Nolan went to bed early with Yena. She was exhausted and fell asleep in his arms within a minute of lying her head down on the pillow.

But the prince stayed awake all night. Holding her. And thinking.

He promised Yena he would do whatever it took to make her happy. And he could try to protect her from Gina. From Adan.

But Yena was not a woman who just needed someone to protect her.

She was a woman with a dream, and more than anything, she needed someone to support her.

Yena’s dream was so important to her. It was part of who she was.

It was part of what Nolan loved about her. Her talent, vision, and drive.

Maybe Nolan had been hoping that encouraging her to start a clothing line, start a business with him, would be a way to support her dream, while keeping her here with him.

And yet… Yena still wanted something more. Something else.

Nolan could not imagine that it was really just a semester abroad that she felt she needed. Deep down, what she yearned for was freedom and independence. The opportunity to leave.

The life she had always wanted for herself, before Nolan came along and changed everything.

He had made a decision.

He was going to give Yena an out. A chance to go back to that life she always dreamed of, where she was free to make her own choices, free to do what she wanted.

Time was running out. Adan would strike any day now. And once he did, Yena would be trapped in the werewolf world.

That would keep her at Nolan’s side. But it would also mean she might live the rest of her life wondering, What if?

He did not want Yena to live with regret.

He wanted to know for sure that she did love him truly. That she wanted to be here with him. That she had not just settled for a life with him, because she thought she had no other option.

Nolan put his lips to Yena’s shoulder and gave it a gentle kiss, then pulled the blankets up around her more snugly. She sighed in her sleep and rolled her body closer into his.

Tomorrow, he would tell her everything.

And he would offer her a divorce.

How she responded to that offer would tell Nolan everything he needed to know.

ADAN

Adan heard Lucy’s footsteps coming down the stairs, over the sizzle and pop of the bacon cooking in a pan on the stove. He looked up and saw her rounding the corner into the kitchen.

“Morning!” she said cheerily, giving him a big smile.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Adan offered her a smile in return.

Lucy was wearing one of his favorite shirts, a soft purple oxford, with the sleeves rolled up above the elbows. It was huge on her, with the shirttails hitting at the middle of her naked thighs.

Adan stooped to give her a kiss when she sidled up to him.

She made a happy little moan and tried to pull his face in to kiss her harder. But Adan gave her a gentle push away.

“Go take a seat,” he said. “And pour yourself a drink while I finish cooking.”

Lucy perched herself on a tall stool at the counter and fixed herself a mimosa.

Adan started cracking eggs into a glass bowl.

“So, Nolan had that big birthday party last night,” he said.

“Right. Yena told me about it a few days ago. She was working really hard, making a custom suit for Nolan to wear, and a matching gown for herself.”

“Wow,” Adan said. “That sounds like a lot of work.”

“Yeah. She doesn’t really do anything half-way.”

Adan threw the last of the eggshells into the sink and wiped his hands dry on a towel.

“And what made you decide not to go to the party, anyway?” he asked.

Lucy gave him a confused look. “I wasn’t invited.”

“Oh,” Adan said quietly. “I’m sorry, I just figured… being Yena’s best friend and all…”

He trailed off and looked away, pretending to be embarrassed to have asked. He grabbed a whisk and started beating the bowl of eggs, scrambling them.

“Huh.” Lucy sipped loudly at her drink, hardly tilting the glass back enough, making an unnecessary slurping sound.

Adan resisted the impulse to flinch. He hated when she did that.

She was really starting to drive him crazy.

“I guess it was more Nolan’s thing. A royal thing.” Lucy sounded like she was trying to convince herself of something.

Adan took the eggs over to the stove and poured them into a pan. They hit the hot, buttered surface with a loud hiss.

The bacon was done. He pulled the griddle off the stove and carried it over to the counter, where he had a towel-lined tray waiting. He slid the bacon strips out of the pan and left them in the tray to cool.

Then he went back to the eggs, pushing them around their pan slowly.

“Has Nolan ever invited you to dinner, or anything? Ever even tried to meet you?”

Lucy shook her head. “No. Why?”

“Just wondering,” he said. He turned his back to her.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Lucy said from behind him. “I want to know.”

Adan sighed, like this was going to be hard to say. He stole a look back at Lucy and frowned.

“He just… might not want to meet you.”

Lucy jerked her head, surprised. “Why?”

Adan shrugged. “I don’t know, Lucy. I’m not sure how to explain it to you.”

“Try me,” she said, a little irritated.

“Nolan’s… controlling and possessive. Especially when it comes to Yena. He probably wishes she didn’t have any friends at all.”

“Seriously?” Lucy looked like she was getting riled up.

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering about why you haven’t met him yet, ever since you told me about that. It seems odd, doesn’t it? That he wouldn’t want someone he claims to love, to have friends and support in her life.”

“Wow.” Lucy was shaking her head. “I never thought of it like that before.”

Adan plated their breakfasts and set them on the counter.

He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured a splash into his coffee. Took a quick, refreshing sip. And then took his seat next to Lucy.

“I feel like I should say something to her,” Lucy said, nibbling on a piece of bacon.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, but I just can’t sit by and do nothing while Nolan treats her like this. I just want to make sure she knows that she has options. That she doesn’t belong to him.”

Adan stroked Lucy’s cheek. “You know, Yena’s lucky to have a friend like you.”

He gave her an encouraging wink.

Lucy made a closed-mouth smile over a mouthful of food.

She chewed and swallowed, took a big gulp of her mimosa, then cleared her throat.

“I’ll call her today,” she said.

“Let me know how it goes.” Adan lifted his steaming coffee mug to his mouth and took a long, slow drink, hiding the devious smile that was spreading across his lips.