Werewolf

KNOX'S POV
My blood boiled as I took in the scene before me. Aubrey was trembling in the middle of the pond, her lips nearly blue, while Sasha stood at the edge with not a single drop of water on her pristine dress. When Liam told me something felt off, I imagined a lot of things going wrong—but nothing like this.
I didn't hesitate. I shoved Sasha aside with more force than necessary and waded into the freezing water, ignoring the gasps from the gathered noblewomen. Their delicate murmurs of "scandal" barely registered in my mind; all I could think about was Aubrey.
Her wide, frightened eyes met mine. "Your…" she began, but her words faltered as I reached her. Scooping her shivering body into my arms, I held her close against my chest and stepped out of the water, my boots squelching against the soft grass.
"I don't know what the hell happened here," I growled, glaring at Sasha, "but I w

AUBREY'S POV
My eyes fluttered open gently to the morning sunlight streaming through the gossamer curtains, painting the room in a soft golden glow. I lifted my hands to stretch when a scent hit me—cedar with hints of storm rain—making me freeze mid-motion. My heart stuttered as I quickly turned to the side, and there he was—my mate, lying in bed next to me. My eyes widened in shock as I wondered when he had gotten into the bed, and then the memories of last night came crashing back.
My hand flew to my lips as I remembered his pressed against mine, the phantom sensation so vivid that it felt as if he were still kissing me. Oh, heavens above! Had I really let him kiss me—and worse, kissed him back with such enthusiasm? What the hell had I been thinking? My cheeks burned with the memory of how I had melted into that kiss, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt.
I quickly scrambled

AUBREY'S POV
"No one," I managed, my heart threatening to burst from my chest.
"Didn't seem like that." Knox moved toward me with predatory grace, each step forcing me back until cold stone met my spine. His scent—pine needles and winter storms—overwhelmed my senses until I could barely think straight.
"I talk to myself sometimes." The lie tasted weak even to me.
"Is that so, little wolf?" He planted his hand on the wall beside my head, effectively caging me between solid stone and his overwhelming presence. The heat radiating off his body made my skin tingle.
I nodded, not trusting my voice, as I tried desperately to ignore how perfectly I'd fit against his chest.
"If that's all, Your Grace, I'd like to leave." I ducked under his arm and practically fled before he could respond. Holy fuck. Another minute that close to him and I would've melted into a puddle at his feet.
"Wait." His command froze me mid-step. My mind screamed at me to run, but before I could decide, he materialized in front of me again.
"I want to speak with you about something."
"Oh?" The word came out embarrassingly breathless.
"Yes." He cleared his throat, and something shifted in those green eyes—an emotion I never expected to see. "I apologize for what happened that night. I was drunk and shouldn't have embarrassed you like that, especially since you're my mate."
I stared at him, completely stunned. Did the Crown Prince just fucking apologize to me?
"He did! Our mate just apologized for being an asshole! We have to forgive him, Aubrey!" Aria practically squealed in my head, but I was too busy trying to process what was happening.
"Do you forgive me?"
The raw sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. Someone like him—royalty, future king—they didn't apologize. Ever. The fact that he did told me he genuinely meant it.
"I do," I said softly, surprising myself with how much I meant it. Yeah, he was a complete jackass, but owning up to it? That took something else entirely.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips, and fuck me if it wasn't the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. He turned to leave, and I couldn't help but watch him go, admiring how his formal attire did nothing to hide those warrior's shoulders. He was so—
The thought shattered as someone shoved me hard from behind. Suddenly I was airborne, then freezing water closed over my head. I surfaced, spluttering, my expensive gown soaked through, to find the she-wolf who'd been hanging all over Knox earlier—and other she-wolves all smirking down at me from the lake's edge.
What the actual fuck? Why would they—
"Bitches like you don't deserve to look at our Crown Prince. Consider this a free eye-washing service." The she-wolf's voice dripped with venom as she looked down at me.
"Huh?" I treaded water, my soaked gown weighing me down as I struggled to understand what was happening. One minute I was watching Knox walk away, the next I was in the fucking lake?
I moved to climb out, but they stepped forward as one, forming a wall of expensive dresses and entitled sneers.
"Just because our Queen took pity on a low-born rat doesn't mean we ladies have to accept you in our court." Sasha's lip curled. "Take this as your final warning, Rogue. Stay away from my prince."
My prince?
Something snapped inside me. A possessive rage I'd never felt before flooded my veins, burning hotter than anything I'd experienced watching Jax with Ivanka. My wolf surged forward, clawing at my skin, desperate to tear this bitch's face off and make her understand exactly who Knox belonged to.
"Crown Prince Knox is mine," I snarled, not even trying to hide the feral edge in my voice. "And I think you're the one who needs her fucking eyes washed. I am his mate—not you, not ever you."
She gasped as if I'd slapped her, her perfectly painted face going slack with shock. The raw possession in my tone left no room for doubt—every wolf within earshot would recognize a mate's claim. I bared my teeth in a feral smirk, suddenly not caring at all about my ruined dress or the freezing water.

KNOX'S POV
My blood boiled as I took in the scene before me. Aubrey was trembling in the middle of the pond, her lips nearly blue, while Sasha stood at the edge with not a single drop of water on her pristine dress. When Liam told me something felt off, I imagined a lot of things going wrong—but nothing like this.
I didn't hesitate. I shoved Sasha aside with more force than necessary and waded into the freezing water, ignoring the gasps from the gathered noblewomen. Their delicate murmurs of "scandal" barely registered in my mind; all I could think about was Aubrey.
Her wide, frightened eyes met mine. "Your…" she began, but her words faltered as I reached her. Scooping her shivering body into my arms, I held her close against my chest and stepped out of the water, my boots squelching against the soft grass.
"I don't know what the hell happened here," I growled, glaring at Sasha, "but I will get to the bottom of it. So help you, if you don't have a good reason why my mate is drained, an

Chapter 10