Page 81 of Alien Prince

And that makes him even harder to figure out.

It’s not as if I hadn’t seen a flash of this before.

Back in that shelter.

When he comforted me during the storm.

His arms wrapped around me…

I felt him.

His desire.

But he hadn’t made a move to take me sexually.

In my dreams, though…

I shake my head and try to focus on the text. I can’t get wrapped up in all of that.

Thankfully, the meeting ends shortly after, the councilors filing out of the room in pairs, their whispered conversations blending into the hum of the palace. I linger, pretending to organize my notes, and catch bits and pieces of their chatter.

“—needs to secure the throne…”

“…a queen would settle this instability…”

I freeze, my pulse quickening. They’re not even subtle about it. Kael needs a queen. Not because of love or connection, but because it’s what’s expected of him. Because without one, his hold on the throne is shaky at best despite all of his people’s traditions and heritage.

The realization twists something deep inside me.

When the room finally empties, I glance toward Kael, who’s still standing at the table, his hands braced against its surface. He looks tired, his shoulders tense. He’s the prince, but his parents weren’t here. The king is absent. Why? Why does it seem like the weight of the entire kingdom—the entire planet—is pressing down on him?

I gather my courage and cross the room, stopping a few feet away from him. “You were impressive in there,” I say, keeping my voice gentle.

He doesn’t look at me. “It was my duty.”

“And your needing a queen thing,” I press, my words tumbling out before I can stop them. “Is that your duty too?”

His hands tighten on the edge of the table, his knuckles going pale. After a long, deathly quiet moment, he straightens, his expression shuttering into that cold mask I hate so much. “It is not your concern,” he says curtly, turning away from me.

“Not my concern?” I step closer, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “You brought me here. I’m supposed to be this queen, right? Don’t you think I deserve to know what’s really going on?”

He finally turns, his violet eyes meeting mine with a sharp intensity that makes me want to step backandlean closer all at once. “What you deserve,” he says quietly, “is to understand that there are things beyond your control. Beyond mine.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me about them?” I demand.

“Because it changes nothing,” he snaps, his voice suddenly sharp. “Your role here is the same, regardless of what the council whispers or what I choose to share.”

His words hit like a slap, and I’m too stunned to respond.

He exhales slowly, running a hand through his silver hair, and I catch the faintest flicker of regret in his expression.

“This conversation is over,” he says, his tone softer now but no less final. “Do not press me on this again.”

And just like that, he’s gone, leaving me alone in the empty chamber with more questions than answers.

Chapter Eight

Kael

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