gasped dramatically. “Well, thanks.”He smirked. “You’re my mate. I want you to dress like it. You’re practically royalty now.”I blinked at him. “That’s not how this works. I don’t need

Alina’s POVI stared at the arm Darius offered, my fingers twitching slightly at my side. Every instinct in me said to be polite, to smile and accept—because it was the eldest prince, because he’d been kind, because refusing tea could somehow be an offense in a place where etiquette ruled like law.But another voice—one deeper, sharper—was whispering Damien’s name in my mind.Don’t trust them.Darius’s smile hadn’t faltered. His posture was relaxed, patient even, but the way he was watching me told me he didn’t expect to be refused.“I... appreciate the invitation,” I began, voice careful, “but I’ve had quite the long day. Maybe another time?”His brows lifted slightly. “Another time?”I nodded. “A rain check?”He tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You’re turning me down, Lady Alina?”“I’m not saying no,” I clarified quickly. “Just… not right now.”“You wound me.” His voice was teasing, but there was something else beneath it—an edge, quiet and smooth, like a knife hidden

Alina’s POVI didn’t go back to my room.I don’t know why—I just kept walking. Maybe it was the leftover tension in my chest from that moment with Damien, or maybe it was Blair’s voice still ringing in my ears like an off-key bell. Whatever it was, my feet refused to carry me back to the quiet stillness of my room.Instead, I wandered.The palace was massive, almost labyrinthine. Every hallway branched into another, and it didn’t take long before I realized I was thoroughly lost. But oddly enough, I didn’t mind. The high ceilings, gold-trimmed windows, and the faint scent of roses and polished stone were strangely calming.I turned a corner and nearly collided with a maid carrying a stack of folded linens.“Oh! I’m so sorry!” I stepped back quickly.The maid blinked in surprise but gave me a smile. “No harm done, miss.”Another maid peeked from a nearby doorway, then another, until there were three of them clustered around me like curious little birds.“You’re the guest, aren’t you?”

Damien’s POVBlair’s voice was the kind that cut through even the thickest tension; high, sugary, and utterly grating.“There you are,” she said, as if she hadn’t planned the interruption with surgical precision.I didn’t move right away. Alina was still right behind me, her scent faint but maddeningly real, the kind of thing that curled around your lungs and refused to let go. I could feel the heat of her body from where I’d just pulled back. My skin still remembered the moment. The closeness. Her breath on my throat.And then Blair had to show up.She smiled up at me like nothing was out of place, but her gaze flicked to Alina, a half-second too long, a little too sharp, and I knew immediately: she wasn’t just here to find me. She’d come to pry.Again.“I’ve been looking everywhere,” she said, slipping her arm through mine like it belonged there.I didn’t pull away, but I didn’t grip her back either.“We were talking,” I said, tone clipped.“I can see that,” she replied, sweetly. H