Chapter 261: Chapter 261

He gave a small laugh and sat beside me.

Finally, I turned to him, studying his face. The firelight caught the edge of his jaw, the faint bruise near his temple, the exhaustion in his eyes. Without thinking too much, I reached out and touched his arm. "You’ve been working all day," I murmured. "You should rest."

He smirked. "Says the one sitting up in the middle of the night, staring into fire like she’s plotting a kingdom’s downfall."

I laughed softly. "And I am."

He looked at me for a long moment, and that was all it took. My chest tightened. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that look, that quiet attention he gave me when we were alone. The distance between us seemed to fade, and before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned in closer.

"Your Majesty..." he said quietly, but I didn’t let him finish.

It wasn’t rough or desperate, just slow, lingering. His lips were warm, and for a second, the world went still.

When I finally pulled away, my heart was racing. "I missed you," I whispered, my voice trembling slightly.

He exhaled, his hand brushing the side of my face. "You shouldn’t say things like that."

"Why not?" I asked softly. "It’s true."

He hesitated, glancing toward the door before lowering his voice. "Because your uncle doesn’t trust anyone.... and if he ever suspects..."

I leaned back, my expression hardening. "You didn’t tell him, did you?"

Adrik’s brow furrowed. "What?"

"You didn’t tell Uncle Fridolf about us, right?" I asked again, my voice sharper this time.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your Majesty..."

"Answer me," I cut in. "Did you tell him?"

He met my gaze and shook his head. "No. Of course not. I’m not that stupid."

I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie. His eyes, however, were steady, calm, but a little sad.

The air between us turned heavy, thick enough to choke on. I could still feel Adrik’s heartbeat against mine, fast and unsteady, when I leaned forward again, this time without hesitation.

Our lips met again, this time harder, deeper, like something inside me had finally snapped. All I could feel was him. The warmth of his mouth, the taste of smoke, and something raw, something that felt like truth.

His hands gripped my waist firmly, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. I could feel his heartbeat against my chest, strong and fast, matching the wild rhythm of mine. My fingers slid up into his hair, soft but slightly rough at the ends, and I tugged him closer. He groaned quietly against my lips, and that sound did something to me; it set my whole body on fire.

The kiss grew desperate, messy, like we were both starving for something we couldn’t name. My breath hitched when his lips moved from my mouth to my jaw, then back again, stealing whatever air I had left. I didn’t care about control anymore. I just wanted more of him.

The world around us blurred. My hands slid down his neck, feeling the tense muscles beneath his skin, the heat radiating from him. His fingers dug into my sides, not to hurt me, but to hold me still, as if he was afraid I’d vanish if he let go.

When I finally pulled away, my lips were trembling, swollen from the kiss. My chest rose and fell quickly, trying to catch up with the storm that had just passed through me. His breathing was uneven, too, his eyes darker than before, fixed on me like I was the only thing that mattered.

Then the words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Did you tell Uncle Fridolf about my plan to betray him?"

Adrik’s expression froze. The color drained from his face.

"What?" he said softly, disbelief clear in his voice.

That silence, that single heartbeat of hesitation, was all I needed. My chest tightened, and I felt something inside me twist painfully.

"So, it’s true," I said coldly, stepping back.

I didn’t let him finish. My palm connected with his cheek so hard the sound cracked through the air. He staggered slightly, his jaw tightening, his eyes flashing with anger. Official source ıs novel-fire.net

He scoffed, shaking his head. "You’ve lost your mind," he spat. "Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"Don’t you dare talk back to me like that!" I snapped, fury burning through me. "I gave you everything, Adrik! And you go behind my back...."

"I did no such thing!" he shouted, cutting me off.

"Liar!" I screamed and raised my hand to hit him again, but this time, he caught my wrist midair.

I glared at him, breathing hard, trying to yank my hand free. "Let me go!"

"Not until you stop acting insane!" he growled, his grip firm.

"Insane?" I hissed, stepping closer until our faces were inches apart. "You forget your place. I am still Luna of this pack, Adrik. You will address me as such!"

He laughed bitterly, letting go of my hand with a shove. "Luna? You’re still delusional enough to call yourself that?"

My heart pounded painfully, the sting of his words cutting deeper than any slap.

He sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "You’re a disgrace to that title, Belinda. A Luna sneaking around, having secret affairs with her own guard, how noble of you."

My mouth fell open, heat rushing to my face. "You... you dare talk to me like that?"

He scoffed again, looking away in disgust. "You think I’d ever betray Fridolf for you? Don’t flatter yourself."

Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away, refusing to show weakness. "You bastard," I muttered, trembling. "I must have been stupid to believe a word you ever said."

"Finally," he said flatly. "You’re right about something."

That hurt more than I expected. My breath hitched, and I turned my face away, swallowing hard. "Get out," I whispered.

I looked at him again, my voice rising. "I said get out!"

He gave a low, humorless laugh. "You want to hear the truth before I go? Fine. I would never betray Fridolf. He already set me up, Belinda. If that’s what you want to believe, that I sold you out, then go ahead. But the truth? You’re just another piece in his game. Just like me."

He stepped back, shaking his head, his eyes softer for just a second. "You should be careful who you call your uncle."

Then he turned and walked away.

I stood there, trembling, staring at the empty doorway. My chest ached, my vision blurred. Slowly, I sank onto the cold floor beside the fire, clutching my knees to my chest.

"I’m not stupid," I whispered to myself, though my voice broke halfway through. "I’m not..."

But deep down, I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that maybe I was.