#Chapter 12: The King’s Smile

(Violet’s POV) That was one of the rare moments we had an honest conversation. * ~Three years ago~ The intense pain spread from the mate bond. My wolf howled in agony. I curled up in the corner of the bed because of the pain. I didn’t call for him, but Luc still came. It was a rainy day. But he seemed to have just returned from being out—something I should have expected, as Luc would occasionally go out and return with the scent of blood on him—but at the time, I didn’t notice, or perhaps I simply didn’t care. Lucian looked a bit surprised when he saw me. He walked over and embraced me. My body felt hot, as if I had entered Heat. Then we sex. After I started feeling better, I noticed that it seemed like he had brought a stone with him when he arrived. A pendant. No chain. Just a stone. “Moonstone?” I asked, curling against the pillow. He nodded. “It’s rough,” I said. “Unpolished.” “That’s the point.” He rubbed his thumb over the surface. “My mother used to