CHAPTER 52>>>>>

Prince Domininus paused, his eyes narrowing at the water. He didn’t take another step forward; he wondered who it was that was floating on the surface like that. Apparently, a lot of people do not come to this side of the palace except for the royals when they feel like it. But seeing another face he didn’t recognize made him a little confused.

His gaze focused on the figure, but he still couldn’t identify the person; he couldn’t see the face well. Akira’s long hair spread around her, covering part of her features, so it wasn’t easy for him to quickly realize it was her. Prince Domininus stood still, the tips of his toes buried in the damp soil near the edge of the pond. The morning mist had not fully lifted, and a faint stillness lingered on the water’s surface. As he stood there, confused about what to do, anger slowly surged in his chest.

He wondered who dared to come out here,this was territory for only the royals. His jaw tightened with rage, and for a moment, he simply watched. The long strands of hair spread out like ink on the surface of the water. His eyes swept from her body to her pale face between the strands—her soft, delicate features made almost ethereal in the pond.

Finally, he took a step closer to the pond. Her lips parted, her lashes resting against her damp cheeks, and her breasts rose softly on her chest. The water floated lazily around her, outlining her curves in a way that made him clench his fists unconsciously. He swallowed hard; her body looked too good—both innocent and dangerously tempting.

He forced himself to look away for half a second, running a hand over his face to wipe out the strange rush of heat crawling up his neck. He shouldn’t be thinking about lust but how to help her out of the water.

He hissed, Enough standing around,He moved to where he had just removed his clothes and picked them up again. Crouching down, he slid each piece back down his body. With a single deep breath, he finally stepped into the pond. The water climbed to his feet, then slowly up to his knees, cold enough to make his muscles tense, but he didn’t flinch.

Slowly, step by step, he moved until the water reached his thighs. He then bent forward, one arm scooping under her back and the other beneath her knees. She was lighter than he expected. Her wet hair spilled over his arm like silk, her head tipping toward his chest. Water dripped from his clothes in thin streams, soaking into his shirt.

A couple of steps forward, he glanced down at her face again, and his breath caught in his throat. It was Akira. He held her in his arms for a moment, no movement. How did I not recognize her the first time? And what the hell is she doing here, naked?

Up close, Akira looked even more unreal to him. Her skin was faintly flushed from the cold, her breathing shallow but steady, which forced a deep sigh of relief from Prince Dominus, who had thought she might be dead or something similar. She was breathing well, and the realization hit him like a lightning bolt—her being there was an intentional act; she was there on her own, and floating on the water was no mistake. She was just taking a nap.

He glanced at her face again. A single droplet hung on her lashes before sliding down her cheek. Then another droplet fell from her body to his skin, snapping him back to reality, and his chest tightened at once.

“She is from the East…” he whispered, almost to his inner wolf rather than speaking the words aloud.

He stared at her in disbelief, refusing to accept that she was from the Eastern pack. But the clues were right in front of him. Only the Eastern royals are able to float on water like she did. But then he wasn’t so sure… Dominus was never a bookworm who knew a lot about other packs like Brevin, but he was certain that skill belonged to the Eastern pack.

‘Madam Estelle said she was picked up as a rogue…’ he reminded himself.

Without another word, he turned his back on the pond and walked away, carrying naked Akira in his arms. He didn’t bother to cover her nakedness; she was a heavy sleeper and didn’t feel anything until he reached the pack house.

He avoided the main route to the pack house, knowing some warriors or slaves and their crushes might be around. Instead, he took the back route that led to the main palace, where no one would see him. No one deserved to see her naked—only him!

Moments later, he finally reached his room and quietly walked inside, only to find Lyra replacing his wine jugs with new ones.

Once she saw him walk in with naked Akira in his arms, she froze.

She blinked rapidly, jealousy surging in her chest at once. She wished it were her he was carrying—so delicate, like the way he was carrying Akira.

But Dominus barely recognized her presence in the room. He carefully set Akira down on his bed, his hands lingering longer than necessary as he pushed the wet strands of hair from her face.

Watching him cover her carefully, Lyra couldn’t bear it. The jug of wine trembled in her grip; a thin line of red wine trickled down the side, staining one of her fingers, but she barely flinched. She was more concerned about what Prince Dominus was doing and where he had gotten Akira from.

A naked Akira, at that… she swallowed hard, her chest burning with jealousy.

The once cold-blooded Prince Dominus was different from the man she was watching, dressing the bed for Akira and covering her up so tenderly.

Her lips parted slightly; words wanted to escape, but she held them back. He was the next alpha in line and had the power to order her head off this minute if she crossed the line.

Her gaze was glued to Akira's skin, glistening with droplets, and the way Dominus's arms cradled her delicately, as if she were something excessively fragile.

Why was she wet? Lyra wondered, staring at the two of them.

Not only wet but also naked… She swallowed hard, her hands tightening around the jug as the idea that they might have been intimate crossed her mind.

But then her eyes moved to Dominus, and she realized he wasn't fully wet.

So that might not be the case.

Lyra couldn't help it; her knuckles turned white around the jug. She shifted her weight from one heel to the other, every instinct screaming inside her that she should be the one for whom he was doing all of this. She felt the urge to snatch Akira from him and slam the jug into her face. She just wanted to do something that would shatter the spell in front of her. Instead, she bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood.

Her chest rose and fell unevenly as Dominus crossed the room to get a dry towel for Akira's hair. He walked side by side, his eyes never leaving her.

Lyra scoffed silently, annoyance flickering across her face at once. He was treating Akira with the kind of care that she had never received before.

When he returned with the towel, he gently wrapped it around her hair to catch the droplets and prevent them from trickling down her bare skin and disturbing her sleep. Lyra's throat tightened; she couldn't bear to watch anymore, so she lowered her gaze. Yet again, her head tilted back, helplessly drawn to the scene.

She wished it were her. Wished his eyes softened like that only for her.

The jug finally found its place on the table with a low thud, louder than it should have been, forcing Dominus to turn at once to see who was trying to wake Akira.

But Lyra quickly smoothed her dress as though the noise hadn’t come from her.

“My lord… what happened to her?” Lyra forced a smile, but Dominus ignored her as if she weren't there.

She waited for a few seconds until Prince Dominus stood up, turning to her with a frown across his face.

“My lord,” she stammered, “you don't need to worry. I can stay back here and watch over her for you.”

She forced another fake smile, stepping a little closer. “My lord, you need rest. I know you have been juggling all of the pack's duties throughout the day. You can go rest; I will watch her… But what happened to her, my lord?”

“Nothing happened to her.” His response was cold, and it threw Lyra off.

But, as usual, she forced another smile and tried again. “But… my lord, surely it isn’t proper for you to tend to a slave this way. She’s only a girl, and—”

“Enough.” His voice boomed this time. “Done with changing the wine jug? You can leave now.”

Akira stirred faintly at the sound of his voice, her lashes fluttering before settling back into stillness. Dominus immediately softened as he looked down at her again.

Lyra's chest squeezed in pain—first at the contrast between the warmth he gave to Akira and the frost he had shown her. Even with the frost, he was still careful not to wake her from sleep.

Lyra crouched low and picked up the empty jugs, preparing to leave, but she turned again.

“My lord,” she called out to him softly. “I could wait outside, at least,” she whispered. “To be near in case… there will be a lot of rumors if anyone sees you attending to a lowly slave.”

“Leave… NOW!” he commanded, and with that, Lyra left immediately. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to beg further, but the intensity of his voice told her not to push it. His command was absolute.

After Lyra left, Prince Dominus closed the door and went for the wine immediately. He poured himself a full goblet and busied himself with drinking while pondering Akira's real origin. Floating on water without drowning?

That was something an Easterner would do without hesitation unlike the Northerners.

He wondered if she was a rogue who had been chased out of her pack, but he shook his head, deciding against it. The Eastern pack was well known for harmony; they’d rather have heads on spikes for severe offenses than send any members of their pack away. The only packs known for banishment were the Southern pack, with a major number of rogues roaming—most of their origins stemming from there.

After he finished drinking, he moved to the bed, crouching beside her, his breath soundless so he wouldn’t disturb her sleep.

Sitting that close to her, the only woman she reminded him of was his lost Akira.

He looked for a long time, and there was still no difference. The sharp yet delicate line of her jaw, the faint curve of her lips, and the gentle slope of her nose—he just couldn’t fathom how she could look so much like her.

He watched as her chest rose and fell.

He could feel the memory creeping back in before he could stop it…..the woman he had lost. And yet, lying before him now was a face that mirrored hers so uncannily,that it almost hurt to look at.

His fingers hovered near her temple before slowly brushing back the wet strands clinging to her cheek.

For a fleeting second, he almost convinced himself it was the past returned to him—that he had been given a chance to touch what he once thought was gone forever. His hands lingered on her face for a moment, his thumb grazing the corners of her lips.

Then he suddenly stopped; Lyra wasn’t entirely wrong. If anyone walked in here, they’d spread unconfirmed rumors.

But still, he couldn’t bring himself to stay away from her. His eyes darted to her succulent, still-wet lips, which were parted just enough for a kiss.

The temptation was unbearable, but he didn’t move right away.

Finally, he leaned closer, his brows drawn together. He shouldn’t… he knew he shouldn’t.

Prince Dominus leaned closer slowly until his shadow fell across her face. The tip of his nose brushed against hers, and then he paused again, his breath shuddering out of him.

Then finally, with the softest, almost reluctant motion, his lips touched hers.

It wasn’t a passionate kiss—no, just a soft peck on her lips so he wouldn’t wake her.

~~~NEXT MORNING~~~

The next morning, the chirping of birds broke the early morning silence.

Dominus sat at the table, goblet half full, waiting for Akira to wake up when a knock came at the door.

Before he stood up,the door slowly slid open, and Brevin walked into the room.