Six

Diana

My eyes nearly leaped out of my skull when I spotted King Asher standing there and staring at me.

His look made my stomach churn like I'd just eaten something past its expiration date. My body wavered as if my legs had suddenly decided they no longer believed in stability. Of all the people who caught me at this moment, why him? And why now?

Heat flushed over me and climbed from my neck to my face. I cursed my body for betraying me. I wasn’t even doing anything suspicious, but his gaze made me feel as guilty as a kid caught with crumbs all over their face, claiming they hadn’t touched the cookie jar.

I dreaded the fallout from confessing that I wasn’t the person he thought I was. I wasn’t sure I could survive another emotional beatdown like the one Marcus had handed me. That rejection had left scars and the idea of repeating history with my mate? No, thanks. 

He was a ruler who could snap fingers and make my existence vanish. Fear gripped me, reminding me how close I was to the brink of death.

His eyes stayed locked on mine. He looked less like a king and more like a parent who just caught their kid sneaking out past curfew. His gaze briefly showed a hint of confusion, making me wonder if he already suspected something—or if I just sucked this badly at acting.

His movements felt deliberate like he was closing in on me. My breaths came short and fast, and my pulse pounded like a bass drum at a concert. My feet shuffled back, searching for an escape, only to find the wall. Perfect. Nowhere to run and no room to breathe.

Say something, my brain screamed. Do something. But I froze, trapped under his gaze like a deer in headlights.

“Please, I beg you… let me go,” I managed to stammer. My tone wavered between desperation and a broken plea, each word heavy with fear.

He didn’t say a word to me. Instead, he signaled to one of the guards—the same one who had held me back earlier—and asked for details on where they had found me and how I had tried to slip away. As the guard explained, I noticed someone else approaching, stepping out from behind King Asher.

A tall guy with jet-black hair slicked back and parted down the center. He was handsome in a sharp, intense way that spoke of alpha blood, though he wore a beta’s badge, marking him as one of those alphas who chose—or were forced—to serve under a higher authority. His green eyes held a strange familiarity. He was someone close to Lila.

“Lila, are you alright?” he asked gently, as if he spoke to an old friend.

My gaze darted between him and King Asher, who was questioning the guards. Asher commanded without a hint of cruelty or arrogance, something I’d never seen in Marcus, who ruled with a rough, unforgiving hand. If I weren’t the subject of discussion, I might have admired how Asher treated his men.

The beta reached out and tried to touch my shoulder like he had every right to. But I flinched and stepped back. When King Asher’s gaze flicked back to me, the heat of his attention made my face prickle, and my body trembled under his stare.

I let out a strangled cry, raw and desperate, barely holding myself together.“Please, let me go. I don’t belong here.”

Asher’s gaze hardened. “Why would I let you go? You’re my wife, Lila. This is your home.”

The words clawed at my heart, and before I could stop myself, I whispered, “This is not my—”

“Your Majesty,” the beta interrupted smoothly and stepped between us. “Allow me to handle this. Lila trusts me. I’m sure I can help her come back to herself.”

Asher looked like he wanted to argue, but he reluctantly nodded and stepped back after a moment. 

“Fine. Do whatever you need to do. Try to help her understand that she’s safe here and tell her that I swear on my life that I’ll find the bastards responsible for her abduction.”

The Beta—Eddie, identified by his insignia—nodded and led me to a coconut tree in the garden a few steps away. It was a safe distance from Asher, who remained nearby, still questioning the guards about my attempted escape.

Eddie's grip on my wrist was firm enough to hold my attention but not hurtful. “Look at me, Lila—it's me, Eddie.”

His gaze searched my face, and I wanted to break free, but something in his stare held me rooted to the spot.

“You’re having a breakdown,” he said softly. “And believe me, Asher and I understand. But you’re safe now.”

I shook my head. “I’m not having a breakdown. I’m not supposed to be here. This isn’t my life. Please help me get away.”

The look he gave me drilled a chill into my chest. He didn’t just look at me like I was crazy; something darker was behind his eyes. He gripped my chin and lowered his face to mine.

“You need to calm down, or you’ll risk everything. We both know the secrets we’ve buried, the things that would ruin us if Asher knew. He’d kill us both without hesitation. So whatever reasons you think you have to run, forget them. Erase them from your mind.”

A cold dread settled in my stomach. What secrets was he talking about? Did he not hear me or test me to see if I’d break?

Our eyes locked, and the concern there had been before shifted, replaced with a glint of satisfaction as if he enjoyed the mess he was dragging me into.

“Listen closely. You’ll do as I say and stay quiet. You’ll be the queen who has her act together, and you’ll play your part in this kingdom. One more move from you, and Asher will blow your head off.”

He spoke with such cold authority that made terror creep into my bones. My heart pounded hard as a thousand questions screamed for attention.

I'd seen males like Asher before—the ones who wore calm like a mask, fooling everyone into thinking they were chill. But deep down, these were the types who didn’t just hold grudges—they nurtured them like plants, watering them daily and making sure they grew into full-blown forests of vengeance. Cross a male like Asher, and you wouldn’t just pay; you’d pay interest and late fees and probably lose a limb.

This kind of man wouldn’t yell or throw a tantrum. No, he’d wait, plotting in the shadows, biding his time until he could strike. And when he did, you wouldn’t even see it coming.

“Stay calm, Lila,” Eddie said, putting his hand around my arm in what I’m sure he thought was comforting. 

Smirking, he gave me one last look and switched into obedient, perfect Beta as he turned to King Asher.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” he said with a respectful bow. “I’ll make sure Queen Lila feels settled. She won’t trouble you any further.”

King Asher's gaze softened, and for a brief moment, his face lit up with a tenderness so genuine it twisted the knife of guilt already lodged in my chest. How could he look at me with such unfiltered affection when I was weaving this tangled web of lies? It was like kicking a puppy, only worse—this was a king, my supposed mate, and I was stealing a life that didn’t belong to me.

The guards' respect for him showed in their rigid posture, but I could see a flicker of What’s her deal? In their eyes.

Asher dismissed them with a wave of his hand, and I watched them melt into the shadows, leaving me alone with him. My gut twisted tighter like someone had yanked it into a knot and pulled hard. He turned back to me, and the look in his eyes—warm, patient, and so damn sincere—nearly knocked the air out of my lungs.

The mate bond surged between us. My knees wobbled as if my body couldn’t decide whether to give in to the bond or flee from the shame gripping me. Excitement crackled through my veins, heating my skin, but clashed violently with the disgrace that roared in my chest.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over, but I blinked them back. Crying now would only make me look guiltier than I already felt. What kind of mess had I gotten myself into?

“Let me take you inside,” Asher said. “I want you to know I don’t blame you for this. You’ve been through something traumatic, and I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to help you recover.”

I parted my lips, ready to speak, to maybe come clean. But he gently pressed a finger to my mouth and silenced me. His finger brushed slowly, tracing my lips, and I squirmed under his touch.

“I told you before I don’t want to punish you. I won’t ask for a divorce. What happened before is in the past, and I’ve let it go. The fear of losing you taught me to forgive.”

Tears blurred my vision. I knew I wasn’t Lila, who'd broken his heart, but I couldn’t deny how deeply he cared. And as much as I hated myself for lying to him, the comfort of his care was something I’d never felt before.

“Come,” he said softly, guiding me toward the house.