Three

The food sat untouched on my plate as I kept my hands folded in my lap. The king and his sons devoured their food with all the enthusiasm in the world, while I could barely look at mine. Every hunger pang I’d felt over the past four days vanished and left me numb.

What the hell had I gotten myself into? 

Sitting here, pretending to be a woman I had never even met, while the stranger across from me—who happened to be my mate—believed I was his wife. 

The gods had one twisted sense of humor.

And it didn’t help that his mere presence made my blood burn with a heat I couldn’t ignore. 

His gaze lingered on me with such intensity that made me squirm.

Each look felt like an invisible hand, grazing along my skin and digging deep into places that hadn’t felt desire in ages. 

I’d barely survived my divorce, and here I was, feeling an attraction so intense that it hurt.

How did I, a newly divorced and publicly humiliated woman, end up tangled in feelings for another man this fast?

The longer I stayed, the harder it became to even think of telling him the truth. My eyes darted around, weighing my choices.

Option one: slip out during the night, melt into the forest, and put as much distance as possible between me and this life I didn’t belong to.

Option two: come clean and tell the king everything before it all spirals into chaos.

Tick-tock.

My wolf whined inside me, unwilling to even consider leaving. 

“Don’t leave our mate. Please,” she whimpered.

I shut her down fast. What did she know about the consequences? I was the one who had to suffer if this turned ugly.

The dinner spread looked like a chef’s dream, filled with the finest food money could buy. 

I settled on a bite of chicken Parmesan, twirling spaghetti around my fork, though the flavor barely registered. 

Across from me, Jaden and Josh, the king’s sons, tossed grapes at each other, laughing like it was the best game ever.

"Don’t do that, Josh. Mommy doesn’t like a mess," Jaden said to his brother. 

Josh shrugged. "She’s not scolding me because she’s too tired. Tomorrow maybe I’ll get a spanking.”

The bits and pieces I gathered from their chatter painted a faint picture of the king’s wife. It didn’t take much to guess that things weren’t smooth between them. For all I knew, their marriage had been crumbling long before she disappeared.

The king kept eating, glancing at me with a look so loaded with devotion it sent my heart into a mad spin. 

Love shone in his eyes, a love that belonged to another woman.

"I still can’t believe we’re mates," he said with a soft voice and his gaze locked on me. "I’m glad we got married and have kids. This bond between us is a gift.”

I forced a nod, swallowing a bite of food that tasted like dust. 

I was an intruder in his life, an imposter wearing the face of someone he adored. If he found out, would he kill me for it?

Or worse, would he hate me?

The thought made me pause. Was I any better than my ex-husband? Marcus had found his mate and tossed me aside without a thought, discarding me like I was nothing. I was pretending to be someone else’s mate, clinging to a bond that didn’t belong to me.

Meanwhile, his real wife could be in danger. Or dead.

Shit!

I needed to leave tonight. 

But my wolf clawed at me, resisting every urge to leave. Her desire to stay with our mate was raw and primal. Her pleas were tearing me apart.

I didn’t even notice how far I’d drifted until a voice snapped me back to reality. A young brunette, elegant with the grace of a swan, floated down the stairs.

“Boys, time to clean up and brush your teeth,” she called cheerfully, her voice bright as she approached.

The boys’ groans echoed as they protested, "No! We want to stay with Mommy."

“You can, after you clean up. Unless you want to get cavities?"

Reluctantly, they gave in, following her up the stairs with heavy sighs. She seemed like the kids’ nanny, though I could only guess. Now it was just me and the king.

Alone.

Fuck my life. 

The bond between us pulsed stronger, filling the space, and tempting me to fall into his arms. 

The king leaned closer with an affectionate gaze.“What’s wrong, darling? You’ve been so distant since you came back.”

My throat tightened. The lies choked me before they even left my lips. “I…uh… I’m fine.”

He moved closer. "Are you thinking what I’m thinking?"

"N-no," I stammered, feeling my pulse jump as he chuckled softly, like he knew I was lying.

“Lila, this quiet, shy act might be cute, but we both know you don’t stay quiet for long.” His smile held a teasing edge, and his fingers found their way to my cheek, caressing with a tenderness that made my chest ache.

I could barely breathe, caught between the thrill of his touch and the guilt eating me up. Here was a man who had no idea the woman he loved was a stranger. And I was the stranger, the one with no right to be here yet drawn to him as if I belonged.

He leaned in, brushing his lips against my neck. "After dinner, I’ll carry you upstairs and run a bath for you. Then, I’ll wash away every bit of this day, every worry."

My body trembled under his touch.

"And once you’re clean," he murmured against my skin, "I’ll dry you off, take you to our bed, and show you just how much I’ve missed you. How much I love you."

My pulse quickened. This was so wrong, yet my body wanted nothing more than to follow him, to fall deeper into the warmth he offered.

"We’ll seal our bond tonight," he whispered, his lips grazing my neck again. "I know we’ve already consummated our marriage, but this is different, Lila. This is everything.”

I couldn’t breathe. I was stuck in a lie I couldn’t escape. My heart screamed to confess, but the words tangled in my throat, leaving me trapped.

"I…I need to rest," I blurted out, pulling back. "It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted."

He nodded, concern softening his gaze, and rested his hand on my shoulder. "Of course, darling. You’ve been through so much.”