Chapter 287. We Have Intruders

Elizabeth’s POV

“I’m making breakfast for my mate,” I said calmly, my voice steady despite the tension thickening the air, “and I’m welcome here.”

I lifted my chin slightly and pointed at the mark on my neck—not arrogantly, but firmly. It was there. It was undeniable. It was mine. And it bound me to Aerys in a way no amount of jealousy or bitterness could erase.

Her gaze snapped to the mark, and her lips curled in disgust, as if merely looking at it offended her. The expression on her face was twisted with something ugly—envy mixed with disbelief, the kind that comes when reality refuses to bend to one’s expectations.

I, on the other hand, felt strangely calm.

She was the one shaking with fury, her chest rising and falling too quickly, her hands clenched at her sides. I could a