The Witch and Her Four Dangerous Alphas

Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Only You

Serena’s POV ~

Finally.

The royal dinner was over.

I almost wanted to throw my napkin in the air and cheer, but somehow I managed to keep a straight face as I stood up from that cursed table. My legs felt stiff, my head ached, and I was pretty sure my cheeks had been frozen in the same polite smile for the last two hours.

The moment I stepped out of the hall, I let out a long, shaky breath. "Thank the heavens..." I muttered under my breath. "If I had to sit there one more minute, I’d stab myself with a fork."

The corridor outside was quiet and cool compared to the suffocating tension back in the dining room. The air actually moved here. I leaned against the nearest pillar and groaned softly, tugging at the tight fabric of my gown.

"Who designed this thing?" I mumbled, trying to loosen the neckline that felt like it was strangling me. "It’s like wearing a pretty coffin."

Every step made the jewels and pins in my hair jingle, reminding me just how much I hated royal events. My heels clicked on the marble floor, echoing through the empty corridor as I made my way toward my room.

The further I walked, the more the frustration poured out. "Peace and unity, my ass," I muttered. "That dinner was a war disguised as politeness. One wrong word and half the people there would’ve been dead."

I could still feel the heavy silence from the table and still see the king’s fake smile, the queen’s frozen face, Arlena’s trembling hands, and Aeron’s cold eyes. It had been like sitting in the middle of a storm pretending the lightning wasn’t about to strike.

My stomach growled softly. I realized I hadn’t even eaten properly. Who could, with that kind of atmosphere? Every time I’d lifted my fork, someone had said something that made me lose my appetite again.

I sighed. "Next time I’m bringing my food to my room," I grumbled. "They can keep their fancy palace and their poisoned smiles."

By the time I left the main palace, my head was pounding. I rubbed my temples, still muttering under my breath. "Poor Vaelen... growing up in this place. No wonder he’s half mad already. Anyone would be if they had to live surrounded by that kind of tension every day."

I was still mumbling to myself as I walked down the corridor, too busy complaining to notice anything else.

"...honestly, if I ever have to sit through another royal meal, I’ll..."

Before I could finish the sentence, a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and yanked me sideways.

I gasped...barely getting a sound out before another hand covered my mouth.

The door behind me slammed shut with a dull thud.

Darkness swallowed the room.

My back hit the wall, and I froze. My heart jumped straight to my throat.

I could feel the warmth of someone’s body pressed close. The air between us felt heavy and hot, and his breathing was rough against my ear.

For a split second, panic shot through me. I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.

Then...something in that touch made me pause.

I saw

Lucian.

My breath hitched.

his face only inches from mine. His hand was still on my lips, the other braced against the wall beside my head. His eyes looked different...no longer

a long moment, neither of us

uneven...and the soft thud of

voice

"Don’t scream."

I didn’t. I couldn’t.

at

my jaw as he did. The touch was

any idea what you’ve just done?" He whispered, his voice

rose and fell hard, his breath brushing against my skin. He looked half-mad, half-broken... and so painfully real that

speak, but he

closer... so close I could feel his breath against

are such

whole body went

dipped lower, and then I felt it...his lips, warm and unsteady, brushing against the

was pounding

voice sounded broken, like he had been holding it in for too

made my chest tighten painfully. I

to my shoulder, breathing in deeply, his

trying to drown in

whispered. "I thought you were gone. But

cracked again, and my

Because I knew.

knew exactly what

I had done to

he had become

couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe properly. Every part of me screamed to

warm against mine,

up slowly, and in the dim light, I finally saw his face. His eyes were red. His lips were trembling. His expression

saw it...the wet shimmer

He was crying.

Silently.

down his face as

inside me broke

could stop myself, my hands rose on their own. I cupped his face gently,

I whispered, my voice barely holding

leaning into my touch

and uneven, his eyes unfocused as if he was still trying to believe I