LOGINHer eyes widen as she looks better through the crack, then a breathy groan follows. And what she sees shoots a lick of heat up her spine.
She doesn't mean to watch, but it's... She can't pull her eyes away. It's a sight. The Alpha prince's head is thrown back, one hand dangling over the edge of the marble, while his other hands works his cock. He is groaning loudly, eyes shut tightly, lost in whatever fantasy as he touched himself. And the Prince is.. God he is so big. Just how could he even fit that into anybody? Because Belle had read about Alphas before in books... they were known to be big...but this was..this was crazy. She watches his hand tighten around it, thumbing the slit, his hips lifting into his hand as he chases the high like he can't help himself. The Prince's groans are low and primal, filling the room as his hands worked even faster, muttering curses under his breath. And the sounds he makes... her knees almost buckle. "Shit.. ah." He squeezes his eyes shut, the water rippling around his waist with every hand movement. Belle knows she should leave, she's invading his privacy.. after all, whatever snacks she was to deliver could wait. But something about the sounds he was making, the scent of him, the way his muscles ripped with each movement of his hand, it kept her frozen in place. But just as she finally forces her legs to move, ready to leave, the tray hits the wall hard, falling unto the ground with a loud clang. She holds her breath when she hears the water ripple...she is going to be killed for good now. There was no escaping it now. She is still crouching, trying to salvage what she could from the snacks when the door slams open. She pins her eyes to the floor, avoiding looking at him even as her ears turned pink from the embarrassment. His smell is calmer now, but it has an edge of arousal to it. It's addictive, and she suddenly has the urge to drown herself in his scent... like something is pulling her to him. But the shame forces her to stay on her knees, She gets her throat to work, "I-I'm sorry. I just came to deliver these sweets from the kitchen but I slipped and.." She dares to look up at him, finally, but instead of rage...he looked slightly amused. His brow is cocked, the side of his lips lifting slighty. "So, apart from sneaking into my bath, you've also taken voyeurism as a hobby." He stares at her. "Are there anymore surprises I should know about...?" The panic starts to flare in her chest, so the prince had seen her? Gods, she was really done for this time... She would for sure be killed. And this time be sent down another thousand of years... probably during the dinosaur era. Probably, "But I wasn't l-looking..." she tries to lie. His scent begins to flare as soon as the words left her mouth, the arousal dissipating and anger replaces it instead. He grabs her chin harshly, forcing her gaze up to meet his. And in that moment, she realizes that his erection had not fully subsided, and she had probably interrupted his 'little session' She shivers, forcing her gaze to meet his knowing eyes. Their gaze stays locked, his thumb drawing rough circles into her chin. "You dare lie to me? Do you not fear death?!" Belle lowers her eyes. "I'm sorry my lord. I really didn't mean to.." His gaze sweeps down her face, to the small mole just close to her hairline. He had to admit, she is really pretty... one of the most attractive women he's seen in his court. "What's your name?" He questions, voice hoarse. "Be-Isabella." She answered quickly, hoping he doesn't catch the almost mistake. He does....but he doesn't acknowledge it. "Isabella.." he repeats, and Belle shudders from the way her name rolls of his tongue. His fingers caresses the mole now, and for a moment she allowed herself lean into the touch. Before she found Anne and James together in bed some weeks ago, James had avoided touching her, claiming that he had been down. Now she knew why... He'd been cheating on her with her best friend behind her back for weeks. The betrayal still stung anytime she thought about it, and maybe that's why she allowed herself to freely enjoy another man's caress. The delicate moment is however fractured when he moves back harshly, the cold Alpha gaze returning as his green eyes settles on her light brown ones. He turns his back to her, voice cold. "If I ever catch you watching me like that again, I'll cut your eyes out." Belle swallows thickly at the sudden switch. "Y-yes my Lord, I'm so sorry, it was genuinely unintentional." "Pick that up." He commands, referring to the scattered homemade sweets on the floor. She doesn't need to be told twice. She quickly picks every piece up, arranging them on the tray clumsily. At home she had servants attending to her, now this... "Tell the quarters I'm ready now." He instructs again. "And stay out of my sight until you learn to do your job properly." "I-" she pauses, maybe this is for the best. If she stays out of the Prince's face for a few days, the steam should blow off enough for her to sneak back into the bath. She could maybe have another chance at going back home..? She swallows down whatever protest was brewing over not seeing the handsome Lord for a few days. "Y-yes, my lord."Belle's POV Belle sits beside Dorian at the royal dinner table, the grand hall still buzzing with the aftermath of the selection banquet. The air feels heavier tonight, thick with unspoken threats and lingering gossip. Candles flicker across crystal glasses and silver plates as servants move silently between guests. Her nerves remain on edge after what she overheard in the servants' corridor. The poisoned wine. The maid. The plot to remove her first.When the footman approaches their section of the high table with a fresh decanter of deep red wine, Belle's instincts blare an alarm. The same nervous maid from earlier lingers behind him, eyes darting too quickly. The wine poured into Dorian's goblet looks normal, but something about its scent feels wrong--bitter underneath the rich ancient wine. Dorian reaches for the goblet, distracted by conversation with a general on his left. Without thinking, Belle moves faster. She picks up the goblet first, pretending to examine the vinta
Belle's POV Belle stands at the edge of the grand ballroom, chest tightening with every breath. The announcement of the new selection ball had come only two days ago, delivered by Queen Skyler's royal messenger. A new set of eligible noblewomen from powerful werewolf houses would compete for the future Luna position. Despite Dorian's mark. Despite everything.The court's message is clear: the claiming bite changes nothing. Belle is still an outsider, a former maid who must be replaced for the good of Moonveil.She exhales loudly and smooths the deep crimson silk of her gown, fingers brushing the edge of the mark. Dorian had insisted she attend on his arm, but the whispers were still venomous. "They're parading these girls as if the prince isn't already bonded," one lady murmurs nearby."Queen Skyler's doing. She won't let some Revelle ruin centuries of tradition."Belle lifts her chin, refusing to show how deeply the words cut her. The bond with Dorian hums steadily, warm with h
Belle's POV Belle stands beside Dorian in the hall room of Moonveil Palace, the crystal chandeliers casting golden light across several nobles gathered for the royal meeting. The claiming mark on her neck feels like a beacon tonight, exposed by the elegant off-shoulder gown Dorian chose for her. Days have passed since their return, yet the court's hasn't reduced one bit. She can still feel every stare. Every whispered judgment.The air grows thick when the cluster of high-ranking nobles settle down. The nobles had called for this meeting, trying to get Dorian to reject the mating mark on Belle. But instead of hiding her away, Dorian arrived with Belle beside him, his hand firmly wrapped around hers--a silent warning to everyone present that he was not ashamed of his chosen mate.Knight Harlan, head of the eastern houses, speaks first, his voice carrying just loud enough for nearby ears."A maid turned mate," he sneers, eyes raking over Belle with open disdain. "The prince must be
Belle's POV Belle steps down from the carriage into the familiar courtyard of Moonveil Palace, her hand still tucked in Dorian's firm grip.The journey back from Nevros took several hours. His mark on her neck throbbed warmly, reminding her again and again who she belonged to.Now, as the afternoon sun bathes the stone walls, she feels the shift immediately. Eyes are everywhere.Servants freeze mid-task. Guards glance too long.A group of nobles gathered near the grand entrance falls into abrupt silence as she and Dorian approach.Belle lifts her chin, refusing to shrink under their judgemental gazes, though the claiming mark feels impossibly exposed despite the high collar of her travel cloak.Dorian's scent clings to her like a second skin, dark and possessive, announcing their new bond to anyone with a nose.Whispers erupt the moment they pass."A mere maid… marked as future Luna?""Prince Dorian has lost his mind. No royal approval, no alliances secured.""He didn't even wait fo
Belle's POV Belle walks through the grand halls of the Nevros palace with her head held high, though the fresh claiming mark on her neck burns under every curious stare. The bite is impossible to hide, even beneath the high collar of the deep emerald gown Dorian insisted she wear tonight. Two days have passed since he marked her, and the bond still hums warmly beneath her skin, a constant reminder of his possessiveness.Whispers follow her from every corner."Did you see the mark? Prince Dorian finally claimed the little maid.""Bold of him to mark an outsider so publicly.""She must have seduced him with those hybrid senses, they say."Belle's jaw tightens but she keeps walking, she doesn't need to let every little comment get to her anymore, because in the end, Dorian already chose her. The nobles of Nevros cluster in small groups near the banquet entrance, their jeweled gowns glittering under crystal chandeliers. Their gossip is vicious yet predictable-- something similar she ha
Dorian's POV Dorian wakes with Belle curled against his chest, his hand wrapped possessively around her bare waist. Her breathing is slow, her beautiful features illuminated by the light filtering through the chamber window. The events of yesterday replays in his mind--the garden, Nate's hand on her, the raw surge of territorial jealousy from his wolf that drove him to drag her here and claim her. His gaze drops to her neck, and a deep, primal satisfaction blooms in his chest.The mark is there, vivid against her skin, teeth marks standing out clearly on the junction of her neck and shoulder, red and permanent. A claiming bite. His claiming bite. The fresh bite glows with the faint bond that now hums between them, tying her scent irrevocably to his.Mine.The word pulses through him like a second heartbeat. Heat stirs low in his belly, his cock hardening as he traces the sensitive mark with his fingertips, careful not to wake her yet. But Belle stirs anyway, a soft sigh escapin
Belle's POV Dorian's gaze fleets between them for a beat too long than Belle would've liked. He hasn't even noticed the bleeding arm yet, the worry in his pheromones already settling into jealousy. She frowns, pulling back harder than she'd intended. The only reason why she was even out there i
Dorian's POVThe walk to the council chamber feels longer than it ever has. Not because of the distance... he's walked these halls since he was a child. But because now it feels like every step is heavy, like there's a weight on his skin. Because of what he's chosen.Because he's about to go again
Belle's POV The smell reaches them first, before they even reach the end of the hallway. Moldy and hauntingly depressing....like the kind of places they warn you not to wonder into. They walk down the far end of a hallway Belle hasn't explored before, an ancient but strong looking staircase comin
Dorian's POV Dorian shifted back to his human form, body shaking from the pain. And like this, his wound looks even worse like this; bigger and darker, blisters forming around the wounds. He feels himself slowly slipping under, wolf still trying to fight back...but the poison is too strong, pr







