Aria woke to silk sheets and the worst headache of her life.
She kept her eyes closed, taking inventory before moving. Cotton nightgown—not hers. Massive bed—definitely not hers. The lingering scent of cedar and cold mountain air that her omega instincts wanted to find comforting but her conscious mind firmly rejected.
The royal palace. She was in the royal palace.
Memory crashed back in fragments. The raid. The rooftop. Kael Silvercrest's face when the bond hit him. The deal. The sedative.
The fact that the Alpha King was apparently her fated mate, and she'd agreed to pretend to love him while working to destroy everything he represented.
Perfect. Just perfect.
Aria opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a bedroom that was larger than her entire laboratory. Cream walls, dark wood furniture, artwork that probably cost more than she'd earned in her entire life. Tasteful. Elegant. Absolutely suffocating.
She sat up slowly, fighting the sedative's lingering effects. Her inner pocket—empty. Of course. They'd taken the suicide pill. Probably found the backup one in her boot heel too. She was thoroughly, completely trapped.
A door opened. Aria's head snapped toward the sound, muscles tensing for a fight she couldn't win.
But it wasn't Kael. A young woman entered carrying a silver tray—beta, early twenties, with the kind of wholesome beauty that belonged in pastoral paintings. Silver-blonde hair, violet eyes, and a smile so genuine it was almost offensive.
"Oh, you're awake! That's wonderful!" The woman set the tray on the bedside table, movements light and graceful. "I'm Lyric Shadowmoon. I've been assigned as your lady-in-waiting. I know this must all be so overwhelming, but please don't worry—we're going to be the best of friends!"
Aria stared at her. "I was drugged and kidnapped."
"Well, yes, but also you're fated mates with the Alpha King!" Lyric clasped her hands together like this was the greatest romance of the century. "Do you know how rare that is? For the Alpha King to find his true mate? It's like something out of a storybook!"
"I'm living a nightmare, not a fairy tale."
Lyric's smile never wavered. Either she was excellent at her job or genuinely this optimistic. Possibly both. "I know the circumstances are unusual, but the bond is such a blessing. You'll see. Once you let yourself feel it fully, everything else will just... fall into place."
Aria swung her legs off the bed, testing her balance. Steady enough. "Where are my clothes?"
"Oh, those dreadful things? We burned them." Lyric moved to an enormous wardrobe and threw it open, revealing a rainbow of expensive fabrics. "The King ordered a complete wardrobe for you. Only the finest materials, of course. Nothing but the best for his mate."
"How thoughtful. He drugs me and burns my possessions. Truly, romance is alive and well."
"I know you're upset," Lyric said, and for the first time her cheerfulness dimmed slightly. "But try to see it from His Majesty's perspective. You were conducting illegal research. You could have been executed. Instead, he's giving you protection, status, resources—"
"A cage."
"—a chance," Lyric finished firmly. "A chance most wolves would kill for. Do you know how many omegas dream of bonding with the Alpha King?"
"Then they can have him."
Lyric pulled out a deep blue dress that probably cost more than Aria's yearly salary had been. "You should dress. The King wants to see you for breakfast. And then you have appointments with the Council, the Royal Physician, the Marking Ceremony planner—"
"No." Aria stood, ignoring the dress Lyric held out. "I need to see the laboratory. That was the deal."
"Deal?" Lyric blinked, confused. "I don't—"
"Where. Is. The. Laboratory."
Before Lyric could answer, another door opened—one Aria hadn't noticed, concealed in the wall paneling. Kael stepped through, and Aria's traitorous omega biology immediately catalogued every detail.
He'd showered. Changed into fresh clothes. Dark slacks, white shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, revealing forearms that were unfairly distracting. His hair was still slightly damp. He looked rested, composed, completely in control.
Meanwhile, Aria was wearing a borrowed nightgown and sporting sedative-induced bed hair. The power imbalance was deliberate, she was sure.
"Dr. Thorne." Kael's voice was neutral, professional. "I trust you slept well."
"I was unconscious against my will. Not quite the same thing."
"My apologies. The Council needed to see you properly subdued." He nodded to Lyric. "Thank you, Miss Shadowmoon. That will be all for now."
Lyric curtsied—actually curtsied—and left with one more encouraging smile aimed at Aria. The door clicked shut.
Silence stretched between them. Aria crossed her arms, acutely aware of how thin the nightgown was, how his eyes tracked the movement before deliberately returning to her face.
"You promised me a laboratory," she said.
"And you'll have one. After breakfast."
"I'm not hungry."
"Nevertheless." Kael gestured to the door he'd entered through. "We have matters to discuss, and they're best handled in private. Please."
It wasn't really a request. Aria weighed her options—limited to nonexistent—and followed him through the connecting door.
The adjacent room was a study. Smaller than the bedroom but still spacious, lined with bookshelves and dominated by a large desk. Breakfast had been laid out on a small table by the window: fresh fruit, pastries, coffee that smelled divine despite everything.
Kael pulled out a chair for her. Aria ignored it and remained standing.
"Sit down, Dr. Thorne."
"I'm fine standing."
"Sit. Down." Alpha command bled into the words, power that made her omega instincts want to comply, to submit, to—
Aria's wolf snarled inside her mind, fighting the compulsion. She forced herself to take the chair, but only because standing there locked in a battle of wills was childish. She sat. On her terms. Her choice.
Kael took the seat across from her, pouring coffee with steady hands. "Cream? Sugar?"
"Black."
He slid the cup across to her. She didn't touch it.
"We need to establish ground rules," Kael said, serving himself with the calm efficiency of someone used to eating alone. "The Council is already suspicious. Elder Thaddeus in particular is pushing for your immediate execution."
"How disappointing for him."
"Indeed. Which is why we need to present a united front." Kael's ice-blue eyes met hers. "As of this moment, you are my bonded mate. Publicly, you will behave accordingly. That means attending Council functions at my side, residing in the royal chambers, wearing my claim mark—"
"Temporarily," Aria interrupted. "The deal was no permanent marking."
"Temporarily," Kael agreed. "But it needs to appear real. The Council will be watching for any sign that the bond is false or that you've somehow rejected it."
"How do you suggest I fake something I can't feel?"
"The same way I'm going to fake not feeling it." The admission came with an edge of bitterness. "We're both actors now, Doctor. Best learn our roles quickly."