Page 53 of The Alpha King’s Hidden Mute Mate

But "felt like shit" didn't quite cover it. This felt more like a hangover headache mixed with churning nausea, plus a restlessness I couldn't name—like a thousand ants crawling under my skin.

I tried focusing on the paperwork. Border trade reports. Fall festival budget. A diplomatic letter from Silverthread Kingdom, so polite it made my skin crawl. I stared at the words for ten minutes. Didn't absorb a single one.

My wolf paced inside me, agitated. Since last night, it had been in this state—prowling my ribcage, claws scraping bone, growling low like it was protesting something.

Shut up, I told it. She's gone. It's for the best.

My wolf whimpered and curled up, refusing to acknowledge me anymore.

Great. Now I couldn't even handle my own wolf.

A knock at the door. Two taps, soft and rhythmic, like knuckles playing a serenade.

"Come in."

The door opened. Leah entered, wearing a pale pink silk gown cut just right at the neckline, hair loose over her shoulders. She looked like she'd stepped out of a Renaissance painting.

All of this should have been Mia's.

She carried a tray with a teapot and two cups.

"Your Majesty," she smiled, setting the tray on the coffee table, "I heard you haven't eaten all morning. I made some herbal tea. It helps with fatigue."

She poured a cup and handed it to me. That herbal smell drifted over—same as before, carrying that indistinct bitter edge.

I took the cup and turned it in my hands. Didn't drink.

"Thanks," I said, "but I'm not really in the mood for tea."

Leah's smile froze for a split second before recovering. She settled on the opposite sofa, hands folded elegantly in her lap.

"Your Majesty, you seem troubled," she said softly. "Is it because... she left?"

"No," I answered too fast—so fast even I found it suspicious. I cleared my throat. "Just thinking about state business."

"That's good." She lowered her head, fingers tracing the pleats of her skirt. "Actually... I came today to ask about... me becoming Luna."

The words hit my stomach like a stone. When had I ever promised Leah she'd definitely become my Luna? I wanted to snap at her, but it didn't seem fair.

I was the one who'd put her in this position.

"The elders say next month's full moon would be auspicious," Leah continued, her voice perfectly shy. "I wanted your opinion..."

"We'll see." I cut her off, setting down the cup. "Too much going on. This needs more consideration."

A crack appeared in her expression—quick, almost imperceptible, but I caught it. She blinked, her smile becoming strained.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I understand you're busy." She paused, then brightened as if remembering something. "Oh, I've written a new song. There's a small concert in the garden tonight. If you're free, maybe you could come listen. It might lift your spirits."

A new song.

The words stirred something in me. Her last song—that one about loneliness and chains—still echoed in my head. That feeling of my soul being struck, that sense of "finally someone understands"—it was the closest thing to a miracle I'd ever experienced.

"Alright," I said, my tone softer than before. "What time?"

Leah's eyes lit up. "Eight o'clock, in the rose garden. I'll be waiting, Your Majesty."

She stood, curtsied, and left the study. The door closed behind her, leaving me alone again.