All Chapters of The Human Bound to The Alpha Prince : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

"Crush?" The word hit Theo harder than it should have. He had never crushed on anyone. Not really. His life had been filled with battles, responsibilities, and the endless search for the person destined to be his mate. He might have admired people before. He might have even found a few enemies annoyingly attractive. But a crush? No. And yet hearing the word from Leo's mouth made him freeze. For a brief second, Theo actually considered it. His gaze remained fixed on Leo's silver eyes as an unfamiliar thought flickered through his mind. Could I...? The Alpha immediately pushed the thought away. Impossible. How could he have a crush on Leo when he was desperately waiting for his own mate? "Leo, you know I don't have a crush on you." His voice came out colder than intended. Leo swallowed. The sternness in Theo's tone made his chest ache, but what hurt even more were the words themselves. "If you don't have one, then why are you telling me to stay away from the princess?"

The throne room fell into a heavy silence. No one dared to speak. The only sound that echoed through the vast hall was Lucien's strained breathing. Unaware of her own actions, Elara gently brushed her thumb across Lucien's clenched knuckles. The small gesture did more than any words could. Lucien's fists slowly loosened as a quiet sigh escaped his lips. The storm raging inside him calmed instantly beneath her touch. More than anything, he wanted to pull his mate into his arms and hold her close, but he restrained himself. He knew Elara wasn't comfortable with such intimacy yet. The fact that she was holding his hand was already more than he could have hoped for. The entire court watched the silent interaction between the Alpha Prince and his mate. A faint smile tugged at Ragnar's lips. Seeing his son soften so completely for someone reminded him of himself. He, too, had once been feared by all, yet there was only one person capable of calming him with a single touch. Lunaria.

"Finally, I get to eat food!" Lyra practically skipped into the Ivory Bloom Chamber, her eyes immediately landing on the table where the food lay covered and untouched. After everything that had happened the entire day, her stomach felt like a bottomless pit. She barely took two steps toward the table before a familiar voice stopped her. "After eating everyone's brain, you're still hungry? You'll get fat, Piggy." Lyra froze. Slowly, she turned around to find Lucien entering the chamber with Elara beside him. "Why would you say that?" she whined dramatically, stomping her foot against the marble floor. Elara let out a soft laugh before walking toward her. "Lucien, stop it. Let her eat." Lucien merely shrugged. Lyra narrowed her eyes at him. "You also look like a giant monkey, but have I ever said that to you? No, right? Then why do you keep calling me Piggy, you monkey?" She pointed an accusing finger at him. Lucien raised an eyebrow. A dangerous one. Then he started wa

"No, actually, on a serious note, why are you sending Leo here?" Elara asked, finally pulling Lucien out of the awkward silence that had settled over the room. Beside her, Lyra immediately straightened. "Yes! I want to know too," she chimed in, curiosity practically dripping from her voice. Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a weary sigh. "Because Leo will be stationed outside this chamber from now on," he replied. "I don't want to take any risks." Elara frowned. "What risk?" For a moment, Lucien simply stared at her as if he couldn't believe she was asking that question. Then he sighed again, this time heavier. "I think you've forgotten because of everything that happened with the marriage discussion." The room fell silent. "The person who ordered that guard to harm you is still out there," Lucien continued, his voice turning serious. "Theo killed the guard before we could get any answers. If he hadn't, we might have known who was behind it by now."

Heavy breaths echoed through the chamber as Theo captured Leo's lips once again, drawing him into a kiss that left the Beta utterly breathless. Leo's hand pressed weakly against Theo's chest, an attempt to create even the smallest distance between them. But the Alpha merely caught his wrist with ease, holding it firmly above Leo's head. A muffled whimper escaped Leo's lips. The sound snapped Theo back to reality. His eyes widened slightly before he immediately pulled away. Leo gasped for air, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to steady his breathing. Guilt flickered across Theo's face as he gently rubbed circles against Leo's back. "Easy, stormy," he murmured. The chamber fell silent except for the sound of their uneven breaths. A single tear had gathered at the corner of Leo's eye from the overwhelming intensity of the moment. Theo's expression softened instantly. Reaching up, he carefully brushed it away with his thumb. The tenderness in that simpl