Chapter 10: Torn Between Hate and Desire

The moment Virendra left, I collapsed onto the bed, my chest heaving.

My wrist still tingled where he had held me.

My breath still carried the ghost of his scent—dark, rich, intoxicating.

And my mind… my mind refused to silence his words.

"You will never let another Alpha touch you the way I have."

I clenched my fists, forcing down the shudder that ran through me.

How dare he?

How dare he walk into my chambers, touch me as if he still had the right? As if he still owned me?

He didn’t.

I had sworn I would erase him.

But tonight—tonight, he had made me feel it all over again.

And that was unacceptable.

He thought he had won.

That by invading my chambers, by whispering possessive words in the dark, by reminding me of what once was, he had broken my resolve.

He was wrong.

Because if he wanted a war, I would burn the battlefield beneath us.

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The court was already gathered when I entered the hall, dressed in my finest silks, my head held high.

I would not let him win.

Not after last night.

If he thought he could claim me, if he thought I would submit to his games—then I would make him regret it.

With measured steps, I made my way toward Raja Udayveer.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly schooled his features, offering a respectful bow. "Your Highness."

I smiled. "Walk with me, my lord?"

The court murmured as I took his arm, leading him right past Virendra.

I didn’t look at him.

Didn’t acknowledge him.

But I felt him.

Felt his body go rigid. Felt the sharp shift in his scent—from amusement to something darker.

Good.

Let him burn.

......................

We barely made it to the palace gardens before it happened.

A heavy hand gripped my wrist, pulling me away from Udayveer with a force that sent my heart hammering.

Virendra.

His eyes were blazing, his Alpha presence pressing down on me like a storm.

"Enough," he growled.

Udayveer stepped forward, his expression darkening. "Unhand him, Virendra."

Virendra ignored him, his focus only on me.

"You want to play this game, Jayant?" he murmured. "Fine."

And then—before I could react—

He pulled me flush against him.

A sharp gasp left my lips.

The heat of his body, the sheer force of his presence—it was overwhelming.

"You can parade around with these Alphas," he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear. "You can let them touch your hand, speak your name."

His fingers brushed my scent gland.

"But tell me, my prince—" his voice was silk and steel—

"Will you ever let them mark you?"

Silence.

I forgot to breathe.

He knew.

He knew.

He smirked. "That’s what I thought."

I shoved him away.

Hard.

My chest was rising and falling with unrestrained fury. He would not win.

Not this time.

So I turned to Udayveer, ignoring the way my heart pounded, ignoring the way my body still reacted to Virendra’s presence.

And with every ounce of defiance in my soul—

I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Udayveer’s cheek.

The court gasped.

I didn’t dare look at Virendra.

Didn’t need to.

Because the sudden wave of possessive Alpha rage that exploded in the air told me everything.

I had finally pushed him past his limit.

And now…

I would face the consequences.

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The moment my lips touched Udayveer’s cheek, I felt it—a shift in the air.

The kiss was nothing. Barely even a touch.

The court’s whispers, the sharp gasps—none of it mattered.

Because all I could feel was him.

Virendra.

The second I pulled away, a growl—deep, raw, and utterly primal—rumbled through the grand hall.

Then, before I could even step back, he moved.

One moment, I stood beside Udayveer.

The next—Virendra had grabbed me, yanking me away with a force that left me breathless.

Gasps filled the room as I was spun into his chest, his grip firm, unyielding.

"Enough." His voice was low, guttural—an Alpha pushed too far.

"Release me," I hissed, trying to pull away.

But his hold only tightened.

And then—his scent flooded my senses.

Thick, intoxicating. Dominant. Claiming.

My body tensed, my instincts warring against my will.

Damn him.

"You think you can taunt me?" he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "Play your little game and walk away unscathed?"

I swallowed, my heart pounding. "Let me go, Virendra."

His fingers curled into the silk of my robes. "Not this time."

I exhaled sharply. "You have no right—"

He slammed me against the nearest pillar.

I gasped, my hands coming up to shove him away, but his body caged me in.

"You forget something, Jayant," he murmured, his voice dangerously soft.

His fingers trailed up my wrist, sending shivers up my spine.

"You can fight me all you want," he whispered. "But your body—" his hand brushed my exposed scent gland, "—it remembers."

My breath hitched.

His smirk was slow, lethal. "Even now, you're trembling."

Fury burned through me.

"You arrogant—"

His lips crashed against mine.

The world shattered.

Heat. Rage. Desire.

His mouth was rough, demanding, and I hated how—for a single, traitorous second—I melted.

Then, reality slammed into me.

With every ounce of strength I had, I shoved him away.

Slap.

My hand connected with his cheek, the sound echoing in the stunned silence of the court.

Breathless, furious, I glared up at him. "You lost the right to touch me."

Virendra’s head snapped to the side, his jaw clenching, but he did not look away.

Slowly, he turned back to face me—his eyes burning with something unreadable.

Possessiveness. Hunger. Ruin.

And then, with an infuriating smirk, he whispered, "We’ll see."

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