Chapter SIXTY-FOUR

Lusia My heart was a wild drum in my chest, pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. What had I just done? And how had I been able to do it? The moment my arms wrapped around King Dane, a rush of panic swept through me, tightening my throat and making my breath unsteady. I had acted without thinking, driven purely by instinct—by some deep, desperate need I couldn’t understand. Now, reality was catching up with me, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. I was afraid to look up. Afraid to see whatever expression lingered on his face. Would he be angry? Annoyed? Cold and unreadable, the way he always was? I couldn’t bear the thought. But at the same time, detaching myself from him felt just as impossible. My fingers curled tighter into the fabric of his shirt, holding onto him as if he were the only thing tethering me to this moment, to this reality. The warmth of his body seeped into mine, strong and steady despite the rigid tension in his frame. He hadn’t moved. Hadn’t spoken. Hadn’t p