The morning light filtered through heavy velvet curtains, casting a soft golden haze over the opulent chamber. Silk sheets tangled around my legs as I stirred awake, my silver hair spilling like liquid moonlight across the pillows.

There she was—Elaine, my so-called husband, sprawled on the cold marble floor like a discarded cloak, her dark hair tousled and chest rising in uneven breaths. A pang twisted in my gut, unbidden and annoying.

I sighed, sliding out of bed and padding barefoot to the full-length mirror framed in gilded vines. My reflection stared back—softer curves hugged by a sheer nightshift, olive eyes shadowed with exhaustion, the faint mark on my neck throbbing faintly—a permanent reminder of her rut-fuelled claim.

This life had sanded down my edges, made me a bit of a better person than the alley-killing assassin I used to be... or maybe not. If I wanted, I could end her right here—snap her neck before breakfast, no sweat. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

But her broken sobs from last night echoed in my head, deterring me like some weak-ass hesitation. Even as crown princess, an omega in this flipped-gender hellhole where my alpha father ruled as emperor and my omega mother played the empress, I was still a man at my core. My old life had softened me yesterday, despite this alpha brute hurting me time and again.

In this world, dicks ruled everything—I meant the workable ones. Alphas had them and strutted like they owned the throne, the bed, the empire.

I nudged her shoulder with my foot, the lace hem of my shift brushing her arm. "Hey! Wake up." She didn’t stir. "Can’t you hear me?"

Impatient, I prodded harder—then everything flipped. My wrists were seized in an iron grip, and suddenly I was pinned beneath her on the bed, Elaine looming over me with those cold eyes narrowed to slits. Her breath was hot against my face, body heat radiating through her rumpled shirt.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?"

"You’re sleeping on the floor!" I snapped, twisting futilely against her hold, my heart pounding more from irritation than fear.

"What?" Confusion flickered across her sharp features as she glanced around, realizing her own disarray. My hands were trapped above my head, her thighs bracketing mine in a dominant straddle that made my omega instincts squirm.

"I said, after your lover cheated on you and you cried right there in front—" My taunt cut off in a muffled ’mphmm!’ as her palm slammed over my mouth, callused fingers pressing just hard enough to sting.

Her cheeks flushed a rare crimson, those cold eyes darting away for a split second—vulnerability cracking her armour. I glared up at her, unleashing a stream of muffled curses that vibrated against her skin.

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty," she muttered, voice low and edged with embarrassment. "But don’t make fun of me, okay?"

She released me slowly, almost reluctantly, and helped me sit up, her touch lingering on my arm like she wasn’t sure whether to shove or steady. The bed creaked under our shifting weight, the air thick with her lingering alpha scent—pine and smoke.

"You’re a brute!" I spat, rubbing my wrists and scooting back against the headboard. No reason to feel sorry for her. Now I was the woman in this twisted dynamic, lacy finery and all... I shouldn’t waste sympathy on an alpha like her, no matter how shattered she’d looked last night.

"I’m sorry."

"Stop apologizing to me for everything. Go make yourself presentable." I waved a hand dismissively, silver hair whipping across my shoulders.

"I understand."

"Just go, okay? My blood boils whenever I see your face." The words tasted bitter, fuelled by the anger inside me, but her defeated slump tugged at something buried deep.

"Your Highness, please don’t say this to anyone?" Her voice dropped, pleading now, those eyes locking onto mine with uncharacteristic desperation.

"What? That your secret lover cheated on you?" I couldn’t resist twisting the knife, leaning forward with a smirk.

"Your Majesty!"

"Fine, I won’t tell a soul you got cuckolded. The one you loved gave his virginity to someone else. So sad." I drawled the last part, watching her flinch.

"He only kissed him!" she protested, fists clenching at her sides.

"Oh, a kiss? That’s romantic. We never kissed, did we? Not really."

"During our marriage, we did."

"That was just the circumstance—the crowd, the vows, the farce." I rubbed my temples, headache blooming from the memory of petal-strewn altars and hollow cheers. "Look, you were crying yesterday. Sobbing like a kicked pup on the floor."

"I wasn’t!"

This was the rawest emotion I’d ever pried from her—defiance masking hurt, cheeks still pink. It almost made her... human.

"Well, you were. I’m saying you’ll find someone after we divorce." I crossed my arms, the nightshift’s silk whispering against my skin.

"Will I?" Her tone was sceptical, edged with that familiar arrogance creeping back.

"Yes, just behave well with me. Maybe I’ll set you up with one." A calculated olive branch, assassin pragmatism kicking in.

"Really?"

"Yes. But you have to be good to me—act as my nominal husband until it’s over. Also, help ease my heats sometimes. You’ve already marked me, and those episodes will be occasional now that the bond’s set." The words hung heavy, pragmatic as a contract, ignoring the heat low in my belly at the thought.

"Thank you, Your Highness." She bowed her head slightly; a knight’s deference mixed with reluctant gratitude.

"It’s not like we’ll fall in love with each other, right?" I arched a brow, testing the waters, my voice laced with that assassin’s edge—half-taunt, half-dare.

She shot me a disgusted look, lips curling like I’d suggested swallowing poison. "Never."

"That’s what I believe too."

"Your Highness, I will never love you." Elaine straightened, her eyes hardening as she loomed by the bathing chamber door, rumpled shirt clinging to her broad frame. The morning light caught the sharp line of her jaw, shadows playing over her face.

"Why?" The word slipped out sharper than I meant, curiosity overriding my better judgment. Her raw vulnerability last night—sobs echoing off marble—had cracked something in me, and I hated it.

"There are hundreds of reasons." She crossed her arms, Alpha arrogance snapping back into place, her scent thickening the air with challenge. "You’re spoiled, manipulative, an omega playing at power you don’t deserve. Need I list them?"

I glared, heat flooding my cheeks—not omega heat, but pure fury from my old life’s killer instincts. Fists clenched in the sheets, nails biting palms. "I thought we were becoming friends, but fuck you!"

The curse exploded raw, echoing in the gilded chamber, my silver hair whipping as I shot to my feet. Lace hem fluttered ridiculously around my thighs, but the fire in my olive eyes was all assassin, promising blades if words failed.

She flinched—just a flicker—but held her ground, lips parting in surprise at my venom.

"I..."

"Fuck you!"