Chapter 23

LAYLA'S POV

I stared at the king in horror. He wanted to mark me as his, but not now. Everyone would notice, and I wasn't ready for that kind of attention.

"Layla?" he asked, clearly confused by my reaction. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, but it only made me feel more disoriented.

"You can't mark me, not now, please," I pleaded.

"Okay, I won't mark you now," he assured me. I let out the breath I had been holding. He smiled at me, and I managed a small one in return. "Thank you for accepting this," he said before leaving my room.

I slumped into the nearest chair and stared out of the window. I hoped I had made the right decision. I couldn't afford for things to go wrong now, especially when I was just beginning to settle into the pack.

That evening, as I was about to eat, the door swung open, revealing Annabelle with a food tray. She grinned at me and took a seat. "Hello, Layla."

"Hi," I greeted, making space for her at the table. "I wasn't expecting to see you this eve