I reacted instantly.
"Neither side!" I blurted out, stepping back so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet. "You know what? How about the guest room instead? That sounds nice, doesn't it? A spacious, comfortable guest room—far away from mine."
Diana tilted her head, her golden-blonde hair catching the soft glow of the lanterns in my room. Her emerald-green eyes gleamed, amusement dancing within them as her lips curled into a slow, all-too-knowing smile.
"Oh, Sera," she sighed dramatically, placing a hand on her hip. "You wound me."
I pointed at the door. "Out."
But before I could even blink, Diana moved.
And suddenly—
I was on the bed.
Pushed. Pinned. Trapped.
Her weight pressed against me, her elegant curls spilling down like silk, framing my face as she leaned dangerously close.
Way too close.
Her emerald-green gaze locked onto mine, her lips inches away, her breath warm against my cheek.
"Aw, don't be like that, Sera," she purred, her voice low, silky, sending shivers down my spine. "The two of us, alone, in your bed…" Her fingers lightly traced my wrist, resting against my racing pulse. "Does anything come to mind?"
YES. SEVERAL THINGS.
All of them too dangerous for my already fragile sanity.
My heart slammed against my ribs, my face burned, and I was malfunctioning—completely and utterly short-circuiting.
I needed to escape.
Fast.
I turned my head away, desperately trying to fight the blush creeping up my neck.
"G-Get off me," I muttered, attempting to shove her away. Big mistake.
Because instead of moving—
She leaned in closer.
So close I could see the wicked amusement glinting in her emerald eyes.
"So cute," Diana murmured, her voice nothing more than a whisper, her lips brushing the shell of my ear.
I squeaked.
I ACTUALLY SQUEAKED.
And that was the final straw.
With one last push, I managed to flip her over, successfully escaping her hold. I scrambled off the bed, backing away as fast as humanly possible.
"Out!" I ordered, pointing aggressively at the door, my voice high-pitched and breathless. "You! Guest room! Now!"
Diana, still lounging comfortably on my bed like she owned the place, merely propped herself up on one elbow.
She laughed—light, teasing, utterly unbothered.
"Alright, alright," she relented, clearly amused by my suffering. She slid off the bed, stretching lazily, before sauntering toward the door.
But just as she passed me, she paused, tilting her head mischievously.
"You're adorable when you're flustered, you know?" she said, her voice soft, intimate.
I froze.
My breath hitched, my heart slammed against my ribs, and my mind was racing too fast to catch up.
"Do you even realize the way you make me feel?" Diana murmured, her voice low, intimate, and far too dangerous for my already fragile sanity.
Her fingers trailed softly along my cheek, a touch so light yet so possessive, it sent shivers down my spine. Her emerald-green eyes burned with something dark, intense—something that made it impossible to look away.
"I was so, so jealous, you know," she whispered, her thumb brushing against my lower lip. "Watching you, seeing you with them. Seeing Lillian kiss you. Hearing her confess to you. And Camille, just standing there, letting it happen."
I stiffened. My face heated.
"Y-You saw that?" I stammered. Only Camille knew about that. I was so sure of it.
Diana didn't answer.
Instead, she smiled.
And that smile—God, that smile—held so many unspoken things.
Frustration. Desire. Possessiveness.
"You're mine, Sera," she said softly. "Mine."
My heart stopped.
"You owe me something for making me jealous," she added, her fingers trailing down my jawline, tilting my chin up.
I swallowed hard. "W-What?"
And then—without another word, without another second of hesitation—
She kissed me.
Possessively. Deeply. Desperately.
It wasn't soft at first—not like Lillian's gentle, almost dreamlike kiss. This was something else entirely.
It was fierce. It envoyed everything.
Her jealousy. Her frustration. Her undeniable longing.
She kissed me like she was claiming me. Like she was staking her place in my heart and daring anyone to challenge it.
And yet—despite all of that—her lips were so soft, so warm, molding against mine like they were meant to be there all along.
My knees nearly buckled.
A hand tangled in my hair, tugging just enough to make me gasp. And in that second, Diana deepened the kiss, her tongue brushing against mine, her grip tightening around my waist, pulling me flush against her.
I whimpered.
Whimpered.
And that was my last coherent thought.
Because all I could focus on was her—her lips, her touch, the intoxicating warmth of her body against mine.
This was Diana Hayes.
Manipulative. Cunning. Infuriating.
And yet—right now, at this very moment, she was completely unraveling me.
I should stop this.
I should push her away.
I should say something, do something—
But I didn't.
I couldn't.
Because the truth was—
I didn't want to.
As we pulled away, our breaths tangled in the small space between us, my lips still tingling, a thin, glistening strand of saliva connected us for a fleeting second—before Diana, ever the temptress, caught it on her finger.
And then—slowly, deliberately—she brought it to her lips, her emerald eyes never once leaving mine as she licked it away.
My stomach flipped. My heart slammed against my ribs.
I was done for.
Her gaze darkened, her pupils slightly blown. "You taste so sweet," she murmured, her voice husky, low, dripping with something dangerous. "I just want to crave more and more."
I swore I saw hearts in her eyes.
I also swore I was going to spontaneously combust.
My body refused to function. I was overheating. My mind short-circuited.
This was Diana Hayes—cunning, manipulative, always in control. And yet, right now, there was a visible blush dusting her cheeks, a hint of something raw in the way she looked at me, like she genuinely wanted me.
Not just to fluster me. Not just to tease me.
She wanted me.
And that terrified me.
"Y-You..." I tried to speak, tried to say anything, but my voice failed me.
And then—salvation.
A knock at the door.
I had never been so relieved and so frustrated at the same time.
Diana let out a low, satisfied chuckle, her fingers lazily trailing down my arm as she pulled back just slightly, but not enough to give me space.
"Saved by the knock," she teased, tilting her head, her smirk returning in full force. "But don't think this is over, my dear Sera."
She leaned in, her lips brushing against the edge of my jaw, a fleeting ghost of a kiss that sent shivers down my spine.
Then, finally—finally—she let me go.
I nearly collapsed.
Another knock—this time, more impatient.
"Are you going to answer that?" Diana hummed, watching me with way too much amusement as I scrambled to compose myself.
I cleared my throat, willing my heartbeat to calm down, and turned toward the door, still slightly breathless, still completely and utterly flustered.
Whoever was on the other side had no idea what kind of chaos they just interrupted.
And for that?
I was both eternally grateful…
And extremely, extremely frustrated.
I opened the door, revealing my mother.
Her eyes flickered between me and Diana, her expression unreadable, but there was an unmistakable glint of amusement in them. Oh god, she knew something.
"Mother?" I forced out, trying very hard to act like I wasn't seconds away from collapsing into a puddle of embarrassment.
"Why don't you two come downstairs for a bit?" Eleanor said smoothly, her voice even but firm. "We need to have an important discussion regarding the situation at the North Gate. I believe the two of you should be informed."
I barely had time to register her words before I felt a shift in the air.
The playful, flirtatious energy between Diana and me vanished in an instant.
I glanced over at her and saw the transformation immediately—her posture straightened, her usual teasing smirk replaced with something serious, composed, sharp.
This was the tactician's daughter.
The Diana Hayes who didn't play games when it came to real threats.
Her eyes met mine, steady, resolute.
She nodded. "Alright. Let's go."
The weight of the room shifted instantly.
The warmth and teasing of just moments ago felt like a distant memory as I sat at the long dining table, surrounded by my family and Diana's.
Tension hung thick in the air, unspoken but palpable.
All eyes were on my father and Orion, the two towering figures standing at the head of the table, their expressions grim, unreadable.
Duke exhaled, running a hand through his hair before finally speaking.
"I am being deployed to the North Gate."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
"Along with Orion."
My stomach dropped.
"The situation is escalating, and the King has deemed it necessary to mobilize not only the army but the strongest warriors available to defend the borders. It's no longer just a series of monster attacks—it's something far greater, something far more dangerous."
The way his voice carried authority and finality sent an unsettling chill down my spine.
Then Orion, ever the tactician, added in a tone much sharper, much colder than usual—
"But we don't know when we'll be coming home… or if we'll ever come home."
The words struck like a blade.
I barely registered the slight gasp from my mother. I barely noticed Diana's fingers twitch against the table.
My heart was hammering too loudly in my ears.
"You're saying there's a chance that neither of you will come back?" My voice was steadier than I expected it to be, but I could feel my fingers curling into my lap, tightening into fists.
"That's exactly what I'm saying." Orion's tone was unapologetic, sharp, honest.
The air shifted again.
I didn't like this.
Not one bit.
"Then what the hell is happening at the North Gate?" Diana's voice cut through the room, demanding answers.
And judging by the way our fathers exchanged glances—
We weren't going to like what came next.