I woke up warm.
Not the kind of warmth you get from heavy blankets or a lingering fire in the grate. This was different. Solid. Heavy. Warm in a way that pressed against my back and wrapped around my waist.
Yep, judging by the weight, it was an arm.
I opened my eyes and froze. The chair beside the bed was empty.
Tomas was in my bed.
Not just in it, wrapped around me like he had some kind of claim on me. His leg hooked over mine. His bare chest was flush against my back. The steady weight of him made it impossible to pretend this was a dream.
I kept still, though every one of the muscles in my body was locked tight and tense.
His breathing was slow and deep, brushing warm against the back of my neck. I could feel the faint rumble of it through where he was pressed against my back.
I told myself to push him off. Instead, I waited. Maybe he'd roll away. Maybe I'd wake up for real and I'd actually be alone.
No such luck. When I shifted slightly, his arm tightened, pulling me closer.
"Why does it feel like you're about to bolt, little fox?" Those soft syllables whispered against my skin.
I stiffened. "That's because I am."
"Stay." His voice was thick with sleep. "You're warm."
"I'm not your blanket, Tomas."
He gave a faint hum, not moving. "Could have fooled me."
I twisted enough to glare at him. He was awake now. The early light cut across his face, catching on the dangerous amusement in his eyes.
"Do you always sneak into women's beds in the middle of the night?" I asked.
"Only when they've nearly been torn apart by Strays." He finally loosened his grip. "You were restless."
"That doesn't explain why you're in my bed."
"I thought it was a perfectly reasonable explanation." He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "You weren't complaining when you actually slept. I was doing us both a favor."
I pulled the blanket with me as I got out of bed. "How thoughtful."
"Always."
I busied myself getting dressed behind the folding screen, trying to ignore the image burned into my brain of him sprawled against my back.
When I stepped out, he was at the window, staring toward the treeline.
"We're not going after Strays again."
"Finally. You do have some common sense."
"They're not wandering in by chance. Someone is guiding them here." His gaze cut to me. "Moon‑madness is random. You'll get a few cases a year. It doesn't show up like this. Not in so many. Someone has to be behind it."
I frowned. "Behind it?"
"Moon‑madness keeps them locked in their shifted form. It eats their minds until nothing's left but instinct. A pack like that will do exactly what it's driven to do. Hunt. Feed. Spread chaos."
"And someone's using them."
"Yes. Probably a Lycan noble if I had to guess. Possibly working together with a few Lord Alphas."
He turned towards me. "Push enough fear into my borders, keep my forces busy, and the throne starts to feel less secure. It's a distraction and a weapon at once."
I swallowed hard, remembering the wild glint in the eyes of the ones we'd faced. "So what does that have to do with me?"
"The nobles are coming to the summer court soon. If one of them is feeding information to the Lord Alphas, I want to know who."
I crossed my arms. "And you think they'll just tell me?"
"No. That's why I want you watching them. Listening."
That gave me pause. "Raelyn told me my cover here was her handmaiden. Won't everyone notice you have a shadow?"
"They're more likely to notice if a handmaiden is present at balls or festivities." He shrugged easily. "That role keeps you in the servants' space. Servants don't get invited into the private conversations I need you to hear."
"So you want to change my cover."
"I want to elevate it." He stepped away from the window. "The nobles will see you as my lady. That gives you freedom to move where I need you. It explains your presence at my side. It gives you access."
"And makes me more of a target."
"Better a useful target than a dead fox."
I thought about the way prey shifters were treated in the hundreds of villages around us. He wasn't wrong. I'd stick out too much as just a handmaid. "Raelyn isn't going to like it."
"She understands the need. She'll still keep you close in public. You'll attend her as you have been. But you'll also be at my side when it matters. People will think it's for one reason. It will be for another."
I shook my head. "So I'm her handmaid in one breath and your lady in the next. That's not suspicious at all."
"It will be handled." Tomas gave me a lopsided grin. I willed my heartbeat to slow down. "And it's better than staying invisible."
He closed the space between us, close enough that I could feel the shadow of his presence settle over me. "Which means we start your training today."
I groaned. "What, sword drills before breakfast?"
"Etiquette." he said.
I rolled my eyes. "You want me to sit up straight and drink tea?"
"I want you to look like you belong in my court." He corrected. "Sound like it. Move like it. Nobles will tear you apart the moment they smell the outsider on you."
"Which they will. Because I am."
"Not when we're done."
I rubbed a hand over my face. "Fine. But you'd better tell me now if frills are involved."
"That depends on what Raelyn decides you'll wear. She's overseeing the basics."
That part at least made sense. If I was supposed to play the role of her handmaid in public, she could dress me, parade me, and make it look natural.
Still, it didn't settle the unease curling in my stomach. "And in private?"
His smile turned slow, deliberate. "That's where I come in."
I had the sinking feeling I didn't want to know what that meant. "Do I want to ask?"
"Yes. Because in private, you're going to practice flirting."
The words hung between us.
I stared at him. "With who?"
His smile deepened. "Me."
I took a step back. "That's crazy."
"It's practical. If you can unsettle me, get me talking and opening up, you can unsettle them. The nobles will test you. They'll want to know exactly what you are to me. You will give them an answer they'll believe."
"And if I fail?"
"Then you won't be in the room when the important things are said. And that would be a waste."
I crossed my arms, unwilling to admit that some small, reckless part of me was curious to see if I could rattle him. "You're enjoying this far too much."
"Possibly. But I'm still your king. And this is your next lesson."
He turned toward the door. "Raelyn will send someone for you when it's time."
The door shut softly behind him.
Etiquette. Nobility. Pretending to be Tomas's lady while still acting as Raelyn's handmaiden. And now, flirting practice.
Moon‑madness and traitors were starting to sound like the simple part.